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Hospital distribution — DipIMC MCQ

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ModerateMajor Incident ManagementHospital distributionDipIMC

A bus crash produces multiple Priority 2 limb injuries and two Priority 1 chest injuries. The nearest hospital is small and already saturated. What is the most appropriate transport decision?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: CDistribute casualties through ambulance command according to capacity and clinical priority

Distribute casualties through ambulance command according to capacity and clinical priority is the best answer because major incident transport should balance priority, destination capability and system capacity rather than overloading the nearest hospital. Transport to the nearest hospital without pre-alert is less appropriate because unstructured destination choice can delay trauma-team activation; Delay transport for full wound cleaning is less appropriate because wound toilet should not delay urgent haemorrhage or surgical care. Transport to the nearest minor injury unit and Remain on scene until observations normalise are also suboptimal because they move attention away from the key pre-hospital priority.. The key DipIMC principle is to treat immediate reversible threats, communicate clearly and move the patient toward the right definitive care.

Reference: MIMMS Major Incident Medical Management and Support; JESIP Joint Doctrine; NHS England Major Incident Triage Tool