Ambulance UK June 2024
Ambulance UK June 2024
Ambulance UK June 2024
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Volume 39 No. 9<br />
<strong>June</strong> <strong>2024</strong><br />
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CONTENTS<br />
CONTENTS<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong><br />
4 EDITOR’S COMMENT<br />
6 FEATURE<br />
6 IS THERE MORE TO THIS ECG?<br />
8 THE MELIA REVIEW<br />
11 NEWSLINE<br />
28 IN PERSON<br />
30 COMPANY NEWS<br />
COVER STORY<br />
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Next Issue August <strong>2024</strong><br />
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3
EDITOR’S COMMENT<br />
EDITOR’S COMMENT<br />
Welcome to this issue edition of of A<strong>UK</strong>. A<strong>UK</strong><br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> <strong>UK</strong> – - JUNE<br />
68<br />
4<br />
“So while the<br />
sun is out, take<br />
“The time pay to banish rises<br />
the winter blues,<br />
implemented<br />
time to rethink<br />
hardly<br />
your work/life<br />
fi t<br />
balance and make<br />
the an effort bill, to and give<br />
yourself time to<br />
I fear there<br />
enjoy and reflect<br />
is on a the real things that<br />
are positive within<br />
danger your life that and<br />
recruitment<br />
make space for<br />
things that make<br />
and you retention happy.”<br />
in the NHS<br />
will be<br />
adversely<br />
affected.”<br />
It Well, was I’m International offi cially retired Nurses and day just on to May indulge the 12th, myself so a let little, me start I’m going by recognising to begin by our considering colleagues how and the<br />
vital ambulance part they service play in has our evolved NHS and since urge I started whoever some sets 35 the years budget ago. to recognise Does anyone the contribution remember the of arrival Nurses, of<br />
Doctors defi brillators and <strong>Ambulance</strong> on the ambulance? staff and At the the very time real a revolution, difference they complete make with to peoples a walkman lives…there recorder are to some ensure<br />
personal that you used stories it within absolutely this edition by rote. that Consider maybe that people now in we power are delivering should read. them remotely by drone and the<br />
progress can easily be seen. The Paramedic syllabus was contained in a little red book, now there are so<br />
After many 180 more days skills of rain and here knowledge in Lancashire, requirements the sun no-one has at goes last decided on duty to without shine and JRCALC has done their so with smart a phone.<br />
vengeance There were with few temperatures medicines, pain reaching relief was the limited high 20’s. to entonox With the and sun the comes most a diffi sense cult of skill well-being was strapping that ties in<br />
nicely someone to the into Mental a Neil Health Robertson, Awareness now paramedics month of May. regularly We (nearly!) administer All think advanced of Mental drugs Health and as perform something life<br />
that saving happens surgical to interventions. people and as I’m an proud illness. to We have worry been about on that and journey make efforts and continue to maintain to follow our physical with interest the<br />
wellbeing changes to but come. spend little time on working towards our mental wellbeing. We talk about being happy, but<br />
everyone has highs and lows in life, you’re happy when you marry but sad when the airline cancels your<br />
honeymoon Summer is apparently flight. Most here, of us well navigate as near the as highs we get and in lows Lancashire, and aim I’m for continuum guessing most of contentment of you are looking but we<br />
never forward know to holidays what’s around and time the with corner. family Particularly or friends. in It the can caring be a professions great time but we at experience the same not time only stressful our with<br />
own the price ‘bads’ increases but the nature we have of care seen means across that all aspects we sometimes of life. The take pay on rises the trauma implemented of others. hardly If there fi t the is a bill, and<br />
bottle I fear there inside is us, a real its where danger we that store recruitment negative emotions and retention and experience, in the NHS will it sometimes be adversely only affected. takes a minor I wonder life<br />
event how many to knock of todays off the Paramedic lid and allow cohort the negative will be around feelings for to the overwhelm. next 30 years. Over my Given career the I high have demands, lost several both<br />
good practical friends and to mental, suicide I suspect and the worst that many thing will is no-one move on expected to different any pastures of them. You and will that have there had will the be same far fewer<br />
experience retiring in the where future, relatives especially say “I since knew the they current had been NHS having retirement a bad age time continues but they to seemed increase. much Maybe, brighter.” like<br />
The many brightness of my peers, comes I have when seen a mind the golden that’s been age of in the turmoil ambulance suddenly service. finds a Whatever solution to the bring future an end brings, to the I hope<br />
problem. the summer But will suicidal deliver thinking you all and a well that earned emotional break. crisis As doesn’t for me, I’m exist looking outside for of a job… person until they speak<br />
it aloud. Then not only does it force them to confront the thoughts but also allows the opportunity for<br />
someone to help. Whether it be depression, anxiety, stress or whatever is affecting the happy hormone<br />
balance Sam English, talking Co-Editor helps. So <strong>Ambulance</strong> whether its <strong>UK</strong> you dear reader or someone you know or care about, this month give<br />
them or yourself the opportunity to talk. It may well help a stranger or save a life.<br />
So while the sun is out, take time to banish the winter blues, time to rethink your work/life balance and make<br />
an effort to give yourself time to enjoy and reflect on the things that are positive within your life and make<br />
space for things that make you happy.<br />
Enjoy the coming Summer<br />
Sam English, Co-Editor <strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong><br />
Publishers Statement<br />
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Publisher<br />
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FEATURE<br />
IS THERE MORE TO THIS ECG?<br />
Jerry W. Jones, MD FACEP FAAEM<br />
Is There More to This ECG?<br />
Jerry W. Jones, MD FACEP FAAEM<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
You guessed it – another random ECG! This is from a 33 y/o male.<br />
You guessed it – another random ECG! This is from a 33 y/o male.<br />
of the evening. Let’s get to it!<br />
central, pressure-like chest pain, would these changes be enough<br />
to warrant a call to the cardiologist? Let’s understand something<br />
The machine’s interpretation states “Normal sinus rhythm. Normal ECG.” Sometimes, the more<br />
The machine’s interpretation states “Normal sinus rhythm. Normal right now: those symptoms would be enough to pursue a chest<br />
you ECG.” Sometimes, learn about the more ECGs, you learn the about less ECGs, normal the less normal they begin pain to workup look. even I without would these certainly changes on agree the ECG. that Time for I see a<br />
they begin to look. I would certainly agree that I see nothing on<br />
“reminder” PEARL!<br />
nothing on this ECG that makes me concerned about this patient’s immediate well-being and I<br />
this ECG that makes me concerned about this patient’s immediate<br />
would not have any qualms about signing-off<br />
well-being and I would not have any qualms about signing-off on this<br />
