Ambulance UK October 2022

Volume 37 No. 5 

October 2022 

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CONTENTS 

CONTENTS 

Ambulance UK 

148 EDITOR’S COMMENT 

150 FEATURES 

Community Defibrillation – Past, Present and the Future 

152 NEWSLINE 

172 IN PERSON 

175 COMPANY NEWS 

COVER STORY 

New atomisation devices from Intersurgical 

Intersurgical are delighted to announce the launch of their new range of atomisation 

devices. 

Medication can be quickly and painlessly delivered with the DART intranasal mucosal 

atomisation device. Atomised medication delivery results in therapeutic onset delivery 

similar to intravenous delivery. The delivery method is painless for the patient, helping 

them remain calm in a high stress situation. 

This issue edited by: 

Sam English 

c/o Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks, Lockhill 

Upper Sapey, Worcester, WR6 6XR 

ADVERTISING: 

Terry Gardner, Samantha Marsh 

CIRCULATION: 

Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks, Lockhill 


Tel: 01886 853715 

E: info@mediapublishingcompany.com 

www.ambulanceukonline.com 

PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY: 

February, April, June, August, 

October, December 

COPYRIGHT: 

Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks 

Lockhill 


The DART is available in four different configurations. The DART300 consists of the 

atomiser and nasal cone its own, while the DART100 also includes a 3ml syringe. 

The DART110 includes a 1ml syringe and the DART140 includes both a 3ml syringe 

and a vial adaptor. All four product options are supplied in boxes of 25 units. 

Intersurgical also offer a laryngo-tracheal mucosal atomisation device called the DART- 

Reach. This device has a flexible stylet, allowing for a customised approach and 

can be used in a variety of procedures, such as during awake intubations and difficult 

airways. The DART-Reach is also available in a variety of products configurations to 

meet different clinical requirements. 

Contact your local Intersurgical Representative for a demonstration: 

www.intersurgical.co.uk/contact 

Contact information: 

Intersurgical 

Crane House 

Molly Millars Lane 

Wokingham 

Berkshire RG41 2RZ 

England 

Tel: 0118 9656 300 

Email: info@intersurgical.com 

Website: www.intersurgical.com 

PUBLISHERS STATEMENT: 

The views and opinions expressed in 

this issue are not necessarily those of 

the Publisher, the Editors or Media 

Publishing Company. 

Next Issue December 2022 

Subscription Information – October 2022 

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147

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

Welcome to this issue of AUK. 


“My 

congrats 

to all 

those 

who 

received 

an award 

and a 

salute to 

all the 

others 

who 

didn’t.” 

This year seems to have flown by, already a certain bargain store has Christmas decorations on display as 

we march briskly towards shorter days and lower temperatures. Which then leads me to contemplate the 

plight of not only ambulance colleagues but all NHS colleagues struggling with a minute pay rise in the light 

of the soaring cost of living. What I don’t understand is how a registered professional in this country could 

find themselves queueing at a food bank when they are working at capacity for the national good but don’t 

earn enough to feed their families. So at a time when there is a 10% or thereabouts current vacancy factor 

and the Health Secretary promises a massive increase in NHS staffing, in my humble opinion the math 

does not add up and the most likely outcome is that more people will leave to find better employment in the 

private sector. And even if there were 50,000 willing volunteers willing to join the NHS, you cannot exchange 

enthusiasm for years of training and expertise. It promises to be a real winter of discontent on so many 

levels. One can only hope that someone wakes up to the problem. And whilst in this merry mood, I might 

also remind myself that Covid still hasn’t gone away and according to yesterday’s statistics is on the rise 

again. Booster 4 is out there, make sure you get yours and especially take care of your older relatives. 

Looking at the news in the current issue, its pleasing to note that it is the season to recognise the work 

we put into our day job, the awards are at least a small way to say thanks and I especially liked the efforts 

celebrated in the contact centre environment, often overlooked but more important than ever in the face of 

rising demand. The teams working there are the real front line and have to deal not only with the pressures 

of demand without resource but the fall out when things don’t go well. My congrats to all those who 

received an award and a salute to all the others who didn’t. 

I hope this winter goes well for you all, and that the ever nearing festive season provides at least some 

respite for you. For the people of Ukraine my hope for peace. 

Sam English, Co-Editor Ambulance UK 

148 

For more news visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com

Intranasal mucosal atomisation device 

Medication can be quickly and painlessly 

delivered with the DART Intranasal 

mucosal atomisation device. 

Medication can be quickly and painlessly delivered with 

the DART intranasal mucosal atomisation device, 

helping the patient remain calm in a high stress situation. 

Scan the QR code to 

find out more: 

lnteract with us 

Quality, innovation and choice 

www.intersurgical.co.uk

FEATURE 

COMMUNITY DEFIBRILLATION – 

PAST, PRESENT AND THE FUTURE 

Martin Fagan 

Community Heartbeat trust charity The UK defibrillator charity 0330 1243 067 www.communityhearbeat.org.uk 

In the past 15 years the numbers of defibrillators available to the 

public has increased significantly. Why? What is it all about? And 

where is it all going? 

20 years ago, a defibrillator was a mysterious super-duper medical 

device that was only used by doctors and saved lives. Now they are 

everywhere and even better! They are used to treat Sudden Cardiac 

Arrest, which in simple terms means, when the heart has suddenly 

stopped working. 

Members of the public do not fully understand ‘Sudden Cardiac Arrest’ 

and often refer to the use for a defibrillator to treat ‘Heart attack’ and it 

is misleading to refer to these life saving devices as ‘Heart restarters’ as 

this just compounds the misunderstandings. Also there is a perception 

from media and some retailers that by having a defibrillator nearby will 

result in 100% of lives being saved. We know this is not true, with the 

current survival rates for RoSC to hospital averaging around 25%, and 

survival from hospital only 9% (NHS England figures). This is still better 

that in 2000 when the survival was only 2%. 

Saving a life is time dependent, and the rescue must start fast, usually 

within a couple of minutes of their collapse. Their heart will degrade by 

up to 20% per minute in humans, so rapid action is key. 

The process to save a life is known as the ‘Chain of Survival’ and this 

means each step needs to be followed in sequence, to save the life. The 

quicker each step can be completed, the better the chance for survival. 

The defibrillator is step 4, so this is as much about creating time as it is 

about having a defibrillator, and education in understanding what to do, 

when, and how. Chest compressions create time, this is why this step 

is so important, and why now ambulance EOC instructions are to get 

CPR initiated within 60s of the telephone call, is vital. Use of standard 

defibrillator signage such as the Internationally recognised ILCOR 

defibrillator signage is also essential to avoid confusion. 

Past 

In the early 2000’s until about the 2012 timescale, the only defibrillators 

available were those that had been designed for trained users. They 

‘talked’ to you, but did they speak your language? Based upon the 

change in status that whilst training was advised, anyone not trained 

should still be allowed to use a defibrillator, then more and more began 

to appear in the community. CHT were the first to propose and use 

redundant telephone boxes and are still the only partner to BT on 

this. Also CHT were one of only two organisations at the time with 

The Chain of Survival 

Defibrillator 


Check patient Call 999 CPR Defibrillator Hospital asap 

1 2 3 4 

3 mins = 50-75% 

10 minutes = 5% 

150 

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com

FEATURE 

stating VAT is not applicable. Whether you agree or not, HMRC have 

ruled VAT is applicable on all defibrillators and associated equipment 

regardless of the status of the retailer. This includes any ambulance 

service donating a defibrillator to a community, or offering to purchase 

via its inhouse charity. HMRC will come after you if you fail to address 

the VAT correctly! 

Use the correct internationally recognised ILCOR 

defibrillator signage. This is important. The NHS guide 

on medical signage states, “Unfamiliar (and inaccurate) 

medical terms should also be avoided, but if they have 

to be used, a symbol may help people understand 

the sign” This is further exemplified by the ERC, and also the UK HSE 

“Under the current Health and Safety guidance for first aid signage, 

this has now been extended to include signage to direct people to 

the nearest defibrillator, as well as signage at the defibrillator site itself. 

Again, this signage should be universal and in accordance with the 

ILCOR recommendations” 

external heated cabinets, and proposed standardising on yellow as the 

recognised colour. Since then many manufacturers have developed 

cabinets of differing standards and suitability, not all complying to 

good design practice, or advising communities that quality is key. The 

WebNos Governance system was launched in 2010 the first, and still 

the only, community defibrillator management and governance system. 

As a result of the change in training requirement, the numbers of 

defibrillators began to expend to today’s figure of around 70,000 in the 

public domain, either as Community Public Access Defibrillators (cPADs) 

or easy access defibrillators (ePADs). The latter being in shops, offices or 

schools where cess is restricted at times of the day or due to geography. 

Present 

Since 2014 new technology has allowed defibrillators to meet better 

requirements for public use, and a good defibrillator now will be EQ2010 

compliant and have visualised instructions in addition to the audio, and 

the audio messages given changed to use everyday language. Training 

is still essential, and those advocating ‘no training required;’ are making 

misleading comments. Clinical evidence shows that there are twice as 

many successful rescues where the local community have attended training 

session than those that have not. Also it is not just about the defibrillator. It 

is about the ‘Chain of Survival’ and the stages do require training. 

New technology such as visualised displays or animated videos 

have increased rescue successes, and also made it easier and more 

confident for the untrained user to partake in a rescue. Visual displays 

are the single biggest development in the past 8 years for community 

defibrillators. 

The pending new regulations of UK-MDR will result in non-compliant 

equipment to be removed from the market, and any community now 

looking at a project should insist upon only using MDR/FDA compliant 

equipment. This effectively counts against cheaper non-compliant or 

older equipment. The public should avoid retailers offering ‘grants’ or 

Currently there are 13 different types of defibrillator signage used in the 

UK, and this is causing confusion. Imagine if we had 13 different 30mph 

speed sign designs! 

The development of new registration systems for defibrillators is also 

welcome, but are voluntary, and are adjuncts to, not replacements for, 

existing governance systems. Ambulance services have a duty to advise 

the public of any onerous terms of use for these newer registration 

systems if they are recommending their use. 

Future 

There is more technology coming in the next few years. These include 

automatically activated defibrillators, 4G enabled, disposable single 

use defibrillators and even waterproof defibrillators. At the moment, 

whilst ‘sexy’ these are several years away as they do not yet have UK 

approval. 

What is now available and will become increasingly important are 

monitored 247 cabinets, such as the Rotaid 247 and Smart Sentry. 

These not only monitor your defibrillator equipment, but also tell you 

when the defibrillator has been used and when returned. GPS tracking 

is now available as there are increasingly more defibrillators not returned 

after rescues. Theft thankfully is still rare, but insurance companies will 

no longer cover theft of a defibrillator, something that needs addressing 

as this has the potential to slow down implementation of these 

important systems. 

Conclusion 

The increased numbers of defibrillators available in the community has 

increased survival to hospital from 3% in 2000 to around 25% in 2022. 

Still a long way to go, but heading in the right direction. When doing a 

project, communities must think about the future. Do not buy on price, 

but consider usability, robustness and governance. These are medical 

devices, not TV’s. The better these are looked after, and the more 

modern the device, the better the outcomes. 


Do you have anything you would like to add or include in Features? Please contact us and let us know. 

151

NEWSLINE 

NEAS 

Inspirational stories 

from the North East 

heading to your 

with the return of 

award-winning 

documentary 

Ambulance 

“We just get up, get on and have 

a smile on your face – that’s 

what it is to be a Geordie.” 

