B737-800
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Procedure
A B737 declared a medical emergency and was cleared direct to SLC. I took a point out on the aircraft and gave away control for anything that they needed as I was working an arrival sector. I heard SLC approach call Sector 3 so I picked up the line and heard the Sector 3 Controller tell Approach that they were turning the B737 back to go over SPANE on the arrival. The Approach Controller told him NO clear him direct SLC; all of the coordination had already been done Controller to Controller. I hung up and almost immediately received a call from Sector 3 saying point out we are turning the B737 over SPANE. I asked why they were going to put him over SPANE when the Approach Controller had just called them and said to clear the aircraft direct to SLC. He said he was working on it; I told him unable on the point out then; clear him direct to the airport. Anyway; shortly thereafter the aircraft turned back direct SLC. The whole point of this report is when there was a medical emergency; the controllers took care of the coordination to allow the aircraft the type of service required to get the aircraft on the ground ASAP. Flow control then gets involved with SLC approach and they decide to turn the aircraft back over the arrival which would cause this emergency to fly longer and further then if they had left the aircraft on the original route. This happens all of the time. Apparently there is some type of LOA that mandates the two flows get together and work out how they are going to handle emergencies and emergency aircraft. There is something seriously wrong with the way we deal with emergencies and emergency aircraft. SLC Approach will cry that they have mountains and so it is more efficient for them to fly the arrival routes. I am a pilot and absolutely disagree. It is a cultural thing and the delays that we cause; case in point -tonight; may cost lives in the future because of the convoluted inefficient way we do business. Tonight having flow direct the Sector 3 controllers to turn the emergency aircraft that had already been approved direct back over the arrival fix was unconscionable and embarrassing. Had I been working that sector I would have refused and left the aircraft direct. Something needs to be done.
ZLC Controller voiced concern when Traffic Management refused to permit a direct airport routing for a medical emergency aircraft even after all controllers involved voiced approval.