PEARL! on this tracing, agreeing with the machine<br />
interpretation. tracing, agreeing with the But…<br />
While an abnormal 12-lead ECG can help RULE IN the diagnosis of an<br />
machine interpretation. But…<br />
acute MI, a normal 12-lead ECG cannot RULE OUT the diagnosis of<br />
an acute MI.<br />
There are are a few a things few here things worth mentioning here worth – things that mentioning you would – things that you would probably never notice<br />
until<br />
probably<br />
3<br />
never<br />
am<br />
notice<br />
with<br />
until<br />
a very<br />
3 am with<br />
sick<br />
a very<br />
patient<br />
sick patient<br />
and an on-call Of cardiologist course, you want that to know probably if the ST elevations just got are significant home enough after<br />
cardiologist that probably just got home after doing his second PTCA<br />
doing his second PTCA of the evening. Let’s get to make it! a diagnosis based on THOSE changes. My answer would be,<br />
“If this patient were not having symptoms of chest pain or a chest pain<br />
First, the basics: this is sinus rhythm and there is no evidence of AV block.<br />
equivalent, I would say NO!” For the sake of discussion, let’s say this<br />
First, the basics: this is sinus rhythm and there is no evidence of ECG was done as part of an insurance physical while the patient was<br />
AV block.<br />
asymptomatic, and the rest of his exam was normal.<br />
Is there any ST deviation? Yes, there is. Look at Leads II, III and aVF. So, how about the ST elevation in the inferior leads? That STE is very<br />
Those leads manifest a small amount of ST elevation. Is there any ST classic (and typical) for early repolarization. Some are now referring<br />
depression? No… not really. If this person were having persistent, to early repolarization as “normal variant,” but I do not. The reason<br />
6<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
FEATURE<br />
is that there are a number of other unrelated findings related to ECG<br />
interpretation that are also referred to as “normal variant.” I still use<br />
the term “early repolarization,” but not “benign early repolarization.”<br />
And especially not for the early repolarization found on this ECG! Early<br />
repolarization limited to the inferior leads and/or the lateral leads is the<br />
type that can rarely result in sudden cardiac death. How rare is it? It’s<br />
so rare that we don’t do anything about it until it happens. It would<br />
certainly be worth asking the patient about palpitations or episodes of<br />
lightheadedness.<br />
Why am I not particularly concerned about the ST elevation possibly<br />
being due to acute epicardial ischemia? The T waves – though a bit<br />
too symmetrical for my taste – are still normal size with no evidence of<br />
hyperacuity, the QT interval is quite normal and most of all – we have<br />
determined that this ECG is being done on a healthy 33 y/o male with<br />
no symptoms. In electrocardiography, context is everything!<br />
where did our septal q waves go? They went to the inferior leads. Look<br />
in Leads II, III and aVF and you will easily see obvious septal q waves.<br />
Septal q waves are always less than 40 msec (less than one small<br />
square) – usually closer to about 20 msec. They can appear in<br />
the inferior leads as well as the lateral leads – and there is no bad<br />
connotation when they do appear in the inferior leads. This typically<br />
happens when the mean QRS axis in the frontal plane (ÂQRS) is more<br />
rightward (more positive than +60°). In this ECG, the ÂQRS is about<br />
+75°. In this case, the ÂQRS is such that we have a combination<br />
of inferior (II, III, aVF) and lateral (I, V6) leads manifesting the<br />
septal depolarization.<br />
What does it mean if there is NO sign of septal depolarization – no<br />
septal r’s and no septal q’s? The first diagnosis to consider would be<br />
an old infarction of the mid septum. Time for another<br />
So far, we’ve seen some early repolarization in an area where we would<br />
prefer not to see it, but we really aren’t very concerned. Personally,<br />
I would say nothing to the patient about it – assuming there was no<br />
family history or personal medical history of anything suggestive of a<br />
dangerous venricular dysrhythmia. It would only lead to anxiety that<br />
could become more debilitating than the finding itself. He is as likely to<br />
get struck by lightening as experience a sudden cardiac event (unless<br />
you have elicited a family history of sudden death at a relatively young<br />
age or episodes of syncope, near-syncope or palpitations).<br />
One of the first things I look for on an ECG is proof that depolarization<br />
is taking place normally. How do we go about doing that? First, look for<br />
the septal r waves in Leads V1 and V2. Those two leads are the only<br />
precordial leads that manifest septal r waves. The r waves that may<br />
appear in V3 and occasionally in V4 are not septal r waves. The septal<br />
r waves in V1 and V2 indicate that the depolarization of the ventricles is<br />
proceeding normally from left-to-right. Again, only the r waves in Leads<br />
V1 and V2 indicate that.<br />
PEARL!<br />
When we speak of “septal depolarization” on a 12-lead ECG, we are<br />
speaking of depolarization of the mid-septum. Since that is where<br />
normal ventricular depolarization is initiated, that is the location we are<br />
seeing depolarized. We cannot see what is happening to the upper<br />
septum because that area is not depolarized until later and is hidden in<br />
the QRS complexes. We really can’t see the depolarization of the lower<br />
septum well because it is mixed in with what is happening in Leads<br />
V3 and V4, which record Vector #2 – the depolarization of the lower<br />
septum combined with the apical and paraseptal areas.<br />
I hope you have enjoyed this discussion.<br />
As a famous author once said, “I would have written something<br />
shorter… but I didn’t have time!”<br />
PEARL!<br />
Actually, septal depolarization is occurring in BOTH directions, but<br />
we can see only the left-to-right depolarization of the septum on the<br />
ECG. Septal depolarization normally takes about 30 msec because it is<br />
being depolarized from both directions. When it is depolarized in only<br />
one direction – as in bundle branch block – it takes about 60 msec,<br />
sometimes longer.<br />
There are four more leads that usually manifest septal depolarization,<br />
but… they are all left- sided leads and so they manifest septal<br />
depolarization not with a small r wave but with a small q wave – the<br />
septal q wave. These septal q waves are not just benign, they are<br />
always a very welcome sight. And that’s because they, too, tell us that<br />
ventricular depolarization is proceeding normally. We usually find them<br />
in Leads I, aVL, V5 and V6. Let’s take a look at them…<br />
Wait a minute! They aren’t there! Well, you can see a very small q<br />
wave in V6, none in V5, none in aVL and – if you can enlarge the ECG<br />
on your computer – you will see a very, very small q wave in Lead I.<br />
What happened to our septal q waves? Is septal depolarization NOT<br />
proceeding normally on this ECG? Well, of course it is! The septal<br />
r waves in Leads V1 and V2 have already established that fact. But<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />
7
FEATURE<br />
THE MELIA REVIEW<br />
In 2023, the National Guardian’s Office flagged a number of ways that<br />
the culture of <strong>Ambulance</strong> Trusts was limiting staff’s ability to speak<br />
up. Its report talked about the impact of “cliques between directors,<br />
managers and workers”, cases of bullying and harassment, and<br />