Prime-time documentary series 

‘Ambulance’, following frontline 

staff at North East Ambulance 

Service (NEAS) as they provide 

vital urgent and emergency prehospital 

care in the region, started 

on Thursday, 11 August, on BBC 

One. 

Now on its ninth series, the 

team from production company 

Dragonfly were embedded with 

NEAS to film footage for the 

BBC’s BAFTA-award winning 

series between January and April 

this year. 

At a time when the ambulance 

service has never been more 

under pressure, the series follows 

crews across Tyne and Wear, 

Durham and Darlington and 

Teesside. 

Each of the 12 60-minute 

episodes for the upcoming 

series will feature the work of 

ambulance staff and the patients 

they treat during one particular 

shift, following them in real time 

alongside their colleagues in the 

Emergency Operations Centre 

where decisions are made in a 

highly pressurised environment. 

Over the course of the filming, the 

service’s Emergency Operations 

Centre in Newcastle and Hebburn 

handled 162,257 999 calls 

and 219,844 111 calls, and 

dispatched ambulance crews to 

125,382 incidents – an average of 

1,045 incidents per day. 

More than 200 people were part 

of this series, either in front of the 

camera or working behind the 

scenes to support the Dragonfly 

team. 

The first episode, which aired on 

Thursday, 11 August, at 9pm, 

followed the shifts of dispatchers 

Hollie and Tom, working 

within one of the Trust’s three 

Emergency Operations Centres, 

as well as ambulance crews 

Gateshead-based Kyle and Alex, 

Hawkeys Lane-based Gemma 

and Katie, Washington-based 

Sophie and Jack, and Gatesheadbased 

Lydia and Kirk. 

As well as featuring emergency 

incidents, the series highlights a 

number of issues faced across 

the North East, such as mental 

health, domestic abuse, and health 

and social care issues as well as 

delayed responses to patients 

caused by spikes in demand or 

pressures across the health system. 

NEAS employs more than 2,900 

people and covers 3,200 square 

miles across the North East 

region, serving a population of 2.7 

million people by handling all NHS 

111 and 999 calls for the region, 

operating patient transport and 

ambulance response services, 

delivering training for communities 

and commercial audiences and 

providing medical support cover 

at events. 

It has three emergency operation 

centres based in Newcastle, 

Hebburn and Wynyard and 

operates 175 double crewed 

vehicles and 220 patient transport 

vehicles as well as 45 rapid 

response cars, a fleet of support 

vehicles including driver training 

and specialist vehicles for the 

Hazardous Area Response Team. 

In 2021/22, the service answered 

more than 1.15m emergency 999 

and NHS 111 calls, with more 

than 270,000 patients taken 

to hospital, more than 48,000 

patients treated and discharged 

over the phone and more than 

115,000 patients treated and 

discharged at home. It responded 

to more than 22,000 C1 serious 

and life-threatening incidents in 7 

minutes. 

NEAS Chief Executive Helen 

Ray said: “The programme really 

shows how amazing our teams 

are in their care and treatment 

of patients. It highlights the 

dedication and commitment from 

every member of team NEAS as 

they strive to give the best quality 

care to every patient they meet. 

I’m incredibly proud of them all 

and would like to thank them for 

representing our service so well. 

“Each episode shines a light on 

the wide range of patient needs 

faced by our service – whether 

that be emergency response for 

life threatening illness, support 

for mental health or social care 

needs, or alcohol and drug use. It 

shows clearly the pressure faced 

by our service and the wider 

health network around us, and the 

dedication of our brilliant staff to 

do their best. 


“I hope this series of Ambulance 

also serves to inspire and 

encourage people to consider 

joining our service. Working for 

the ambulance service is so much 

more than a job, it’s a chance to 

really make a difference. 

“It was a real pleasure to welcome 

the Dragonfly team and they were 

fantastic to work with.” 

152 


O)stJohn 

NEWSLINE 

Join the heartbeat 

of Western Australia. 

Our paramedics are courageous, caring, confident and patient, putting themselves on 

the front-line of pre-hospital medical care every day. At St John WA paramedics work 

collaboratively across the organisation to provide quality, patient centred care to the 

Western Australian community. 

The part you'll play 

Our paramedics are trained to Advanced Life Support 

(ALS) level, which allows them to provide exceptional 

emergency care to patients. They are able to insert an 

intravenous and intraosseous cannula (drips), administer a 

variety of medications, perform advanced airway 

management, give intravenous drug therapy for cardiac 

arrest patients, and intravenous fluids. 

Above all, our paramedics are responsive to the needs of 

the patient, administering time-critical interventions and 

transportation to specialist definitive care. 

St John WA Paramedic eligibility 

We currently have an exciting opportunity for Qualified 

Paramedics that do not have current Australian working 

rights, to be sponsored by St John WA! 

• Recent experience employed and working within 

a jurisdictional ambulance service in Australia or 

internationally (St John New Zealand or London 

Ambulance Service for example) as a paramedic 

for at least two years. 

• Hold a full driver's license with no restrictions. 

Successful candidates are required to obtain a light 

rigid driver's license within the first six months of 

employment. Costs associated with obtaining the 

required driver's license are the responsibility of the 

candidate. 

• Candidates that do not hold current Australian working 

rights, must meet the visa eligibility requirements, as 

outlined by the Department of Home Affairs. 

• Be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and Influenza. 

For candidates to successfully be employed as an 

ambulance paramedic, they must meet the following 

minimum requirements; 

• Professional registration as a paramedic with the 

Paramedicine Board of Australia. 

• Degree in Paramedicine from a recognised AHPRA 

approved programs of study course provider or 

recognised international education provider. 

Ready for a new adventure? 

To find out more information and to submit 

your application: 

search stjohnwa.com.au/directentry 

Learn about St John WA 


153 

For the latest Ambulance Service News visit: www.ambulancenewsdesk.com

NEWSLINE 

Air Ambulance - 

Critical Moments 

Lifesaving Difference 

The critical difference made by 

air ambulance charities was 

highlighted as part of a national 

campaign by Air Ambulances 

UK to raise awareness of their 

life saving, Air Ambulance Week 

which started on September 

5th. 

The need for their services has 

surged post Covid with the 

number of missions rising. 

Air Ambulance critical care crews 

attend major incidents where 

time is of the essence, delivering 

lifesaving interventions, using 

specialist training and equipment 

and transporting patients to the 

most appropriate hospitals. 

Air Ambulances UK supports the 

UK’s 21 air ambulance charities, 

who receive no day-to-day 

government funding and depend 

almost entirely on charitable 

donations to deliver their lifesaving 

care. They form part of the 

regional 999 emergency services 

but are completely separate. 

Simmy Akhtar Air Ambulances 

UK’s CEO said: “Specialist teams 

of critical care medics perform lifesaving 

procedures that can mean 

the difference between life and 

death, at the scene. 

“We work side-by-side with the 

NHS to provide specialist and 

critical life-saving care, a vital 

emergency service that is not part 

of the NHS or in receipt of day-today 

government funding. 

“As a charity that almost 

completely relies on donations, we 

are forever grateful that they keep 

our critical care teams flying” 

A medical emergency or traumatic 

injury can happen to anyone, at 

anytime, anywhere and reaching 

a patient sooner where every 

moment is critical can make a lifesaving 

difference. 

The specialist skills of air ambulance 

critical care teams mean they can 

turn the scene of any incident into 

an Emergency Department. 

Pilots play a vital role, often 

not knowing where they will be 

able to land when they take off, 

fighting against adverse weather 

conditions, the light and of 

course time. Making split-second 

decisions to access patients in the 

safest and efficient way. 

Air ambulance crews are made 

up of critical care paramedics and 

specially trained doctors. Both 

go through years of additional 

training to be part of the team. 

Many crews also work in the NHS 

with the doctors on board often 

being Consultants in specialities 

such as Emergency Medicine or 

Anesthesia. 

Stewart McMorran, Air Ambulance 

Doctor and NHS consultant 

at Musgrove Park Hospital 

Taunton, said: “Emergency care 

administered by our air ambulance 

teams saves lives. Our rapid 

response and ability to turn the 

scene into an ED means we 

improve patient outcomes. 

“When patients arrive at the 

hospital and we hand over their 

care to NHS emergency doctors, 

more often than not we have 

stabilised the patient and given 

lifesaving critical care. 

“As a critical care team, we 

perform procedures at the scene 

such as administering anesthesia, 

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NEWSLINE 

giving blood, and performing 

and a range of challenges, 

surgical procedures such as a 

including its remote location and 

surgical airway, thoracostomy and 

close links to the Lake District, 

thoracotomy; and even, though 

which sees high demand during 

fortunately, very rarely, amputation. 

the summer. 

“We are often treating people in 

Since July 2020, the station has 

adverse weather conditions, in the 

been the focus of a new smart 

dark, and because of the nature of 

station pilot scheme to transform 

critical emergency medicine, we 

the hub after an idea, born out of 

are always fighting against time. 

our Clinical and Digital Innovations 

Team. 

“Our pilots are also highly skilled 

and make rapid decisions to get 

Matt Dugdale, Head of Clinical 

our medical teams as close to the 

and Digital Innovation at NWAS, 

scene as humanly possible.” 

said: “We decided on Kendal as 

our test site after finding there 

Air Ambulances UK is the national 

were lots of inefficiencies and 

charity supporting the lifesaving 

wastage in terms of how staff 

work of the UK’s air ambulance 

charities, enabling them to save 

even more lives every day. To 

find out more visit: https://www. 

airambulancesuk.org/ 

LAS 

A reason to run – 

how family tragedy 

inspired one 

woman’s fundraising 

for frontline heroes 

The cousin of a London 

Ambulance Service motorcycle 

paramedic who tragically died 

earlier this year, is running a 

series of races in his memory. 

Zoe Hancock’s beloved cousin 

Mark Pell, 51, died in hospital after 

an accident while on a training 

course in Wales in April. 

Zoe said: “Mark was more like 

a brother to me. He was always 

there for me when I needed him. 

He was always there for everyone 

– his colleagues and his patients 

and everyone who knew him. 

“The world seems empty and 

I’m pretty lost without him, but I 

knew I had to do something – so 

I’m raising money for the London 

Ambulance Charity to support his 

colleagues. 

“I think he would be proud of me.” 

Mark worked for London 

Ambulance Service for 28 years 

and was part of its highly skilled 

motorcycle response unit who can 

respond quickly to emergencies 

on London’s busy streets. 

Mum-of-three Zoe used to work in 

a motorbike shop and Mark loved 

spending time with her there, 

sparking his life-long passion for 

motorbikes. 

At his funeral in May, Mark’s 

colleagues formed a convoy of 

29 motorcycles, ambulances 

and response cars for a 25-mile 

procession to the crematorium 

where they were met with a guard 

of honour and trumpet salute. 

Zoe, who now lives in Leeds, was 

so moved by the gesture, she 

decided to raise money for the 

London Ambulance Charity which 

funds wellbeing projects for staff 

in need of downtime and space 

to reflect and recharge after long 

busy shifts. 

She added: “Even after a busy 

shift, Mark would still have time for 

others. He would help everyone 

including several charities. He still 

inspires me.” 

She has just completed a 10k 

run in York, and is planning a full 

marathon in October – the first 

time she has ever attempted 

the distance. A half marathon 

planned for this month has been 

postponed. 

Sally George, Head of the London 

Ambulance Charity, said: 

“We’d like to say a huge thank 

you to Zoe who, despite her 

devastating loss, is doing 

something incredible to support 

our people. 