how CQC inspections failed to capture the true picture of workers’<br />
experiences. The most recent NHS Staff Survey backs up this picture,<br />
showing how the ambulance sector is below the NHS national average<br />
across all seven elements of the People Promise.<br />
Now, an independent review by Siobhan Melia (Chief Executive at the<br />
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust) has drilled down into the<br />
issues. The headline has been the same: there are problems in general<br />
with the ambulance working culture, resulting in negative impacts on<br />
the ability of staff to speak up about their concerns, their wellbeing,<br />
and in turn, the safety of patients. Overall, the Melia Review calls for<br />
more of a balance between meeting the all-important operational<br />
targets and providing support for people — not one at the expense of<br />
the other.<br />
The report sets out six broad recommendations for Trusts to improve<br />
their culture through more of a focus on HR: developing leaders and<br />
managers; improving the operational environment, line management<br />
and undergraduate training; putting a focus onto dealing with bullying<br />
and harassment — and in general, prioritising and supporting HR and<br />
Organisational Development functions.<br />
Across the recommendations there’s an implicit theme: staff at all<br />
levels in the Trusts are working so hard to meet targets that the<br />
niceties of people management can come second. It’s easy to<br />
insist on the importance of more development, more training, better<br />
people practices, but implementation in the thick of daily demands is<br />
something else.<br />
a team climate characterised by interpersonal trust and mutual respect<br />
in which people are comfortable being themselves. There is a sense of<br />
confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone<br />
for speaking up.”<br />
In other words, making real progress in dealing with the issues<br />
identified by the National Guardian’s office and the Melia Review, will<br />
mean practical progress on introducing psychological safety in to<br />
ambulance trusts. That means work around the following areas:<br />
1. Having a clear vision and strong mission to uphold values and<br />
standards of behaviour<br />
When it comes to organisational culture, there are three key ingredients<br />
to ensure it is healthy: a strong mission and vision that help to drive<br />
clarity for people in their roles; having individual values that align with<br />
company values; and the prospect of professional growth.<br />
2. Creating a ‘safe’ environment<br />
It’s useful to introduce ground rules for how staff need to interact with<br />
one another. These could be as simple as: show empathy; welcoming<br />
all ideas equally; never placing immediate blame or judgement; treating<br />
failures as opportunities to learn.<br />
3. Developing curiosity and an open mindset<br />
In order to develop more an open mindset at the workplace, Trusts<br />
should encourage teams to share feedback with one another; help<br />
them learn how to respond to input from other; and, rather than<br />
criticism, encourage teams and individuals to see feedback as a way to<br />
strengthen and build upon their ideas and processes.<br />
This is why lessons from the wider NHS, dealing with such similar<br />
kinds of pressures, are so important. Work by Trusts, like that at<br />
NHS Lothian, has become a model for the rest of the NHS. This has<br />
focused on getting the fundamentals of change right: what makes an<br />
organisation a good place to work? It’s where people feel comfortable<br />
with themselves and their relationships with others, so it’s easier to<br />
speak up when they need to, confident they will be listened to, and<br />
issues will be dealt with in fair and reasonable ways.<br />
4. Lead by example<br />
It is vitally important that senior staff in ambulance trusts demonstrate<br />
the practices needed for psychological safety, in order for them to<br />
become the norm. For example, by asking for upward feedback;<br />
acknowledging mistakes; and being open to opinions that differ from<br />
their own.<br />
5. Setting up a framework for speaking up<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
The expertise of CMP in building this kind of Clear Air culture was<br />
used to set up an in-house mediation service, upskilling managerial<br />
staff in handling difficult conversations and training key staff as internal<br />
mediators. The Trust also used CMP’s experience to advise on the<br />
infrastructure and materials required to manage, monitor and evaluate<br />
the service, and as the source of external conflict resolution partners to<br />
bring in for particularly complex or sensitive cases.<br />
Niggling concerns and clashes between managers and line reports<br />
only become a real problem when there is a lack of a sense of<br />
‘psychological safety’, defined as the “shared belief held by members<br />
of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. It describes<br />
Making sure there are a range of systems in place that staff are familiar<br />
and comfortable with as options for discussing issues. That could<br />
include the use of informal mediation at an early stage (rather than<br />
in response to a relationship breakdown), neutral assessment, or a<br />
technology platform to facilitate reporting such as #notme.<br />
Sam Little, Consultant at workplace relationships expert CMP,<br />
www.cmpsolutions.com<br />
8<br />
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9
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Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s<br />
<strong>UK</strong> Launches <strong>2024</strong><br />
General Election<br />
Manifesto<br />
Embargoed until Monday<br />
22 April <strong>2024</strong> 11:00am<br />
Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> (AA<strong>UK</strong>), the<br />
national charity supporting the<br />
lifesaving work of the <strong>UK</strong>’s air<br />
ambulance charities, is calling<br />
upon all <strong>UK</strong> political parties,<br />
MPs, Government bodies and<br />
Prospective Parliamentary<br />
Candidates (PPCs) to pledge<br />
their support for critical<br />
policy initiatives ahead of the<br />
forthcoming General Election.<br />
With 21 independent air<br />
ambulance charities operating<br />
across the <strong>UK</strong>, air ambulance<br />
crews bring the Emergency<br />
Department to patients who<br />
have suffered a life threatening or<br />
life changing trauma or medical<br />
emergency; providing advanced<br />
critical care to save lives.<br />
These crews provide advanced<br />
critical care, often arriving at the<br />
scene within an average of 16<br />
minutes, ensuring prompt and<br />
effective specialist intervention for<br />
patients in need.<br />
In 2021, the collective missions<br />
undertaken by air ambulance<br />
charities across the <strong>UK</strong> totalled<br />
over 30,100, reflecting the<br />
indispensable role these services<br />
play in emergency lifesaving<br />
critical care. In 2023, the demand<br />
surged by 53%, with over<br />
46,000 missions undertaken,<br />
illustrating the growing need for<br />
support and resources to sustain<br />
these lifesaving operations in<br />
local communities.<br />
Simultaneously, the average<br />
cost of air ambulance helicopter<br />
missions in the <strong>UK</strong> increased<br />
by 4% in 2023, highlighting the<br />
increased costs faced by these<br />
vital charities. As such, Air<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong>, in collaboration<br />
with Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> Member<br />
Charities, is advocating for four<br />
policy pledges to address these<br />
challenges effectively:<br />
Pledge 1: Pledge to ensure that<br />
all new and existing <strong>UK</strong> Major<br />
Trauma Centres and specialist<br />
hospitals (such as cardiac<br />
centres) have 24/7 accessible onsite<br />
primary hospital helipads.<br />
Assist Local Planning Authorities<br />
in developing a specialised<br />
safeguarding process to protect<br />
<strong>UK</strong>-wide hospital helipads against<br />
adverse effects from planning<br />
and developments.<br />
Establish an efficient consultation<br />
pathway to proactively engage<br />
Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> and air<br />
ambulance charities in strategic<br />
planning discussions, concerning<br />
hospital helipads and community<br />
landing sites in the <strong>UK</strong>.<br />
Pledge 2: Pledge to secure safe<br />
access to NHS patient data for<br />
air ambulance charities to enable<br />
them to gain further insight into<br />
the full patient pathway and<br />
ultimately the patient outcome.<br />
Pledge 3: Pledge to support<br />
the air ambulance community<br />
to enhance methods of income<br />
generation through distribution<br />
of <strong>UK</strong>-wide grants and capital<br />
funding, ensuring that air<br />
ambulance charities can operate<br />
effectively with equitable service<br />
provision to continue to meet the<br />
surge in demand and increased<br />
operational costs.<br />
Pledge 4: Pledge to oppose<br />
the proposed statutory levy of<br />
0.1% of ‘gross gambling yield’<br />
(GGY) on lotteries. Advocate for<br />
a zero rate of statutory levy for<br />
lotteries and a continuation of<br />
the current system of voluntary<br />
contributions, in recognition of<br />
the unique contribution lotteries<br />
make to charitable causes, such<br />
as air ambulances.<br />
Simmy Akhtar, CEO of Air<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong>, emphasised<br />
the importance of these pledges,<br />
stating, “Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> is<br />
dedicated to ensuring that every<br />
individual across the <strong>UK</strong> receives<br />
the lifesaving care they deserve<br />
during times of crisis. As the<br />
demand for air ambulance services<br />
continues to rise, it’s imperative<br />
that we advocate for policies that<br />
support the dedicated crews and<br />
air ambulance charities. Our four<br />
policy pledges aim to address<br />
critical challenges faced by air<br />
ambulance charities, empowering<br />
them to save even more lives each<br />
day. Together, with the support of<br />
political parties and prospective<br />
parliamentary candidates, we<br />
can make a difference. Every<br />
pledge represents a step towards<br />
a safer, more resilient future for all<br />
our communities.”<br />
As the General Election<br />
approaches, Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong><br />
urges all political stakeholders<br />
to prioritise the support and<br />
enhancement of air ambulance<br />
charities, enabling them to<br />
continue saving lives and remain<br />
at the forefront of pre-hospital<br />
emergency care.<br />
For more information and to<br />
read the full <strong>2024</strong> General<br />
Election Manifesto for the <strong>UK</strong> Air<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Sector, visit here.<br />
** All air ambulance charities<br />
are independent with differing<br />
operational model(s) and so<br />
figures/data within this report are<br />
averages. The cost of mission<br />
varies depending on geography,<br />
patient need, clinical and<br />
operational models of the local<br />
air ambulance charity. All data is<br />
based on the year of 2023. **<br />
HELP Appeal<br />
Provides Support<br />
to Midlands<br />
Air <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Charity’s Strensham<br />
The HELP Appeal has granted<br />
£1.8 million to Midlands Air<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity which<br />
will fund the redevelopment<br />
of its Strensham airbase<br />
on the Worcestershire /<br />
Gloucestershire border. The<br />
redevelopment will include<br />
a new hangar replacing the<br />
existing one which is over<br />
20 years old.<br />
Based in the Midlands, the HELP<br />
Appeal, operated by County<br />
Air <strong>Ambulance</strong> Trust (CAAT), is<br />
the only charity in the country<br />
dedicated to funding helipads at<br />
hospitals and at air ambulance<br />
airbases across the country.<br />
Such is the HELP Appeal’s<br />
long-standing commitment to the<br />
region, this is the third time that<br />
it has funded the Strensham air<br />
base – first when it opened and<br />
again in 2010.<br />
During the refurbishment work,<br />
the helicopter will be temporarily<br />
located at Babcock’s operating<br />
base in nearby Staverton in<br />
Gloucestershire, allowing full<br />
operational capability to be<br />
maintained, and ensuring the<br />
security of the aircraft whilst the<br />
building work is completed. The<br />
airbase itself will continue to be<br />
operational throughout, providing<br />
support facilities for the clinicians<br />
and the charity’s fleet of critical<br />
care cars.<br />
Midlands Air <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Charity has now attended more<br />
than 75,000 missions across<br />
Gloucestershire, Herefordshire,<br />
Shropshire, Staffordshire,<br />
the West Midlands, and<br />
Worcestershire, and continues<br />
to be the busiest air ambulance<br />
in England.<br />
Julian Spiers, Midlands Air<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity’s clinical<br />
operations manager for<br />
Strensham, said: “As you<br />
can imagine, during any<br />
refurbishment work there will be<br />
a lot of disruption. The temporary<br />
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move to Staverton ensures our<br />
helicopter and critical care teams<br />
will continue to be available for<br />
lifesaving missions in the region<br />
whenever required.”<br />
Hanna Sebright, chief executive<br />
of Midlands Air <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Charity, said: “We are sincerely<br />
grateful to the HELP Appeal for its<br />
continued support and for funding<br />
the necessary remedial work at<br />
Strensham Airbase. Strensham<br />
is our primary southern operating<br />
airbase, within 10 minutes flight<br />
time of critically ill or injured<br />
patients in Gloucestershire,<br />
Herefordshire, Worcestershire,<br />
and surrounding areas. In January<br />
<strong>2024</strong> Midlands Air <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
hours of operations extended<br />
to 24/7, 365 days a year. The<br />
redevelopment of our Strensham<br />
airbase will futureproof our<br />
life saving service across our<br />
southern counties, improving<br />
organisational resilience and the<br />
long term sustainability of our<br />
pre-hospital emergency critical<br />
care service.”<br />
Robert Bertram, chief executive<br />
for the HELP Appeal added: “We<br />
are delighted to support Midlands<br />
Air <strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity’s airbase<br />
at Strensham. The importance of<br />
airbases can be often forgotten<br />
about in emergency care, but if<br />
air ambulances can’t land and<br />
take off safely or quickly from their<br />
airbase, patients’ lives could be<br />
put at serious risk. This is why<br />
we have donated £1,800,000 in<br />
total to ensure MAAC’s airbase<br />
helipads – from Shifnal to<br />
Strensham – are fit for purpose.”<br />
To find out more about Midlands<br />