“The London Ambulance 

Charity is dedicated to caring 

for the people who care for 

others, particularly during these 

exceptionally tough times.” 

You can support Zoe’s fundraising 

efforts on her JustGiving page 

NWAS 

Saving Time and 

Staying Smart 

Kendal station is the smartest 

of them all, literally, as it has 

been transformed using new 

technologies, digital systems 

and solutions to become a 

‘smart station’. 

As one of the smaller stations, it 

holds 140 staff, 12 ambulances 

would flow through the building, 

there was lots of paper used 

around the site and some issues 

with security as often generic key 

codes were shared. With its good 

connections to local health care 

partners, we decided Kendal was 

a really great place to start.” 

In a short space of time, the 

project has seen some key 

results, including a 70% saving 

on energy use thanks to a new 

ultra-smart and energy-efficient 

lighting system. The team has also 

saved 49 hours over four months 

on staff time because of a new 

access control system that allows 

clinicians to swipe their ID card to 

open and close the site’s garage 

rather than using a traditional 

mechanical chain. 

In addition, an interactive digital 

wallboard has been introduced to 

reduce paper wastage across the 

site. The board allows staff to find 

different information such as news 

bulletins and staff briefings and 

the ability to email the information 

directly to their personal inbox. 

Matt added: “Our staff codesigned 

the changes with us and 

feel proud that they were part of 

the process – they feel that this 

project has really put Kendal on the 

map. In time, we hope to roll out 

these innovations across the trust.” 


For the latest Ambulance Service News visit: www.ambulancenewsdesk.com 

155

NEWSLINE 

WAS 

‘Bottle cap’ keyrings 

could mean 

difference between 

life and death for 

dialysis patients 

A simple but potentially 

life-saving device to help 

kidney dialysis patients in an 

emergency has been gifted 

to Welsh Ambulance Service 

volunteers. 

More than 300 specially designed 

keyrings have been gifted to the 

Trust’s Volunteer Car Service, 

which can help staff stem lifethreatening 

bleeding that can 

occur when renal dialysis patients 

are receiving treatment. 

The rubber ‘bottle cap’ keyrings 

have been donated by the leading 

kidney charity Kidney Wales, 

which supports more than 10,000 

people with kidney disease in 

Wales. 

Danielle Angell Jones, the charity’s 

Income Generation and Events 

Manager, said: “Over the last two 

years, we have been working with 

the Vascular Access Nurses and 

the Welsh Clinical Renal Network 

to distribute thousands of fistula 

caps to patients, alongside vital 

information about managing a lifethreatening 

bleed. 

“We are pleased to have the 

opportunity to extend this support 

even further, by supplying each 

volunteer driver who assists the 

Welsh Ambulance Service, taking 

patients to and from their treatment 

with a fistula cap keyring for their 

emergency kit bag. 

“Hopefully it will never need to be 

used, however if a patient does 

have a life-threatening bleed whilst 

travelling to or from dialysis it 

could be lifesaving”. 

Volunteer Car Service Drivers 

use their own vehicles to 

transport people to routine 

hospital appointments, including 

dialysis, oncology and outpatient 

appointments. 

In 2021/22, they made 56,000 

journeys across Wales and 

covered more than one and a half 

million miles. 

Pennie Walker, the Trust’s 

Operations Manager Volunteer 

Car Service, said: “Our Volunteer 

Car Service drivers are an integral 

part of our ambulance care team. 

“They support the Trust and 

patients in many ways, including 

transporting people living with 

kidney disease to and from their 

hospital appointments on a 

regular basis across Wales. 

“Each journey allows the patient 

to connect with their driver, who 

can provide comfort and ease 

when they are facing treatment.” 

Judith Bryce, Assistant Director of 

Operations (National Operations 

and Support), added: “The Trust 

is working with Kidney Wales 

to ensure Volunteer Car Service 

drivers across Wales are equipped 

with these keyrings, which could 

offer immediate support in an 

emergency situation. 

“The Trust would like to thank 

Kidney Wales for this very kind 

donation.” 

The keyrings will be distributed 

by the Trust’s Renal Dialysis 

Hub, which liaises between renal 

dialysis units, transport providers 

and ambulance control teams to 

organise transport for people living 

with kidney disease. 

EEAST 

“I will be forever 

grateful for the 

amazing team effort 

which saved two 

lives that day” 

An emergency responder with 

the East of England Ambulance 

Service (EEAST) was saved by 

his colleagues after he had a 

heart attack – while treating a 

woman in cardiac arrest. 

Senior emergency medical 

technician Jeremy Williams (53) 

was resuscitating the 30-year-old 

woman at her home in Stewartby, 

Bedfordshire, when he felt 

‘excruciating’ pain. 

His teammates quickly realised 

what was happening and, while 

some continued to shock the 

original patient, others carried 

out an ECG on Jeremy and 

discovered he was having a heart 

attack. 

The crews then worked side by 

side to manage both casualties 

and transfer them to separate 

hospitals. Jeremy underwent 

emergency surgery to have 

two stents fitted to unblock the 

arteries around his heart. Now he 

and the original patient are both 

making full recoveries. 


Jeremy, who is based in 

Kempston, said: “It was one of 

those things which never, ever 

happens. I can laugh about it now 

because I’m glad to be here, but 

if it hadn’t been for my colleagues 

it would be a completely different 

story. 

“We knew it was a bad job when 

we arrived because the patient’s 

condition was so serious, but it 

just seemed to get worse from 

there. 

“I’ve come off a motorbike at 

high speed so know what pain 

156 


NEWSLINE 

is, but have never felt anything 

Shaun Whittington, advanced 

who was sweating more – him 

“I’ve been in this job for 22 years 

like I did on that day. It was so 

paramedic in urgent care, led the 

or me. 

and have never heard of anything 

excruciating that the crew couldn’t 

incidents and described the shift 

like this happening before, and 

dry my chest to attach the ECG. 

as one he will never forget. 

“We waited at the Lister while he 

really hope it never happens 

But once they did get a reading, 

had the stent fitted and within just 

again. The fact that Jeremy and 

they knew what they had to do 

“Jeremy’s heart rate and blood 

40 minutes he was a completely 

the patient have both recovered 

and transferred me straight to the 

pressure dropped dramatically 

different person. When we arrived 

is a testament to the skills and 

specialist hospital at Lister where I 

while we were on the way to 

he looked like he was about to 

dedication of the team on scene 

had two stents fitted. 

hospital and at one point I thought 

die, but after the surgery it was 

on the day, who worked together 

he was going to go into cardiac 

like he had just come home from 

brilliantly to manage two very 

“I now feel fine, but shudder to 

arrest,” said Shaun. “I don’t know 

a holiday. 

challenging incidents.” 

think what the outcome would be 

if this had happened on a country 

road in the middle of nowhere 

with no one else around. But for 

me, everything fell into place – if I 

was going to have a heart attack, 

I couldn’t have had it with better 

people around me. 

“I will be forever grateful for the 

amazing team effort which helped 

to save two lives that day.” 

EEAST staff Mark Evans, Nadine 

Ward, Paul Neary, Dave Jadidi 

and Sophie Reynolds worked 

together to treat both patients. 

Set the course of care 

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Assess the patient, split differentials, 

and inform treatment in the rig. 

Scan to find 

out more 

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Do you have anything you would like to add or include in Newsline? Please contact us and let us know. 

157

NEWSLINE 


NEAS 

National award 

recognises 

support North East 

Ambulance Service 

gives to Armed 

Forces personnel as 

an employer 

North East Ambulance Service 

has been awarded a Gold 

employer award in recognition 

of its support to Armed Forces 

personnel. 

Having signed up to the Armed 

Forces Covenant in late 2020, NEAS 

has been working its way through 

the Defence Employer Recognition 

Scheme (ERS) accreditation process 

ever since, and has now been 

successful in being awarded a Gold 

employer award. 

The gold award comes in 

recognition of NEAS: 

• Being one of 64 NHS trusts and 

organisations to be named a 

Veterans Aware employer; 

• Reviewing its reservist policy 

to ensure that current serving 

military staff can meet their 

training requirements and can 

take fully paid leave to meet 

military obligations, including 

longer postings; 

• Providing access to in-house 

occupational health specialist 

services as well as access to 

Veteran Champion Training; 

• Streamlining recruitment 

processes for veterans and 

currently serving military staff, 

including offering guaranteed 

shortlisting and interview 

schemes; 

• Partnering with the Defence 

Medical Services to provide 

placements for military 

paramedics to build up 

their paramedic skills and 

competencies; 

• Supporting specific leave to 

accommodate partners being 

granted leave to coincide with 

actively serving partners; 

• Providing a staff military 

network, a dedicated group 

where staff can support each 

other; 

• Being an active member of 

regional and national military 

and defence networks looking 

at how we can collaboratively 

improve patient and staff 

experience. 

More than 400 NEAS colleagues 

are veterans or are currently 

serving as reservists. Of these, 

more than 30 were employed 

over the last year. The service also 

employs more than 100 military 

spouses or partners, and four 

employees are Cadet Force Adult 

Volunteers. 

The Armed Forces Covenant is a 

promise from the nation to those 

who serve or who have served, 

and their families, which says 

we will do all we can to ensure 

they are treated fairly and are not 

disadvantaged in their day-to-day 

lives. 

The ERS awards is run by 

the Ministry of Defence and 

encourages employers across 

the UK to recognise the value 

that members of the Armed 

Forces community bring to their 

respective workforces. 

The scheme recognises three 

levels of commitment; bronze, 

silver and gold, and guides 

employers to become advocates 

and inspire others to acknowledge 

and support members of the 

Armed Forces community. 

A total of 156 organisations have 

been recognised this year, the 

ninth year of the awards scheme. 

The gold award will be officially 

awarded to NEAS at a ceremony 

in York in November. 

Karen Gardner, Assistant Director 

of People Development at NEAS, 

said: “We are truly honoured 

to receive Gold accreditation 

in such a short space of time, 

which I hope demonstrates the 

commitment we have made to 

supporting our employees who 

are veterans as well as those who 

continue to serve our country, 

whilst serving the public in their 

roles within NEAS. 

“As an organisation, we fully 

recognise both their service 

and also the fantastic skills that 

are completely transferable into 

our frontline and support roles. 

They are rightly very proud of the 

service they have given, and often 

continue to give, to their country, 

and we are equally proud of them 

and the valuable contribution they 

continue to make through working 

for us.” 

In just two short years since 

joining NEAS in 2020 during the 

covid 19 pandemic, veteran Phil 

Delaney has made quick progress 

to develop his career at NEAS, in 

part thanks to his extensive career 

history, which began in the Armed 

Forces. 

Phil began his initial role as an 

ambulance care assistant on 

the apprenticeship scheme in 

September 2020, and recently 

took up his current role as training 

officer for the service, clocking 

up a level 3 qualification in 

non-emergency care and a level 

3 qualification in teaching and 

education along the way. 

Phil joined the British Armed 

Forces in 1997 and, despite 

withdrawing from training due 

to injury, he eventually served 

with the REME for 12 years, 

deployed on operations in 

Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, 

Iraq and Afghanistan, working 

with elements of 16 Air Assault 

Brigade, 3 Commando Brigade 

and the United Kingdom Special 

Forces Support Group. 

During his time, he qualified as a 

class 1 vehicle mechanic, class 

3 combat engineer, skill at arms 

instructor, CBRN instructor, 

basic first aid instructor and 

a ceremonial drill instructor, 

spending his last year of service 

working in the regimental training 

wing. 