Air <strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity’s lifesaving<br />
work, visit midlandsairambulance.<br />
com and follow the organisation<br />
on social media. For further details<br />
about the County Air <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Trust and the HELP Appeal, visit<br />
countyairambulancetrust.co.uk<br />
and www.helpappeal.org.uk<br />
New helipad<br />
launches at Salisbury<br />
District Hospital<br />
Salisbury NHS Foundation<br />
Trust has officially opened<br />
its new upgraded hospital<br />
landing site for air ambulances.<br />
The helipad was funded by a<br />
£321,000 donation from the<br />
HELP Appeal, the only charity<br />
in the country dedicated to<br />
funding hospital helipads.<br />
Senior executives from the<br />
Trust, Wiltshire Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>,<br />
the HELP Appeal and other<br />
stakeholders attended the event<br />
at which an air ambulance and<br />
crew were in place.<br />
Lisa Thomas, Chief Executive<br />
of Salisbury NHS Foundation<br />
Trust, said: ”Approximately<br />
60 patients each year arrive<br />
at our hospital via helicopter.<br />
To ensure we provide this vital<br />
service for many years to come,<br />
a replacement of our helipad was<br />
urgently required.<br />
“We have been successful<br />
in securing all the funding<br />
required for this work from<br />
the HELP Appeal charity and<br />
we are indebted to them for<br />
their continued support. This<br />
project represents a significant<br />
investment in our hospital,<br />
benefiting some of our most<br />
critically ill patients.”<br />
After an extensive survey and<br />
tender process, contractors were<br />
commissioned and work began<br />
on the new helipad in January,<br />
and the site was closed. The<br />
helipad is reopening following<br />
successful test flights.<br />
The new helipad, which is the<br />
third HELP Appeal funded helipad<br />
to open across the country this<br />
year, is larger in size, has been<br />
fitted with new lights to support<br />
night flights and signage, and<br />
meets all best practice and is<br />
compliant with latest Civil Aviation<br />
guidance. A weather station is<br />
being fitted to provide pilots with<br />
site specific weather information.<br />
Robert Bertram, Chief<br />
Executive of the HELP Appeal<br />
says: “Patients have this<br />
incredible hospital, amazing<br />
medical teams and local air<br />
ambulances, so it’s only right<br />
that they have a state-of-the-art<br />
helipad too, that’s fit for purpose<br />
and able to accommodate the<br />
immediate landings and transfers<br />
of critically ill patients, any time<br />
of the day or night. Thanks to our<br />
supporters we are able to fund<br />
this new helipad, which is going<br />
to make patient transfers easy,<br />
efficient, and expeditious.”<br />
Wiltshire Air <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
safety and ground operations<br />
manager Richard Miller adds:<br />
“We can’t thank the HELP Appeal<br />
enough for investing in the new<br />
helipad for the trauma centre at<br />
Salisbury District Hospital.<br />
“This now ensures the helipad<br />
complies with the latest CAP1264<br />
regulations (Standards for<br />
Helicopter Landing Areas at<br />
Hospitals), enabling ourselves<br />
and neighbouring air ambulance<br />
resources to safely convey<br />
patients to the Emergency<br />
Department on a regular basis.”<br />
The Project Board leading this<br />
work includes membership<br />
from the HELP Appeal, Wiltshire<br />
Air <strong>Ambulance</strong> service and<br />
the Hampshire and IOW Air<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> service, with support<br />
from the HELP Appeal, aviation<br />
and healthcare stakeholders. This<br />
partnership will ensure that the<br />
new helipad will meet the needs<br />
of our patients and remains fit for<br />
purpose, for many years to come.<br />
Image caption: Wiltshire Air<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> on the new helipad at<br />
Salisbury District Hospital.<br />
Charity calls on<br />
Government to<br />
make CPR training<br />
part of the driving<br />
licence tests<br />
Resuscitation Council <strong>UK</strong><br />
(RC<strong>UK</strong>) has launched a<br />
landmark report to address<br />
inequalities in resuscitation.<br />
Every second counts: Tackling<br />
inequalities in resuscitation<br />
warns that socio-economic<br />
deprivation, a person’s ethnicity,<br />
or cultural background shouldn’t<br />
determine whether a person is<br />
more or less likely to survive a<br />
cardiac arrest.<br />
It recommends that the <strong>UK</strong><br />
should join nearly half of the<br />
countries in Europe, who teach<br />
CPR training through the driving<br />
licence test, so that people who<br />
are less likely to receive training<br />
in the workplace – those who<br />
work in manual and ‘unskilled’<br />
jobs - are guaranteed lifesaving<br />
skills via an alternative route.<br />
Well over half (67%) of drivers in<br />
manual or ‘unskilled’ jobs depend<br />
on a private vehicle for transport<br />
to work.<br />
The report compiles important<br />
evidence of <strong>UK</strong> research on<br />
inequalities in resuscitation,<br />
and shows the huge disparities<br />
between rich and poor, and<br />
people from different cultural<br />
backgrounds, when facing the<br />
ultimate medical emergency.<br />
RC<strong>UK</strong> commissioned research<br />
to understand the views and<br />
expectations of people from<br />
certain ethnic minority groups<br />
12<br />
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NEWSLINE<br />
in England, around learning and<br />
performing CPR. The study found<br />
that seven in ten people didn’t<br />
know where their nearest defib<br />
was - this is in contrast to the<br />
wider <strong>UK</strong> population where six in<br />
ten did know.<br />
Early defibrillation can more<br />
than double survival rates, yet<br />
defibs are lacking in areas where<br />
people from ethnic minority<br />
backgrounds live – over half<br />
(56%) of these areas have no<br />
defibs in comparison to 31% of<br />
areas where predominantly white<br />
British people live. They’re also<br />
lacking in the most deprived parts<br />
of the <strong>UK</strong> - almost half (44%)<br />
have no defibrillator registered<br />
on The Circuit, the national<br />
defibrillator network.<br />
The report which is being<br />
launched today at the Houses<br />
of Parliament to key decision<br />
makers, partners, and cardiac<br />
arrest survivors, gives key<br />
recommendations on how to<br />
close the inequalities gap that<br />
currently exists when someone<br />
has a cardiac arrest.<br />
James Cant, CEO at RC<strong>UK</strong><br />
said: “A lack of public awareness<br />
that anyone can use a defib,<br />
as well as not knowing where<br />
these devices can be located, is<br />
a major obstacle to increasing<br />
the chances of surviving a<br />
cardiac arrest. Our research<br />
suggests that this is a particular<br />
issue among many minority<br />
ethnic groups. This is unfair<br />
as it further widens existing<br />
health inequalities. To address<br />
this, we must ensure everyone,<br />
everywhere has bystander CPR<br />
training that is tailored to their<br />
needs, and they understand that<br />
a defibrillator is there for them<br />
to use.<br />
“Targeting public-access defibs<br />
in areas, where the data tells<br />
us they’re needed most and<br />
ensuring they’re registered on<br />
The Circuit will be a significant<br />
step in reducing inequality and<br />
ensuring everyone has an equal<br />
chance of survival.”<br />
Many people from ethnic minority<br />
backgrounds across the <strong>UK</strong><br />
are also facing disparities to<br />
accessing CPR training - Just<br />
22% received training in the<br />
last ten years, compared with<br />
41% of the <strong>UK</strong> population in the<br />
same period.<br />
Nearly a third (32%) said they<br />
have had first or second-hand<br />
experience of cardiac arrest,<br />
yet six in ten (59%) said they<br />
lacked the knowledge and skills<br />
to perform CPR. 60% said they<br />
have never been trained in using<br />
a defibrillator, and a third (34%)<br />
mentioned a lack of awareness of<br />
training opportunities.<br />
James continues: “Evidence<br />
shows that increasing CPR<br />
knowledge and training in the<br />
community is an effective way to<br />
give people everywhere an equal<br />
chance of surviving a cardiac<br />
arrest. Strategies to increase<br />
bystander CPR must also<br />
tailor resources to people from<br />
certain minority ethnic groups,<br />
where English is not the primary<br />
language, and where disparities<br />
in technology literacy and digital<br />
access exist.”<br />
RC<strong>UK</strong> is recommending several<br />
initiatives to address these<br />
existing inequalities including:<br />
• Continue to collect ‘out-ofhospital<br />
cardiac arrest’ data<br />
as part of national strategy<br />
- Data saves lives. The routine<br />
collection of comprehensive<br />
data that effectively identifies<br />
and targets hotspot areas<br />
will be invaluable in tackling<br />
Highest<br />
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Rating<br />
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AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
inequalities in out-of-hospital<br />
cardiac arrest.<br />
• Legislate for CPR training<br />
to be part of driving<br />
licence tests - The <strong>UK</strong> can<br />
significantly reduce disparities<br />
in CPR training access across<br />
occupational and ethnic<br />
groups by legislating for CPR<br />
training to be part of the driving<br />
licence test, and the DVSA’s<br />
Compulsory Basic Training for<br />
motorcycles and mopeds. This<br />
public health initiative is low<br />
cost and provides a greater<br />
foundation of CPR knowledge<br />
among the <strong>UK</strong> population who<br />
may not otherwise be trained.<br />
• Increase bystander CPR<br />
rates through targeted<br />
monitoring of CPR training<br />
in schools - Governments<br />
and local authorities across<br />
the <strong>UK</strong> have committed to<br />
giving every young person<br />
CPR training during their<br />
school career. However, some<br />
young people across the four<br />
nations are leaving school<br />
without this lifesaving skill.<br />
Governments across the four<br />
nations can work with schools,<br />
Local Authorities, and the<br />
Department for Education, to<br />
ensure CPR training is being<br />
carried out in an equitable<br />
manner across all schools.<br />
CPR training must be tailored<br />
to meet the language, cultural,<br />
and educational needs of all<br />
learners, to create a generation<br />
of lifesavers in currently<br />
underserved communities.<br />
Every second counts outlines<br />
that if we are to tackle inequality<br />
in resuscitation it will require<br />
strategic leadership from central<br />
and devolved governments. There<br />
also needs to be successful<br />
delivery at regional and local<br />
levels, which will be dependent<br />
on healthcare professionals, and<br />
policy makers working together<br />
to play their respective parts<br />
in making these practical and<br />
achievable recommendations a<br />
reality without delay.<br />
Dr Mohammed Khanji, British<br />
Islamic Medical Association<br />
(BIMA) Lifesavers national<br />
team and Consultant<br />
Cardiologist at Barts Health<br />
NHS Trust said: “The report<br />
suggests that understanding<br />
the different types of actions<br />
that can be taken when<br />
witnessing a cardiac arrest<br />
is low, amongst people from<br />
certain minority ethnic groups.<br />
Engaging influential community<br />
members or institutions is<br />
key to tacking inequalities in<br />
resuscitation. By reaching out to<br />
those community leaders who<br />
are trusted and influential, the<br />
value of learning CPR, and the<br />
positive impact it brings, can be<br />
effectively promoted.<br />
“We are very proud of our<br />
growing number of volunteers<br />
and mosques supporting the<br />
BIMA Lifesavers programme,<br />
which is open to the general<br />
public. The community<br />
engagement and feedback has<br />
been humbling.”<br />
EEAST wins<br />
contract to continue<br />
paramedic services<br />
at Stansted Airport<br />
The East of England<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service (EEAST)<br />
has been awarded the<br />
contract to continue to<br />
provide paramedic services at<br />
Stansted Airport.<br />
EEAST were successful in a<br />
competitive procurement process<br />
for the five-year contract for first<br />
aid and an emergency response<br />
service at the <strong>UK</strong>’s fourth<br />
busiest airport.<br />
Having robust medical provision<br />
is essential for the day-to-day<br />
operation at Stansted Airport<br />
which saw just shy of 28 million<br />
passengers in 2023 – its third<br />
busiest year on record.<br />
Those passenger numbers<br />
showed the airport has made<br />
a good recovery from the<br />
coronavirus pandemic which<br />
significantly impacted the<br />
aviation industry.<br />
At the height of pandemic,<br />
when demand for flights was<br />
significantly reduced, EEAST<br />
reached an agreement with the<br />
airport to pause the contract<br />
until restrictions were eased<br />
and passenger numbers started<br />
to increase.<br />
Passenger numbers are forecast<br />
to increase further in the coming<br />
years and there is provision for<br />
this in the new contract which<br />
started on 1 May <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
During the busiest periods from<br />
May to September, the level of<br />
cover can be increased from the<br />
current 18 hours a day to roundthe-clock<br />
provision.<br />
One or two crews made up of<br />
paramedics and emergency<br />
medical technicians are based<br />
at the airport every day. They are<br />
deployed by the airport control<br />
room to attend any incidents on<br />
the airport estate that require<br />
medical attention.<br />
Kate Vaughton, director of<br />
integration and deputy chief<br />
executive at EEAST, said:<br />
“It is great news we will be<br />
continuing to provide paramedic<br />
services at Stansted Airport.<br />
“To secure the contract after a<br />
competitive procurement process<br />
is testament to the service we<br />
have provided at Stansted Airport<br />
over the last six years.<br />
“We look forward to continuing<br />
our excellent relationship with<br />
Stansted Airport and its operator,<br />
Manchester Airport Group.”<br />
Fire and ambulance<br />
services partnership<br />
set to save more<br />
lives in Hertfordshire<br />
A life-saving pilot has been<br />
launched in Hertfordshire<br />
which will see firefighters<br />
provide back-up to some of<br />
the most serious medical<br />
emergencies alongside<br />
ambulance crews<br />
As part of the trial firefighters from<br />
Berkhamsted Fire Station will now<br />
be able to respond to cardiac<br />
arrest emergencies in the area<br />
together with the East of England<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service NHS Trust<br />
(EEAST), speeding up response<br />
times and getting help quicker to<br />
people in need.<br />