Upon leaving the armed forces 

in 2008 to focus on family life, 

he took up roles to mentor new 

engineers and deliver training 

packages on new techniques 

and equipment and to support 

students aged 12 to16 interested 

in joining the Armed Forces in 

a pupil referral unit, before he 

applied to work at NEAS. 

He said: “My role here at NEAS 

builds on my previous Armed 

Forces knowledge and skills – they 

have been fully recognised and I’m 

being supported now by my team 

to improve my skills and personal 

development and I’m even looking 

to complete my level 5 diploma in 

education and training.” 

Paramedic Gareth Alderson, 

who is based in Middlesbrough, 

is one of a number of reservists 

employed at North East 

Ambulance Service. When not 

saving lives through his day job, 

he is responsible for writing, 

delivering, and assurance of 

clinical training to around 2,500 

combat medical technicians, 

which include regular and reserve 

service personnel, through his role 

as clinical training warrant officer 

with 1st (UK) Division at Imphal 

Barracks, York. 

He said: “As I near 24 years 

serving with the Army, I become 

increasingly aware of how much 

my employer’s support means to 

me and how it supports the bigger 

picture of defence worldwide, 

which is wholly appreciated by the 

army and wider defence forces.” 

Reservists give up their spare time 

to serve in the Reserve Forces, 

balancing their civilian life with 

a military career to ensure that 

should their country require them, 

they would be ready to serve. 

Prior to joining NEAS, 30-year-old 

newly qualified paramedic Conor 

Jones served in the Royal Army 

Medical Corps for nine years 

as a combat medic, providing 

emergency lifesaving treatment to 

wounded soldiers on the front line 

at home and abroad. 

158 


NEWSLINE 

“I think both the military and the 

ambulance service can really 

benefit from mutual sharing of 

knowledge, training and support,” 

he said. 

“Paramedics in the military 

are now more experienced at 

identifying life threatening medical 

emergencies and are granted a 

broader scope of practice to deal 

with them. 

“I have been given the 

opportunity while working with 

NEAS to broaden my clinical 

knowledge and I’ve been 

afforded the time to continue to 

pursue military courses, in the 

hope of integrating the unique 

knowledge and experiences both 

sides can bring. 

“I have learnt a lot from many 

people in the NEAS community 

and fellow paramedics continue 

to mentor and guide me.” 

Alongside Conor, 31-year-old 

Matthew Storey has been serving 

in the Army for almost nine years 

as a driver and maintenance 

Instructor and a member of a 

mainstream medical unit. 

Matthew has been with NEAS for 

over a year and prior to becoming 

a registered paramedic, he was 

a combat medical technician, 

providing healthcare to patients 

with major trauma and supporting 

his peers. 

As a Corporal and aspiring 

Sergeant, it was his role to 

manage that of other service 

personnel, he took up a number 

of roles and responsibilities and 

has been deployed to Canada 

BATUS multiple times as well 

as Africa as part of the British 

response to the Ebola epidemic. 

He said: “Being with NEAS has 

widened my knowledge of medical 

conditions, including improvement 

and confidence in assessing and 

managing patients. 

“Having more consistent clinical 

exposure has allowed me to 

consolidate and develop my 

knowledge and skills that I can 

now apply in enhance medical 

care in both a military and civilian 

environment.” 

David Horton, aged 50, joined 

NEAS in February 2018 as a 

training officer before becoming 

the training advisor and 

assessor as part of the Trust’s 

apprenticeship team. Prior to 

joining NEAS, he served for 

24 years as a Royal Marines 

Commando, attaining the rank 

of Sergeant Major. He travelled 

around the globe on training 

and served on operational tours 

in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan 

and Iraq. 

He said: “As a Royal Marines 

veteran, I believe that the 

behaviours, skills, and 

knowledge that veterans 

have developed and embody 


during their service careers 

are, and will continue to be, 

an asset to NEAS across any 

job role. During my career 

I have witnessed on a daily 

basis, tri-service personnel 

demonstrating their own service 

core values and standards, and 

they match those of NEAS. 

NEAS continues to recognise 

the contribution and the value 

that a veteran can add to the 

organisation.” 

IPRS Aeromed are now recruiting Paramedics & Nurses 

What sets us apart is the 

experience and skills of our 

valued clinicians who are 

well-versed in managing 

patients from around the 

world in a wide variety of 

settings. 

Primarily established to work in 

the world of international 

medical repatriation, the 

business has evolved to provide 

expert clinical solutions across 

a variety of specialist sectors 

and services. 

Join a team that's really going places! 

https://iprsaeromed.com/jobs/ or email IPRS Aeromed 

Recruitment aeromed.recruitment@iprsgroup.com 


159

NEWSLINE 

Control Room 

Awards winners 

celebrated as 

community honours 

unsung heroes 

The extraordinary 

contributions of the behindthe-scenes 

heroes who 

work tirelessly to serve and 

protect the public have been 

celebrated at the Control 

Room Awards 2022. 

The awards are the only 

accolades of their kind which 

recognise the selfless dedication 

of control room teams and 

individuals across the UK and 

abroad. 

Representatives from across 

the control room community 

gathered at the NEC in 

Birmingham, where the winners 

of this year’s Control Room 

Awards were celebrated. 

The ceremony took place on the 

opening day of the Emergency 

Services Show and featured 

many inspirational stories of 

professionalism, dedication and 

resilience. 

Winners of the Control Room 

Awards 2022 included: 

• Karen Hay-Barr, a Dispatcher 

at Lincolnshire Police, whose 

vital role in the moments after a 

double murder prevented any 

further casualties and led to the 

successful capture and arrest of 

the suspect. 

• Jules Fynn, 23, from the 

Maritime and Coastguard 

Agency, who covers 12-hour 

search and rescue shifts on 

the River Thames as a sole 

operator, and has continually 

impressed colleagues with her 

maturity, dedication and talent. 

• Dispatcher Sophie Sutton, also 

from Lincolnshire Police, who 

experienced a stroke in her 20s 

and lost control of the entire 

right side of her body. Just four 

months later, Sophie had made 

a remarkable return to work 

and is now set to achieve her 

dream of becoming a police 

officer. 

• Helen Rea, a Control Room 

Officer with London Fire 

Brigade, whose tireless work 

has raised thousands of 

pounds for The Fire Fighters 

Charity and who has shared 

life-saving safety advice with 

the public in the wake of the 

Grenfell Tower disaster. 

Over 170 nominations were 

received from more than 40 

organisations, including police 

forces, ambulance services, fire 

services, HM Coastguard and 

private care providers. 

The awards are organised by 

founder Mike Isherwood. He said: 

“The Control Room Awards were 

launched to shine a spotlight 

on the remarkable work of so 

many outstanding individuals and 

teams in control rooms for the 

emergency services and critical 

control operations. 

“This is an inherently humble 

community that rarely shouts 

about the life-saving work its 

members do every single day, 

instead focusing on keeping 

the public safe. That’s why it’s 

so important that these awards 

exist, to give these amazing 

people and their work muchdeserved 

recognition. 

“The quality and depth of the 

judging pack this year tells you 

how inspiring this community 

is. The judges had an incredibly 

difficult job choosing the winners 

and every team and individual 

nominated or shortlisted should 

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160 


NEWSLINE 

feel immensely proud of the 

important work they do. 

“I would like to congratulate all of 

the winners and also say a huge 

thank you to all of our sponsors 

and partners for making this 

year’s event such a success.” 

The full list of Control Room 

Awards 2022 winners is: 

Community Champion – 

sponsored by Sopra Steria 

Tom Barnett, Maritime and 

Coastguard Agency 

The judges said: “Tom goes far 

above and beyond his role in his 

work in the local community. He 

is passionate about water sports 

and enabling people to enjoy the 

water in a safe environment. 

“He is a dedicated fund-raiser, a 

tireless organiser of life-changing 

experiences and promotes positive 

collaboration between agencies to 

bring the community together.” 

Control Room Ambassador 

of the Year – sponsored by 

CallMiner 

Helen Rea, London Fire 

Brigade 

The judges said: “Helen is a 

tremendous ambassador for 

the fire service, committed to 

promoting fire control and the 

vital role it performs. 

“She embodies the traditions 

of London Fire Brigade and 

shows passion and creativity in 

promoting the control room in the 

community and bringing its work 

to life.” 

Team of the Year – sponsored 

by Emergency Services Show 

Herts Careline 

The judges said: “Herts Careline’s 

Control Room team performs a 

vital role supporting thousands of 

people with medical conditions 

and vulnerabilities and delivers 

outstanding results for the 

organisation and the community 

it serves. 

“The team and its members are 

clearly dedicated to the people 

who depend on the services 

Herts Careline provides and take 

great pride in supporting them, 

often in critical situations.” 

Leader of the Year 

Natalie Gregory, East of 

England Ambulance Service 

The judges said: “Natalie is a 

powerful advocate for a culture 

of high morale and wellbeing 

within the control room. Her 

colleagues testify to her kindness, 

compassionate and the support 

she offers to all members of the 

team. 

“Initiatives she has led have 

included establishing a wellbeing 

room, where staff can go after an 

upsetting call.” 

Young Achiever of the Year – 

sponsored by EIZO 

Jules Fynn, Maritime and 


The judges said: “Although just 

23, Jules is a Senior Maritime 

Operations Officer responsible 

for search and rescue on the 

River Thames. In this role she 

demonstrates extraordinary 

maturity and skills beyond her 

years and length of service 

in handling very challenging 

incidents. 

“She is talented, dedicated, 

an outstanding performer and 

committed to her continuing selfdevelopment.” 

Control Room Call Taker of 

the Year – sponsored by PSG 

Analytics 

Nicola Cleaveland, Kent Police 

The judges said: “Nicola is clearly 

a highly professional and skilled 

call taker with a track record 

of responding effectively to 

high-pressure emergency calls. 

In one case, she demonstrated 

tremendous skill in engaging with 

a caller and gathering information 

that ultimately led to a suspect 

being charged with murder. 

“Nicola is also an outstanding 

role model and a tremendous 

support and an inspiration to her 

colleagues.” 

Control Room Dispatcher of 

the Year – sponsored by WEY 

Technology 

Karen Hay-Barr – Lincolnshire 

Police 

The judges said: “Karen was 

nominated primarily for the very 

significant role she played as 

dispatcher in a major incident 

involving a double murder of a 

young woman and her nine-yearold 

son in their home and the 

later stabbing of a police officer. 

“She put herself forward for the 

dispatcher role and acted with 

impeccable professionalism and 

calmness in directing resources 

and co-ordinating with other 

agencies. Her role played a vital 

part in the suspect being arrested 

without further casualties.” 

Special Recognition for 

Bravery and Courage – 

sponsored by NEC Software 

Solutions 

Sophie Sutton, Lincolnshire 

Police 

The judges said: “Sophie has 

demonstrated amazing strength 

of character and positivity in the 

face of adversity. Less than two 

years ago, she suffered a stroke 

and lost all control of the right 

side of her body, despite being 

an apparently healthy young 

person in her 20s. 

“She has made an astonishing 

recovery, returning to her as 

a dispatcher just four months 

after suffering the stroke, and is 

now set to achieve her ambition 

to continue her service to the 

community as a police officer.” 

Award for Services to the Public 

Dean Rogers, National 

Ambulance Service of Ireland 

The judges said: “Dean is totally 

committed to helping the public, 

as well as his colleagues. He 

demonstrates exceptional 

empathy, especially with children. 