According to the National Institute<br />
of Health and Care Excellence<br />
(NICE), around 60,000 cases of<br />
suspected cardiac arrest happen<br />
while someone is not in hospital<br />
every year, and those who receive<br />
cardiopulmonary resuscitation<br />
(CPR) have double or even<br />
quadruple the chance of survival.<br />
Survival rates rise to 50 to 70<br />
per cent if the patient receives<br />
defibrillation within three to five<br />
minutes of collapse.<br />
If successful, other fire stations in<br />
Hertfordshire could be included<br />
in the innovative approach to<br />
providing emergency medical<br />
support, alongside their existing<br />
duties. EEAST already works<br />
closely with fire stations in<br />
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire<br />
and Norfolk to provide backup<br />
for the most urgent calls<br />
they receive. Across the east of<br />
14<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
NEWSLINE<br />
England there are now 13 fire<br />
and we hope to have more fire<br />
commitment to working in<br />
rapid response vehicle to help<br />
stations offering their services,<br />
stations across Hertfordshire<br />
partnership with other agencies<br />
the ambulance service respond<br />
with more to come.<br />
taking part soon.<br />
to help save more lives across the<br />
to serious medical incidents.<br />
county. It’s about making the best<br />
Having these partnerships in<br />
place and increasing blue light<br />
collaboration allows for quicker<br />
responses to patients in medical<br />
emergencies. All fire service<br />
crews involved have received<br />
training from EEAST in basic life<br />
support including resuscitation<br />
and defibrillation.<br />
Tom Barker, Community<br />
“Firefighters are not intended to<br />
replace the ambulance service,<br />
but instead offer extra support<br />
as best practice shows that<br />
the earliest arrival of multiple<br />
responders is beneficial in the<br />
critical early stages of a cardiac<br />
arrest.”<br />
Andy Hall, Head of Operational<br />
Response at Hertfordshire<br />
use of the emergency services’<br />
capabilities, regardless of which<br />
uniform they wear.”<br />
New emergency<br />
vehicle for RAF<br />
Honington volunteer<br />
co-responders<br />
The fully equipped emergency<br />
vehicle has been kindly donated<br />
by Triple9, a specialist company<br />
which converts vehicles for bluelight<br />
use.<br />
The new rapid response vehicle<br />
(RRV) will allow the team to<br />
provide a first response to more<br />
999 calls in the area.<br />
Responder Manager at EEAST,<br />
said: “It is great to have the<br />
first fire station in Hertfordshire<br />
ready to respond to medical<br />
emergencies, as part of EEAST’s<br />
expanding blue light collaboration<br />
with other emergency services.<br />
Fire and Rescue Service,<br />
said: “Firefighters are trained to<br />
provide immediate emergency<br />
care and already carry trauma<br />
kits and defibrillators on our fire<br />
engines. It makes sense for us<br />
to use these life-saving skills to<br />
Military co-responders are<br />
military personnel who volunteer<br />
their time outside of their military<br />
duties to provide an extra level of<br />
support for the East of England<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service NHS Trust<br />
support the ambulance service in<br />
(EEAST). This means that, when<br />
“Having crews available at<br />
situations where we can get to a<br />
available, they can respond to<br />
Berkhamsted Fire Station will<br />
patient quickly.<br />
A team of dedicated volunteers<br />
serious medical emergencies and<br />
help us get life-saving support<br />
at RAF Honington have<br />
often be first on scene before<br />
to patients in that area faster,<br />
“This trial is part of our continued<br />
received a new emergency<br />
ambulance crews arrive.<br />
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AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />
15
NEWSLINE<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
Military Co- Response teams<br />
in the region have amassed<br />
thousands of hours of<br />
volunteering and responding<br />
to 999 calls for the NHS and<br />
this new vehicle will allow for<br />
additional shifts to be undertaken<br />
by the team at RAF Honington.<br />
Tom Barker, Head of<br />
Collaborative Response at<br />
EEAST, said: “This new rapid<br />
response vehicle for the volunteer<br />
military co-responders at RAF<br />
Honington will make a huge<br />
difference to the incredible work<br />
they do for the local community.<br />
“It will allow the team to bolster<br />
their response to medical<br />
emergencies and the support<br />
they provide to ambulance crews.<br />
EEAST would like to thank Triple9<br />
for donating this vehicle to the<br />
volunteer co-responders at<br />
RAF Honington.”<br />
Corporal Dave Dobson, Team<br />
Leader of RAF Honington’s<br />
Co-Response Team, said:<br />
“We want to thank Triple9 for<br />
providing us with a brand-new<br />
rapid response vehicle to add to<br />
our existing emergency vehicle.<br />
The RRV will operate in the west<br />
Suffolk area and will provide<br />
a clear benefit to patients by<br />
cutting down on travel times<br />
responding to life-threatening<br />
emergencies.<br />
“I am incredibly proud of the<br />
work our co-responders do at<br />
RAF Honington, going above and<br />
beyond by volunteering their own<br />
time to serve the community.<br />
I look forward to getting the<br />
new RRV out on the road and<br />
supporting EEAST in responding<br />
quickly to 999 calls.”<br />
Tom Ward, Chief Executive<br />
Officer of Triple 9 Group<br />
Ltd, said: “We are immensely<br />
proud to support the RAF<br />
Co Responders by providing<br />
them with a vehicle to aid the<br />
East of England <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service NHS Trust. Together, we<br />
strengthen emergency response<br />
capabilities and reaffirm our<br />
commitment to saving lives in<br />
our communities.”<br />
Military co-responders also<br />
volunteer for EEAST at RAF<br />
Marham, RAF Wyton and RAF<br />
Henlow, and have emergency<br />
vehicles which they can<br />
use when responding to<br />
medical emergencies.<br />
Photo caption: Military<br />
co-responders from RAF<br />
Honington with their new rapid<br />
response vehicle.<br />
82-year-old tennis<br />
player rescued<br />
in race against<br />
time at Hampton<br />
Court Palace<br />
A seamless response by first<br />
aiders helped save an 82-yearold<br />
tennis player after he had<br />
a cardiac arrest at Hampton<br />
Court Palace.<br />
David Peregrine-Jones, from<br />
Hampton Wick, was playing a<br />
competition final at the Royal<br />
Tennis Court. He had just won a<br />
singles game playing against a<br />
“sprightly” 22-year-old when he<br />
suddenly collapsed.<br />
The Royal Tennis Court members<br />
and Palace staff quickly ran to<br />
help and, with no time to lose,<br />
fitted a nearby defibrillator to his<br />
chest. A defibrillator is a machine<br />
which uses an electric shock to<br />
restart a patient’s heart when<br />
they’re in cardiac arrest and their<br />
heart has stopped beating.<br />
David said: “It was a fantastic<br />
effort and I’m very lucky. The<br />
reason the team successfully<br />
handled my cardiac arrest initially<br />
was because they installed<br />
defibrillators very close to the<br />
court and they were trained in<br />
life-saving skills.<br />
“When I had the arrest, the Royal<br />
Tennis Court team stepped in<br />
within seconds. There was no<br />
delay. It was seamless.”<br />