“His enthusiasm and dedication is 

shown in every call that he takes, 

in his additional role as a first 

responder when off duty and in 

his support for community charity 

events.” 

John Gilhooly Award 

Garry Campion, Maritime and 


The judges said: “Receiving no 

less than 11 nominations, Garry 

is a worthy winner of this award, 

named after John Gilhooly who 

served in the Scottish Ambulance 

Service control room for almost 

30 years. 

“With a wealth of experience 

amassed over 23 years, Garry 

is selflessly dedicated to HM 

Coastguard, to delivering great 

service to the public, and to 

supporting his colleagues. He 

epitomises the selfless service 

ethos of the control room 

community.” 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

Stephen Rennie-Brewer, 

Lincolnshire Police 

The judges said: “Having served 



161

NEWSLINE 

for no less than 37 years, Steve 

has dedicated most of his 

working life to the Lincolnshire 

Police control room. 

technology which helps control 

rooms increase call demand 

capacity, reduce costs and 

improve customer satisfaction. 


“Across five decades he has 

seen it all, adapting successfully 

to multiple changes in 

structures, working processes 

and technology. Throughout 

his career he has remained a 

consistently positive and highlymotivated 

team member and 

inspiration to his colleagues. He 

is a fitting recipient of the Lifetime 

Contribution Award.” 

The Control Room Awards 

formed part of the programme of 

events at this year’s Emergency 

Services Show, with the event 

also the Headline Sponsor of the 

awards. 

David Brown, Event Director, 

said: “We were delighted to 

include the Control Room 

Awards within the line-up at 

this year’s Emergency Services 

Show. 

“The show brings together all 

disciplines of the emergency 

services sector to share their 

experiences and mutual 

commitment to public safety. 

The winners and finalists at this 

year’s Control Room Awards are 

testament to the strength of this 

remarkable community. 

“We hope everyone who 

attended the awards night 

enjoyed an evening of celebration 

with colleagues and friends.” 

Other leading organisations that 

supported the Control Room 

Awards 2022 were: 

• Sopra Steria, a European tech 

leader providing emergency 

services with a variety of 

solutions to assist in critical 

situations. 

• PSG Analytics, which 

supplies a range of analytical 

• CallMiner, a global leader 

in conversation analytics to 

drive business performance 

improvement, powered by 

artificial intelligence and 

machine learning. 

• WEY Technology, a global 

information technology 

company which distributes 

and displays real-time data 

in control rooms around the 

world. 

• EIZO, which produces highly 

specialised monitor solutions 

for offices, photo, video and 

graphics, medicine, gaming, 

video surveillance, industry 

and air traffic control. 

• NEC Software Solutions, a 

provider of specialist software 

and outsourcing services for 

the public sector which deliver 

better outcomes, keep people 

safer, healthier and better 

connected. 

The judges for the Control Room 

Awards 2022 were: 

• Mike Isherwood, founder of 

the Control Room Awards 

• Jordan Baker, Sales Director, 

WEYTEC 

• Paul Bergin, Managing 

Director, Public Safety Group, 

Sopra Steria 

• David Brown, Event Director, 

Emergency Services Show 

• Christian Hunt, CEO, PSG 

Analytics 

• Teri Seaber, Former Group 

Commander, Combined Fire 

Control of Cambridgeshire 

and Suffolk Fire and Rescue 

Services 

162 


NEWSLINE 

SCAS 

Ambulance service 

set to become first to 

introduce ‘dementia 

button’ on patient 

records 

In collaboration with the two 

Hampshire universities, SCAS 

surveyed ambulance clinical 

staff on the subject and received 

overwhelming support for a 

designated button that would 

enable quick and clear recording 

of dementia. 

Paramedics at South Central 

Ambulance Service NHS 

Foundation Trust (SCAS) are set 

to become the first to be able to 

alert other healthcare providers 

to a patient’s suspected or 

confirmed dementia with the 

push of a button. 

“Older people have a high usage of 

emergency ambulance services and 

dementia is a common condition 

affecting older people who use 

health services, impacting on all 

aspects of their care”, said Helen 

Pocock, Senior Research Paramedic 

at SCAS and part of the study team. 

It is hoped the innovation - which 

will see a special dementia button 

added to paramedics’ electronic 

devices - will ensure many more 

people receive the care they 

need when arriving at emergency 

departments or requiring other 

health and social care services. 

“We found that dementia could 

have been recorded in 16 different 

free-text fields on the electronic 

patient record, making it difficult 

for accurate data retrieval by other 

staff referring to the record and 

potentially meaning those patients 

do not receive the tailored onward 

care they need.” 

It forms part of a new £40,000 

project being delivered by 

SCAS in partnership with the 

Universities of Portsmouth and 

Southampton and funded by The 

Health Foundation Q Exchange 

programme to improve care for 

older people. 

Dementia can impact on all 

aspects of a patient’s care, which 

means it is important that all 

staff are aware of a confirmed or 

suspected case. 

However, when paramedics record 

a patient’s healthcare information 

on their electronic patient record 

(ePR) - a digital platform to collate 

and share medical information 

- there is currently no dedicated 

place to record dementia. 

As they may be treating a patient 

for an injury or illness unrelated to 

dementia, the variety of places a 

dementia diagnosis can be listed 

within the ePR means it can be 

missed by subsequent healthcare 

providers reviewing the patient’s 

notes. 

“It also means that, in cases where 

dementia may be suspected 

by paramedics, the attempt to 

highlight it to other healthcare 

providers may be ineffective.” 

She added: “To combat this, the 

clinicians we talked to suggested 

that a designated button would 

enable systematic recording of 

dementia, facilitating transfer of this 

key information to other services.” 

Dr Carole Fogg, Senior Research 

Fellow at the University of 

Southampton and Project Lead, 

said: “It is well-documented that 

people with dementia have poorer 

outcomes in hospital, so this 

innovation has the potential to 

enable them to receive the most 

appropriate care from emergency 

departments at the point of arrival 

or from referral services such as 

social care.” 

For more information, visit 

https://q.health.org.uk/idea/2022/ 

install-and-evaluate-dementiabutton-on-ambulance-electronicpatient-record/ 



163

NEWSLINE 

NWAS 

NWAS-Prepares to 

go ‘Back to Basics’ 

with New Strategy 

North West Ambulance Service 

NHS Trust has published its 

new strategy, setting out how 

it wants to improve responses 

to patients, the work lives of 

its workforce and to contribute 

to the task of creating a safer 

and healthier community in the 

North West. 

The 22-25 strategy explains how it 

was created following consultation 

with staff throughout the North 

West region, asking them what 

they thought the priorities should 

be through their experience on the 

patient frontline. It also describes 

how, following the global 

pandemic, healthcare providers 

have had to evolve and adapt 

to new ways of working, with 

a strong focus on partnerships 

with other public sector groups 

such as councils, NHS trusts and 

emergency services colleagues. 

Deputy Chief Executive, Salman 

Desai explains: “Our healthcare 

needs have changed and, as both 

an emergency service and an 

NHS trust, North West Ambulance 

Service needed to look at how 

we can adapt and improve in 

this new world. During the last 

two years, we have responded 

in ways in which we could have 

never imagined, there have also 

been changes across the wider 

healthcare system, of which we 

are a major part. 

“We need to go back to basics 

to address how effectively we 

deliver our services, ensuring we 

have the right resources in the 

right place, at the right time, to 

perform to the high standards our 

patients expect. We also want to 

listen more and demonstrate that 

we act on feedback from staff, 

patients and partners. Staff have 

told us we need to continue to 

improve the everyday working 

lives of everyone at NWAS, so 

while our service to patients is 

extremely important, we must also 

focus on getting these basics right 

and look after each other.” 

From the perspective of patients, 

the trust knows that response 

times matter and obviously there 

are targets to be met, but the 

quality of care provided is just 

as important. NWAS wants to 

work with the new integrated 

care systems to achieve the 

right investment in the trust to 

make sure staff have all the right 

resources, training and expertise 

to deliver that high-quality care. 

Salman adds: “We have an 

extremely talented pool of 

clinicians working for the trust, 

who have worked with many 

patients over the years while 

developing their skills and 

emergency care knowledge. 

We want to use their expertise 

and their experience to ensure 

our care reaches the highest 

standards, and this knowledge 

is shared with colleagues and 

partner organisations.” 

The North West, has some of the 

most deprived communities in 

the country and with that comes 

enormous health challenges. 

Social circumstances can result 

in people having hugely different 

experiences of healthcare and 

NWAS has a part to play in 

reducing these inequalities. 

The strategy also includes 

information about population 

health; acknowledging that now 

is the time to step up to these 

challenges to support local 

communities through meaningful 

and sustained relationships with 

partners, enabling NWAS to 

take on a key role as part of the 

wider healthcare system. Using 

the expertise of trust clinicians, 

system leadership skills, resources 

and the outstanding compassion 

of staff, NWAS can positively 

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164 


NEWSLINE 

contribute to both emergency and 

urgent healthcare. 

Through consultations with staff 

when drafting the strategy, it was 

obvious that the past few years 

has been difficult for them so in 

response, the trust has committed 

to creating a working environment 

where physical and mental health 

and wellbeing is a priority. 

NWAS also wants to create 

employment opportunities that 

make a difference and fully 

represent the communities in 

the North West, so the strategy 

includes a pledge to do more to 

attract, retain and develop staff from 

a range of diverse backgrounds 

and to develop innovative ways 

supported by its various networks 

to champion equality and diversity 

across the trust. 

Despite the challenge of the 

pandemic and the high demands 

on the service in the last two 

years, NWAS has introduced 

a number of innovations and 

improvements and the strategy 

also covers the trust’s ambitious 

plans to do more to improve the 

way it delivers services. 

Salman concludes: “We have set 

the bar extremely high but we 

believe that by adhering to the 

values of our organisation, we can 

create an ambulance service the 

people of the North West can trust 

and depend upon. It is ambitious 

and none of our objectives will be 

achieved overnight but we believe 

it gives us a solid foundation to 

build upon the skills our workforce 

has and make improvements to 

not only be an employer of choice, 

but also to be a first rate prehospital 

emergency and urgent 

healthcare provider. 

“We believe this strategy makes 

our organisational direction very 

clear and prioritises the areas we 

need to focus on - if we can get 

these basics right, we can serve 

the public better, with a motivated 

and ambitious workforce.” 

The 22-25 Strategy is available on 

the trust website. 

WAS 

Ambulance workers 

giddy (up) over Huey 

the horse 

Welsh Ambulance Service 

workers in north Wales have had 

a hair-raising visit from a horse. 

Colleagues at the Trust’s 

headquarters in St Asaph, 

Denbighshire, were visited by an 

ex-racehorse called Huey as part 

of a new equine therapy initiative 

to improve the wellbeing of staff 

and volunteers. 

Those who witnessed the mane 

event could feed and pet the 

15-year-old Thoroughbred, as well 

as pose for photographs. 

Equine therapy is said to relieve 

anxiety and stress, help people 

to navigate challenging emotional 

experiences and build trust. 

Catherine Wynn Lloyd, 

Organisational Development 

Project Support Officer, who 

organised the visit, said: “We’ve 

been having therapy dog visits 

for many months now, but Huey’s 

visit has taken our animal therapy 

work to the next level. 

“Animal therapy might sound 

unconventional on the face of it, 

but it’s been hugely popular among 

staff and volunteers, and anything 

which improves their health and 

wellbeing will ultimately mean a 

better service for patients.” 

Huey’s owner is Giles George, an 

Emergency Medical Technician 

in Knighton, Powys, who also 

volunteers as a Special Inspector 

for Dyfed Powys Police. 

When volunteering, Giles – a 

former prison officer originally 

from Bewdley, Worcestershire – 

patrols the Powys community on 

horseback in a bid to tackle rural 

crime. 

He said: “The visit was fantastic, 

and colleagues came out in their 

droves to see Huey. 

“One lady even spent time with 

Huey in his trailer, and said she’d 

always wanted to be up close with 

a horse but had never been able 

to pluck up the courage. 

“I think people have an affinity with 

horses because they’re highly 

sensitive and they can sense when 

you’re feeling down an anxious. 

“They’re wonderful creatures, and 

I’m so glad it brought a smile to 

people’s faces.” 

Huey’s visit was part of a broader 

programme of work to improve 

the health and wellbeing of staff 

and volunteers, and is now 

expected to be a mane-stay of 

the Trust’s support offer. 

Dr Catherine Goodwin, Assistant 

Director Inclusion, Culture and 

Wellbeing, said: “The nature of 

ambulance work means that the 

wellbeing of our staff is pushed 

to the limit, physically and 

emotionally. 

“Staff and volunteers in every 

corner of Wales and in every part 

of the service work tremendously 

hard in tough circumstances, and 

we are extremely proud of them. 

“We do our utmost to support 

their wellbeing, which recently 

has meant significant expansion 

of our occupational health and 

wellbeing service, the introduction 

of drop-in wellbeing sessions and 

the creation of multiple support 

groups. 

“Colleagues also have 24/7 access 

to a wide range of mental health 

support services, including and a 

mental health and wellbeing app.” 

Following the success of Huey’s 

visit, the Trust now exploring other 

forms of animal therapy which 

neigh or neigh not include llamas 

and goats. 

PICTURED (L-R): Emergency Medical Technician Giles George, Assistant 

Director Inclusion, Culture and Wellbeing Dr Catherine Goodwin, 

Organisational Development Manager Bronwen Biddle and Organisational 

Development Project Support Officer Catherine Wynn Lloyd 



165

NEWSLINE 

SAS 

Fife Memorial Bench 

The official opening of a 

Scottish Ambulance Service 

(SAS) memorial garden was 

held on Saturday August 27 

which will pay tribute to SAS 

staff. 

The garden, at Silverburn Park 

in Largo Road, Leven, was 

inspired by Tom Robertson, 

retired SAS Area Service Manager, 

and the founder of the Scottish 

Ambulance Service Retirement 

Association (SASRA)SASRA. It 

was officially opened by SAS Chief 

Executive Pauline Howie, who 

spoke at the launch. 

A working group comprising 

Donna Hendry, Advanced 

Paramedic at Leven Station, 

Elizabeth Williams (ACA) and 

Alan McIntyre, a recently retired 

AP, worked together to raise the 

money. 

After setting up a Crowdfunding 

page, they raised £1565, which 

was used to buy a memorial 

bench. 

“We intend to keep an eye on the 

area and make sure it is always a 

fitting tribute to SAS friends and 

colleagues who went above and 

beyond.” 

The bench has been situated 

within the sensory garden and 

the opening will coincide with a 

wellness weekend which is being 

run by Silverburn Park. 

SECAMB 

Welcoming our 

New International 

Paramedics! 

We’re delighted to have 

officially welcomed our new 

international paramedic 

colleagues to SECAmb! 

Our six new colleagues – Bright 

& Imonitie from Nigeria, Andrew 

from the USA, Ushma & Anita 

from India and Tim from Australia 

– will be with us for a minimum 

of three years and are the first 

of more than 30 international 

paramedics due to join us over 

coming months. 

During a special reception at our 

Trust HQ, our new paramedics 

were welcomed by Interim Chief 

Executive Siobhan Melia and had 

a tour of our West Emergency 

Operations Centre from Associate 

Director of Operations Andy 

Rowe. 

Later this week, they will each be 

joining their new teams across the 

region. 

International Recruitment Lead 

Shannon Bowie-Wooler has been 

leading the programme during 

the past year and working with 

each candidate to support them in 

coming to SECAmb. 

She said: “I’m really pleased, 

after many months of hard work, 

to finally meet the first of our 

new international colleagues and 

welcome them to SECAmb. It’s 

great to have them as part of the 

team and I’m sure they will be 

made very welcome as they start 

their clinical shifts this week. 

With growing national and 

international demand for 

paramedics, I’m absolutely 

delighted that they’ve chosen to 

continue their careers in the UK 

with SECAmb.” 

LAS 

Volunteers get 

clutch of new 

vehicles to respond 

to life threatening 

emergencies 

A campaign to recruit a record 

number of specially-trained 

volunteers who work alongside 

London Ambulance Service 

(LAS) clinicians has received 

a boost with a £215,000 

investment into four brand new 

emergency vehicles. 

In line with the NHS Long Term 

plan, LAS is expanding the 

team of volunteer emergency 

responders – people who donate 

thousands of hours of their time 

every year attending 999 calls in 

uniform and blue-light response 

cars. 

They are often the first crew 

to arrive on scene and begin 

Donna said: “It is for ambulance 

staff to use for a period of 

reflection to remember those 

friends and colleagues who are 

no longer with us for one reason 

or another. Our working group 

has worked together to raise the 

money, find the plot and buy the 

bench and flowers. 


“We hope will be a place 

of friendship, loyalty and 

remembrance for many years 

to come. SAS is an amazing 

organisation to be part of, 

whatever our role happens to 

be and this will be a nice way to 

share with each other our stories 

and thoughts of days gone by 

and years yet to come. where we 

could remember the good times, 

funny stories and positive impact 

that our friends and colleagues 

have had on our lives. 

166 


NEWSLINE 

life-saving treatment before an 

ambulance arrives. 

As part of that expansion, 

LAS unveiled four new Skoda 

Kodiaqs bought especially for this 

dedicated team of volunteers, 

bringing the total number of 

vehicles from eight to 12. 

Expanding our fleet of emergency 

responder vehicles will mean 

volunteers can book more shifts 

to operate around the capital. 

The LAS volunteer emergency 

responder scheme has been 

running for over a decade and is 

one of the many ways in which 

volunteers support the NHS, from 

being hospital radio DJs to those 

who befriend patients on wards. 

Samantha Palfreyman Jones, 

Head of First Responders at LAS, 

said: 

“It’s a real privilege to lead our 

team of volunteer emergency 

responders. We have people 

from every walk of life, from 

pilots to software engineers who, 

once they’ve completed their 

training bring their skills – from 

problem-solving to their ability 

to think under pressure – to help 

Londoners when they need it the 

most. 

“We are in the process of 

increasing the number of 

emergency responders, so 

expanding the number of 

ambulance cars available to them 

means more opportunities for 

volunteers to book onto a shift. 

This means – working alongside 

our paid staff – we can further 

improve the care we provide to 

Londoners.” 

In 2021, our emergency responders 

served over a thousand shifts, 

attending 8,219 emergency 999 

calls and gifting 25,649 hours of 

their time to the Service. 

The Service has launched 

a recruitment campaign for 

volunteers and is particularly 

seeking new recruits from ethnic 

minority backgrounds so that our 

team better reflects the diversity 

of London. 

EEAST 

EEAST – Supporting 

and expanding 

community first 

responders across 

our region 

East of England Ambulance 

Service NHS Trust (EEAST) is 

taking action to better support 

and recognise the invaluable 

commitment of our Community 

First Responders (CFRs) as 

well as launching a campaign 

to recruit more CFRs to help 

support local communities with 

life-saving care. 

In recognition of the contribution 

of our CFRs, and to expand the 

opportunity to volunteer to more 

people, EEAST is removing the 

historic fees associated with 

signing up as a CFR and is 

introducing expense payments 

to help cover the costs of travel 

and other expenses from 1 

November 2022. 

EEAST is also launching a 

campaign to encourage more 

people in local communities to 

sign up as a CFR with additional 

training courses. We are looking 

for local organisations and 

businesses who may be willing 

to become CFR partners and 

to support their employees to 

respond. 

This work builds on existing 

investment that EEAST is making 

to support and expand CFRs 

across the east of England, 

including investment in Raizer II 

Chairs to help care for people 

who have fallen at home and 

the introduction of several CFR 

cars across the region which can 

respond in local communities. 

Duncan Baker MP, Member of 

Parliament for North Norfolk said: 

“Having raised this issue in 

Parliament and holding talks 

with the ambulance service, I am 

delighted that the importance of 

our CFRs has been recognised 

in this way. 

They provide vital support to 

our paramedics, and it has 

been a campaign of Dr Holliday 

and mine’s to ensure CFRs 

are remunerated better to aide 

recruitment and retention. The 

costly initial fees, that so often 

present a barrier to more people 

signing up, have also been 

waived. I am grateful to EEAST 

for listening and supporting this 

initiative as we do all we can to 

help our ambulance service.” 

Councillor Victoria Holliday said: 

‘I’m delighted that East of 

England Ambulance Service 

NHS Trust are taking such 

positive steps to recruit and 

support community first 

responders. With emergency 

ambulance response times in 

coastal North Norfolk some 

of the worst in the country, 

we depend on these skilled 

and dedicated volunteers for 

their life saving interventions. 

Duncan Baker MP and I have 

been working with EEAST for 

some time on this campaign 

to reimburse training, travel 

and other expenses. We are 

very grateful for this new 

initiative, which will recognise 

the importance of CFRs and 

increase their numbers, so our 

residents can receive the timely 

help they deserve.’ 

More information on the role 

of CFRs and details on how to 

apply to volunteer are available 

on EEAST’s website at https:// 

www.eastamb.nhs.uk/jointhe-team/community-firstresponders. 

WAS 

Welsh Ambulance 

Service celebrates 

long-serving 

colleagues 

Long-serving staff and 

volunteers at the Welsh 

Ambulance Service have been 

celebrated at an event in South 

Wales. 

Colleagues with 20, 30 and 

40 years of NHS service were 

presented with medals at the 

Swansea.com Stadium in the 

fifth of six events across Wales to 

recognise length of service. 

Those with 20 years in the 

Emergency Medical Service were 

also presented with the Queen’s 

Long Service and Good Conduct 

Medal at the 08 September 

event, which took place in the 

hours before the death of Her 

Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was 

announced. 

Among the distinguished guests 

were the Lord Lieutenant of West 

Glamorgan, Mrs Louise Fleet 

JP, and the High Sheriff of West 

Glamorgan, Mr Stephen Rogers 

Esq JP. 

Other special guests 

included Trudi Meyrick, Chief 

Superintendent at South Wales 

Police, Inese Robotham, Chief 

Operating Officer at Swansea 

Bay University Health Board and 

Richard Paskell, Chief Volunteer at 

St John Ambulance Cymru. 

Chief Executive Jason Killens 

said: “Our Long Service Awards 

are a wonderful opportunity to 

recognise and celebrate the very 

lifeblood of the Welsh Ambulance 

Service – its people – and in 

particular, their length of service. 

“Working for the ambulance 

service is not just any job – it’s a 

job that makes a real difference. 



167

NEWSLINE 

Welsh Ambulance Service celebrates long-serving colleagues 

“Often when people are at their 

lowest ebb, our staff are the 

people to whom they turn, and it 

takes remarkable people to do the 

remarkable job they do, day in, 

day out. 

“It’s mindboggling to think that 

all the Long Service Awards we 

presented at the Swansea event 

amount to more than 1,300 years 

of service. 

“Last year, we launched our first 

Volunteers’ Strategy, which sets 

out how volunteers will be better 

supported to deliver their role and 

better integrated into the workforce. 

“It made perfect sense, therefore, 

to recognise their commitment to 

the people of Wales in the same 

way that we recognise staff. 

“Congratulations to all of our 

recipients.” 

They both met while volunteering 

for St John Ambulance but have 

been going out on shifts together 

as emergency responders at 

London Ambulance Service for 

five years. 

As proud residents of Hampstead, 

they respond to life-threatening 

emergencies within their local 

community and throughout the 

Barnet and Camden boroughs. 

support bystanders who have 

performed cardiopulmonary 

resuscitation (CPR) at the scene 

of an incident. 

Our Restart a Heart campaign 

encourages members of the 

public to learn CPR so they know 

what to do if they come across 

someone in cardiac arrest as it 

gives the patient the best possible 

chance of survival. 


“Today and every day, we thank 

colleagues for their service.” 

More than 400 colleagues across 

the Trust have been invited to 

receive a Long Service Award this 

year, the first in-person awards 

events since 2019 due to the 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

Chair Martin Woodford added: 

“The reason the Welsh Ambulance 

Service is what it is rests with its 

people who work tirelessly, 24/7, 

to serve the people of Wales. 

“What’s special about this year’s 

events is that it’s the first time 

in our history that our longserving 

volunteers are also being 

recognised. 

Volunteering 

together means we 

have each other’s 

back as crewmates 

Lillie Grimshaw and Luis 

Sellmeyer have been a couple 

for seven years and volunteer 

as emergency responders. 

Lillie said, “We both share similar 

values and want to help people. 

It’s really rewarding to finish shifts 

where we’ve helped patients 

together who wouldn’t otherwise 

survive. 

“We have each’s backs as 

crewmates – and as a couple 

– and this incredible role really 

brings us together.” 

YAS 

Support for members 

of the public who 

have performed CPR 

Yorkshire Ambulance Service 

has teamed up with the 

Resuscitation Council UK to 

However, we also appreciate 

that performing CPR can be 

an upsetting event that leaves 

witnesses with many questions 

and concerns. As 80% of out-ofhospital 

cardiac arrests happen in 

the home, it’s likely that they will 

have done CPR on a loved one. 

A leaflet has been produced 

containing information about what 

to expect after performing CPR, 

common emotions and where to 

seek advice and support. 

It will be distributed to Yorkshire’s 

ambulance stations for staff 

to hand out to bystanders at 

incidents and can also be viewed 

at https://restartaheart.yas. 

nhs.uk/survivors/support-forbystanders-who-have-given-cpr/. 

168 


NEWSLINE 

Jason Carlyon, Community 

Engagement Manager for 

Yorkshire Ambulance Service, 

said: “We know it can make 

a significant difference when 

someone starts CPR before we 

arrive on scene, but sometimes 

with the urgency to get the 

patient to hospital, our ambulance 

crews often don’t get chance to 

thank individuals or answer any 

questions they may have. 

“Bystanders can be left wondering 

if they performed CPR correctly 

or worried they may have done 

something wrong. It is normal to 

experience these feelings and we 

wanted to make sure they were 

left with information which provides 

them with the correct support.” 

James Cant, Chief Executive at 

Resuscitation Council UK, said: 

“Bystander CPR is so important 

- it offers a significantly greater 

chance of survival to a person 

having a cardiac arrest and we 

would urge people to step in 

and give it a go. However, we 

understand that in some cases, 

providing CPR can be a traumatic 

experience and we hope this 

leaflet offers the appropriate 

support needed. We ask those 

that have been CPR heroes to be 

kind to themselves, and to know 

they took the best possible action 

to help save a life.” 

On calling his wife Jane, a former 

nurse, when he got back to their 

home in Whickham, the 62-yearold 

was instructed to call North 

East Ambulance Service (NEAS) 

immediately. 

“I didn’t have any of the usual 

symptoms you would expect, I just 

wasn’t 100%,” he said. “My wife 

knew what was happening but 

didn’t want to worry me, she just 

told me to call 999 straight away. 

“It was the first time I had ever 

called 999 and I was trying 

to answer the questions as 

best I could, but by now I was 

now in pain and it was getting 

worse. Luckily, my wife rang my 

neighbour as soon as she spoke 

to me, and he took the phone 

off me to finish answering the 

questions for me.” 

When paramedic Marcin 

Andrzejewski and his crewmate 

Brian Lonie arrived on scene, Gary 

had become pale and clammy, and 

it was immediately clear to them he 

was having a heart attack. 

“A quick family history confirmed 

to us that there was a history of 

heart disease,” said Marcin, who 

made the North East home when 

he moved here from Poland to join 

NEAS in 2016 and is now based 

at Prudhoe ambulance station. 

“We gave him pre-meds and then 

made our way to the Freeman 

Hospital. On the way there, he 

went into cardiac arrest in the 

ambulance, but he thankfully 

came back almost instantly with 

just one shock of the defibrillator.” 

Cardiac arrests are often confused 

with heart attacks. Although a 

heart attack can cause a cardiac 

arrest, they are not the same thing 

and having a cardiac arrest does 

not mean you have had a heart 

attack. A heart attack occurs 

due to a blockage in one of the 

arteries, whilst a cardiac arrest 

occurs as a result of an abnormal 

heart rhythm. 

A cardiac arrest can strike 

anybody, at any time, in any 

place, and a person’s chances of 

survival reduces by 10 per cent 

for every minute without CPR and 

defibrillation. 

Gary was taken straight to 

surgery, where it was confirmed 

he had a clot in his artery and 

required a stent fitting. He was out 

of hospital two days later and is 

now recovering well. 

He was able to meet up with 

Marcin again earlier this week. 

“He literally saved my life and I just 

wanted to be able to thank him in 

person,” said Gary. 

“The service I received couldn’t 

have been any better, they were 

so professional and couldn’t have 

been any more reassuring. 

“They might think they were just 

doing their job but the job they are 

doing is saving lives, and I’m proof 

of that.” 

“I was in the services for 20 years 

and have always kept myself 

healthy, but it just goes to show 

this can happen to anyone. I 

feel great now, and I just feel 

extremely grateful.” 

Marcin, aged 32, added: “Not 

everyone would have thought to 

call 999 but had Gary left it much 

longer, the outcome could have 

been very different. The fact that 

was in relatively good shape I’m 

sure has helped as well. 

“I’ve never had the opportunity 

to meet a patient again so I was 

curious to see him again. This has 

got to be the greatest reward you 

can get in this job!” 

NEAS 

“They might think 

they were just doing 

their job but the job 

they are doing is 

saving lives, and I’m 

proof of that.” 

Whickham man reunited with the 

paramedic who saved his life. 

Gary Callum was at the gym when 

he realised something was wrong. 

Little did he know, he was having 

a heart attack. 



169

NEWSLINE 

LAS 

Protecting those who 

are protecting you – 

new safety measures 

for ambulance crews 

The London Ambulance Service 

(LAS) has invested over £3m 

to fit its ambulances with an 

upgraded and comprehensive 

crew safety system to deter 

violence and aggression 

against staff and volunteers, 

and to help secure a conviction 

in court should an assault 

occur. 

Panic buttons linked to a 

recording device, new monitors 

that help staff and volunteers to 

see the outside of their vehicle 

and electronic tracking to help 

police arrive even faster when 

assaults are taking place are now 

installed in 510 ambulances and 

in 55 fast response cars. 

Sadly, assaults on LAS staff and 

volunteers in recent years remain 

unacceptably high. In the first six 

months of this year alone (January 

to June), our staff and volunteers 

reported 262 physical assaults 

(kicking, punching, spitting, biting 

or with a weapon) and 429 nonphysical 

assaults (verbal abuse, 

threat of violence or anti-social 

behaviour). 

Dr John Martin, Chief Paramedic 

at LAS, said: 

“Our staff and volunteers are 

dedicated to saving lives and 

helping Londoners in their time of 

need. They should never have to 

experience violence or aggression 

from people while providing this 

vital service, but sadly – due to 

the behaviours of a small minority 

of patients and members of the 

public – it does happen. 

“These new measures will 

help keep our teams safer and 

reinforce to the public that 

assaults and aggressive behaviour 

will not be tolerated. 

“We have heard the personal 

stories from staff and volunteers 

about the devastating impact 

that verbal or physical abuse can 

have. I’m determined that when 

it happens, we take the toughest 

possible action against those 

responsible.” 

As part of the upgrade, newly 

installed monitors provide the 

crew with a live view of the 

external cameras, so they can 

see what’s happening around the 

exterior of their vehicle from inside 

the ambulance. 

This can be useful in cases 

where colleagues have to take 

refuge inside the vehicle if they’re 

under threat. Monitors will stay 

operational after the ignition is off, 

which means better protection for 

our crews when they arrive at a 

scene and turn off the ignition. 

During an incident where the 

panic button is pushed, audio 

will be recorded (in addition to 

video recording) from the time 

the panic button is pressed, and 

footage stored securely in case it 

is needed for a prosecution. 

Ambulances continue to benefit 

from their in-built tracking system 

that allows our control rooms 

to accurately track the precise 

location of our ambulances in the 

event of an incident and the crews 

need help from the police. 

As well as the new crew safety 

systems, body-worn cameras 

have recently been rolled out to 

crews across the capital and two 

violence reduction officers have 

been recruited to support staff 

and volunteers who have been 

assaulted and work with police to 

increase prosecutions. 


In recent years LAS has worked 

to encourage staff and volunteers 

to report all incidents of abuse 

and violence rather than accept 

it as ‘part of the job’. This year 

ambulance services around the 

country launched a ‘Work Without 

Fear’ campaign to promote a noviolence 

culture and help create a 

safer work environment for frontline 

staff and volunteers. 

170 


NEWSLINE 

LAS 

London Ambulance 

Service named 

as best NHS 

apprenticeship 

employer in the UK 


has once again been named 

as the top NHS employer 

for apprenticeships in the 

country. 


has once again been named 

as the top NHS employer for 

apprenticeships in the country. 

The Service is one of only 

three NHS trusts in the UK 

to make the rankings in the 

Department for Education’s Top 

100 Apprenticeship Employers 

2022. 


(LAS) has more than 650 

apprentices, with more than 

half of those on paramedic 

degree apprenticeships. LAS 

also has have a further 237 

people working as Assistant 

Ambulance Practitioners (AAPs), 

a role which also provides onthe-job 

training. 

Director of People and Culture 

Damian McGuinness said: “We 

are committed to education 

and training and equipping our 

people with the knowledge, 

skills and experience to thrive in 

their careers. 

“This achievement recognises 

that we are striving to be the 

employer of choice in London: 

we nurture talent and London 

Ambulance Service is a place 

where people can develop and 

flourish.” 

In the list of the top 100, LAS 

is ranked 25th – ahead of big 

name employers including 

Tesco and Amazon. 

Hina Pajwani is on an 

apprenticeship course to 

become a paramedic while 

also working as Emergency 

Ambulance Crew. 

She said: “There is a real culture 

of learning at LAS. My team 

leaders are also studying for 

their masters so they give me 

tips on combining work with 

study. 

“It’s hard work but I’m so well 

supported. I like the fact that as 

soon as I learn something in the 

classroom and demonstrate my 

competency, I can be signed off 

to practise that skill on the road 

under supervision. 

“I have an amazing crewmate 

who ensures I’m always learning 

– whether in the classroom or 

out on an ambulance.” 

LAS created the completely new 

role of Assistant Ambulance 

Practitioners during the 

pandemic, meaning people with 

no clinical experience could 

quickly be trained to work on 

the frontline. 

Recruits complete a 12-week 

training programme which 

includes studying for a level 

3 diploma and a blue light 

driving course before working 

alongside paramedics on 

ambulances. 

This year London Ambulance 

Service launched the most 

ambitious recruitment 

programme in its history, with 

a plan to for 1,600 new people 

joining its teams. 

Hina added: “It is so rewarding 

to be able to do a job where 

you help people every day. If 

you’re interested in becoming 

a paramedic, you should just 

go for it – an apprenticeship 

scheme is a great way to get a 

degree.” 



171

IN PERSON 

News 

Paramedic Harrison Young 

named winner for ‘UK 

Entrepreneur of the Year’ 

in 5th annual Ex-Forces in 

Business Awards 

Paramedic Harrison Young fought 

off 1,000s of other nominations to be 

crowned the UK Entrepreneur of the Year 

at the 5th Annual Ex-Forces in Business 

Awards. The ceremony was hosted 

by Disruptive Media Group and was 

sponsored by blue chip organisations 

such as Barclays, Amazon, Microsoft, 

Santander and many more. 

The mission of the Ex-Forces in Business 

Awards is to recognise military veterans 

who have carved our successful second 

careers, celebrate their achievements, and 

promote the strong synergies between 

military values and professional excellence. 

Now in it’s 5th year, the Ex-Forces in 

Business Awards continues to celebrate the 

most talented veterans within the UK and 

is now dubbed as the ‘Oscars of Ex-Forces 

Employment’. 

Neeraj Kapur, Group Chief Financial Officer 

at Provident Financial Group said “this 

year’s Entrepreneur of the Year award was 

extremely difficult as we received so many 

incredible nominations”. 

The judging panel decided to award the 

title to Harrison for his entrepreneurial spirit, 

tenacity, and how he has used the expertise 

of our Paramedics to make the UK a safer 

place to live and work. 

Harrison said” I am extremely humbled 

to receive such a prestigious award. It 

highlights the limitless capabilities of all of 

our Paramedics, those who work within our 

ambulance services and the wider NHS”. 

Harrison was honoured at Grovesnor House 

Hotel on Park Lane, Mayfair on the 8th of 

September 2022. 

News 

Dorset and Somerset Air 

Ambulance shortlisted for 

three Air Ambulance Awards 

of Excellence 

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance 

has been shortlisted as a finalist in three 

categories at this year’s Air Ambulance 

Awards of Excellence. 

Sponsored by Airbus, these annual awards, 

organised by Air Ambulances UK, celebrate 

and recognise the specialist life-saving skills and 

commitments of those within the air ambulance 

community. The Independent Judging Panel, 

including trauma specialist Professor Karim 

Brohi, Debra Alcock-Tyler (CEO, Directory of 

Social Change), Tim Fauchon (British Helicopter 

Association Chief Executive) and Mark Doherty 

(West Midlands Ambulance Service Director 

of Clinical Commissioning and Strategic 

Development) agreed the award nominations 

were of an exceptionally high standard and they 

were faced with some very difficult decisions 

when deciding on the shortlist. 

Dr. Ian Mew has worked with Dorset and 

Somerset Air Ambulance for nine years and 

has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Doctor 

of the Year category. Ian is a talented intensive 

care and anaesthesia consultant and an 

inspirational air ambulance doctor, who always 

goes above and beyond for patients and 

their families in all his professional domains. 

Ian has been instrumental in transforming 

care that is provided to patients across the 

South West and has hugely contributed to the 

development of injury prevention campaigns 

locally, regionally and on a national scale. 


The award was presented by Jacqui Oatley MBE and Neeraj Kapur in front of 1,000s within the 

prestigious great room at the Grovesnor House Hotel on Park Lane, Mayfair. 

Dr. Ian Mew - shortlisted for Doctor of the Year 

172 


IN PERSON 

Wayne – we look forward to finding out the 

winners in November.” 

The Air Ambulances UK Awards of 

Excellence will take place on Monday 14th 

November 2022 in Birmingham, where 

the winners will be announced. A list of 

all the award categories and those who 

have been shortlisted, can be found by 

visiting: https://www.airambulancesuk. 

org/air-ambulances-uk-2022-awards-ofexcellence-shortlist-announced 

More information about Dorset and 

Somerset Air Ambulance, can be found by 

visiting: www.dsairambulance.org.uk 

Pete Appleby - shortlisted for Critical Care Practitioner of the Year 

Pete Appleby has been recognised in the 

Critical Care Practitioner of the Year 

category making the final shortlist. Pete has 

taken on a multitude of projects over the past 

year, alongside his expected responsibilities as 

a specialist practitioner in critical care. He has 

devoted significant time (often on a voluntary 

basis) to enhancing operations, whilst acting 

as Deputy Air Operations Officer; a supportive, 

unpaid role, which significantly assists the 

smooth running of the service. Pete is a superb 

practitioner and an extra-ordinary patient 

advocate. He has championed the needs 

of patients and families through his unique 

mixture of extensive practical experience, 

analytical reflection and compassion. 

“Our team are thrilled to be recognised 

in three categories at this year’s Air 

Ambulance Awards of Excellence and it 

really is nothing short of what they deserve. 

The individuals mentioned are part of a 

fantastic team that we have at Dorset 

and Somerset Air Ambulance and they 

have been nominated by their peers in 

recognition that each of them have gone 

over and above. Good luck to Ian, Pete and 

Wayne Busby has been Dorset and Somerset 

Air Ambulance’s aircraft maintenance engineer 

for eight years and is shortlisted as a finalist 

in the Operations Support Staff of the Year 

category. Wayne’s total dedication to the 

maintenance of the charity’s AW169 helicopter 

often sees him work unsociable and extended 

hours. His exceptional contribution has 

enabled Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance 

to maintain a high level of service availability 

across the region, enabling many more lifesaving 

missions to be achieved. This is in no 

small part to the exemplary way that Wayne 

has dedicated his time and skill set to the task. 

Charles Hackett, Chief Executive Officer of 

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance said: 

Wayne Busby - shortlisted for Operations Support Staff of the Year 


Do you have anything you would like to add or include? Please contact us and let us know. 

173

IN PERSON 

SECAmb News 

SECAmb Medical Director to 

stand down after 50 years’ 

NHS service 

Dr Fionna Moore has announced that 

she will be standing down as SECAmb’s 

Executive Medial Director in January 2023. 

Fionna has enjoyed a distinguished and 

lengthy career in the ambulance service 

spanning more than 20 years. As one of the 

UK’s longest serving Emergency Medicine 

Consultants, she has contributed to significant 

changes in UK pre-hospital practice in the last 

30 years. 

Fionna joined SECAmb as Medical Director 

in March 2017, having previously served as 

Medical Director and subsequently Chief 

Executive at London Ambulance Service. 

In June 2021 she was named in the Queen’s 

Birthday Honours to receive a prestigious 

Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal, (QAM) in 

recognition of the tremendous contribution she 

has made to pre-hospital and emergency care 

in this country. 

Interim Chief Executive, Siobham Melia, said: 

“Fionna is held in the very highest regard by our 

staff and the wider ambulance service, both 

nationally and internationally and has provided 

great leadership and clinical insight during her 

time with SECAmb.I’m very pleased that Fionna 

and I are in discussion about various options for 

alternative roles with SECAmb once she steps 

down and am delighted that we will continue 

to benefit from her experience and expertise 

moving forwards.” 

Dr Fionna Moore said: “SECAmb is an 

excellent clinical organisation with truly great 

people and I’m looking forward to continuing 

to support the Trust through it’s improvement 

journey.However, having worked in the NHS for 

over 50 years, I think it is time to step back a 

little – I don’t intend to emulate Peggy Archer 

who has worked to 103!” 

EHAAT News 

EHAAT CEO Jane Gurney 

receives honorary degree 

from University of Essex 

A special moment in the CEO of Essex & 

Herts Air Ambulance Jane Gurney’s career 

took place on Wednesday 27th July when 

she received an honorary degree from the 

University of Essex. 

In recognition of her dedication to expand and 

improve pre-hospital care for those in need, 

Jane is now part of an inspiring list of over 300 

people, who since 1967 have been honoured 

by the University for their contribution to the 

local community. 

With proud husband Mark by her side, Jane 

attended the graduation ceremony, where, 

following her acceptance of the honorary 

doctorate, she addressed the students and 

their guests. 

Jane has led the Essex & Herts Air 

Ambulance Trust since 2003 and is 

the longest serving CEO of the 21 air 

ambulance charities in the UK. She is truly 

humbled to have been recognised by the 

University in this way, and in her speech she 

said: 

“If someone had told me 20 years ago, 

I would be standing here on this stage 

delivering this speech, I simply wouldn’t 

have believed them, or thought it even 

possible. To put into words how much this 

really means to me is not easy. 

“It is a real privilege to have led Essex & 

Herts Air Ambulance through so many 

milestones over the years, and to work 

alongside our amazing supporters, our 

dedicated staff and volunteers and our 

highly skilled critical care teams. 

“I work with true experts in their fields, 

and I trust and value their knowledge and 

ideas; they inspire me to continually explore 

ways we can have the courage to innovate 

and improve patient outcomes. However, 

it goes without saying our patients and 

their families are the ones who truly inspire 

me and my team the most, to continue to 

deliver our life saving service today and into 

the future. 

“They say if you find a job you love you will 

never work a day in your life, and this is my 

reality.” 


EHAAAT CEO Jane Gurney 

174 


COMPANY NEWS 

New atomisation 

devices from 

Intersurgical 

includes both a 3ml syringe and 

a vial adaptor. All four product 

options are supplied in boxes of 

25 units. 

Intersurgical are delighted to 

announce the launch of their 

new range of atomisation 

devices. 

Medication can be quickly and 

painlessly delivered with the 

DART intranasal mucosal 

atomisation device. Atomised 

medication delivery results in 

therapeutic onset delivery similar 

to intravenous delivery. The 

delivery method is painless for the 

patient, helping them remain calm 

in a high stress situation. 

The DART is available in four 

different configurations. The 

DART300 consists of the atomiser 

and nasal cone its own, while the 

DART100 also includes a 3ml 

syringe. The DART110 includes a 

1ml syringe and the DART140 

Intersurgical also offer a laryngotracheal 

mucosal atomisation 

device called the DART-Reach. 

This device has a flexible stylet, 

allowing for a customised approach 

and can be used in a variety 

of procedures, such as during 

awake intubations and difficult 

airways. The DART-Reach is also 

available in a variety of products 

configurations to meet different 

clinical requirements. 

Contact your local Intersurgical 

Representative for a 

demonstration: 

www.intersurgical.co.uk/contact 

Contact information: 

Intersurgical 

Crane House 

Molly Millars Lane 

Wokingham 

Berkshire RG41 2RZ 

England 

Tel: 0118 9656 300 

Email: info@intersurgical.com 

Website: www.intersurgical.com 

WHY NOT WRITE FOR US? 

Ambulance UK welcomes the submission of 

clinical papers and case reports or news that 

you feel will be of interest to your colleagues. 

Material submitted will be seen by those working within the public and private 

sector of the Ambulance Service, Air Ambulance Operators, BASICS Doctors etc. 

All submissions should be forwarded to info@mediapublishingcompany.com 

If you have any queries please contact the publisher Terry Gardner via: 

info@mediapublishingcompany.com 



175

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MCN EP 1811 0246

Ambulance UK October 2022

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