David’s heart was restarted by<br />
their prompt actions even before<br />
London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
arrived on scene in six minutes.<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> crews, including<br />
Glenda Hall, Jean-Pierre Kotze,<br />
Paul Nethersole, Elisa-Maria<br />
Livesey and Mark Faulkner took<br />
over David’s treatment at the<br />
tennis court.<br />
Consultant Paramedic Mark<br />
Faulkner, who also leads the<br />
London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
Resuscitation Programme, said:<br />
“David is incredibly lucky that<br />
life-saving equipment was on site,<br />
and the trained responders and<br />
expert help arrived so quickly.<br />
When someone has a cardiac<br />
arrest every second counts and<br />
the minutes before the arrival of<br />
the ambulance service are vital to<br />
ensure the patient survives.<br />
“The interventions needed are<br />
simple and can be learnt in just<br />
a few minutes. You buy time by<br />
applying chest compressions<br />
hard and fast in the middle of the<br />
chest. Whenever there is a public<br />
access defibrillator available, this<br />
should also be used.”<br />
David received treatment,<br />
including surgery for an<br />
implantable cardioverterdefibrillator<br />
(ICD) to provide a<br />
shock if his heart stops again.<br />
David is now recovering at home<br />
and looks forward to getting back<br />
to an active life, including tending<br />
to his allotment, dinghy sailing<br />
and charitable work with his<br />
livery company.<br />
Looking back over the most<br />
traumatic experience of his life, he<br />
added: “They were all so careful,<br />
compassionate, and clear about<br />
what needed to happen to me to<br />
get the best outcome. I’m very<br />
happy to have come through it<br />
all intact.”<br />
Nick Wood, Head Professional at<br />
the Royal Tennis Court, said: “A<br />
combination of being prepared<br />
and good fortune enabled myself<br />
and fellow Royal Tennis Court<br />
members to act so quickly.<br />
Having a defibrillator located<br />
nearby undoubtedly increased<br />
the chances of successfully<br />
resuscitating David.”<br />
Going the distance:<br />
charity runner races<br />
in full ambulance<br />
uniform and<br />
response bag<br />
An emergency responder at<br />
London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service ran<br />
a half marathon wearing his full<br />
uniform and heavy response<br />
bag to raise money for charity.<br />
Christopher Newman ran<br />
the London Landmarks Half<br />
Marathon on Sunday 7 April but<br />
to make it even more challenging<br />
he wore green uniform, bulky<br />
work boots and carried his 13kg<br />
response bag. He finished the<br />
race in a time of two hours fiftyone<br />
minutes.<br />
Christopher was one of 17<br />
#TeamLAS runners who took part<br />
in the 13 mile race through the<br />
16<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
NEWSLINE<br />
City of London and Westminster.<br />
The team collectively raised<br />
£8,783 for the London<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity.<br />
Christopher, 60, said:<br />
“Just wearing the uniform<br />
trousers alone makes running<br />
very difficult, then adding the<br />
boots and the rucksack is such<br />
a weight.<br />
“But I did it to raise money for<br />
the London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity,<br />
which supports the wellbeing and<br />
welfare of our ambulance crews.”<br />
Christopher has been an<br />
emergency responder for 10<br />
years which means he is a trained<br />
volunteer who attends 999 calls<br />
in full uniform and in a blue-light<br />
response car.<br />
He regularly volunteers for shifts<br />
at London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
despite having a busy full-time job<br />
in Monaco.<br />
He said:<br />
“It is incredibly rewarding<br />
to volunteer and we make a<br />
difference every shift. Sometimes<br />
that difference can be helping to<br />
save someone’s life; sometimes it<br />
will be making a patient smile.<br />
“But I see first-hand how hard<br />
LAS crews work. It can be a<br />
tough and demanding job and<br />
we definitely need to support<br />
their welfare – and the charity<br />
can make a real difference to<br />
their lives.”<br />
London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service has<br />
more than 100 ERs from a diverse<br />
range of professions and logged<br />
more than 12,000 volunteer hours<br />
last year.<br />
All the money raised by the<br />
race will help fund wellbeing<br />
initiatives for fellow staff and<br />
volunteers, such as wellbeing<br />
cafes and support vehicles which<br />
deliver wellbeing check-ins, hot<br />
drinks, and nutritious snacks to<br />
ambulance crews on the road<br />
and people answering 999 and<br />
111 calls.<br />
The charity also provides<br />
financial hardship support, and<br />
helps save more lives by training<br />
communities in life-saving skills.<br />
LAS Chief Executive Daniel<br />
Elkeles said:<br />
“Christopher certainly got himself<br />
noticed wearing his full uniform<br />
and carrying his kit bag – what a<br />
challenge to have set himself!<br />
“It was great way to draw<br />
attention to the brilliant work<br />
of our charity and the way it<br />
supports our hard-working crews.<br />
“Christopher also demonstrates<br />
the important role volunteers play<br />
– not just at LAS – but across<br />
the NHS.”<br />
You can still sponsor Christopher<br />
through his JustGiving page.<br />
Pioneering London<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
trial hailed as one of<br />
most important heart<br />
studies of 2023<br />
Ground-breaking research<br />
which found the majority of<br />
people whose hearts have<br />
stopped have the same chance<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />
17
NEWSLINE<br />
of surviving if taken to the<br />
nearest hospital rather than<br />
a specialist cardiac arrest<br />
centre has been hailed one of<br />
the most important studies of<br />
last year.<br />
The ‘Arrest’ trial was named one<br />
of the four most important trials<br />
in the world relating to cardiac<br />
care in 2023 according to the<br />
Resuscitation Journal, the official<br />
journal of the Europe’s 32 national<br />
Resuscitation Councils.<br />
The Arrest trial was run by<br />
London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service in<br />
collaboration with King’s College<br />
London and the London School<br />
of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.<br />
It involved 616 London<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service clinicians,<br />
860 patients and 35 hospitals<br />
across London. It took 10 years<br />
from inception to completion<br />
with a period during the<br />
COVID pandemic when, like<br />
much research, the trial was<br />
temporarily halted. .<br />
to team up for a fundraising<br />
afternoon of Dragon Boat<br />
racing to support its work<br />
improving the health of<br />
patients and the wellbeing of<br />
staff and volunteers.<br />
The charity’s inaugural Dragon<br />
Boat Race competition will take<br />
to the water at 1pm on Thursday<br />
18 July at Surrey Quays Docks,<br />
and promises an exciting summer<br />
atmosphere complete with<br />
racing, music and food.<br />
The money raised will help fund<br />
projects like wellbeing initiatives<br />
for staff and volunteers out on<br />
ambulances or answering 999<br />
calls and help save more lives by<br />
training London communities in<br />
life-saving skills.<br />
To find out more about the event<br />
and how to be involved, please<br />
email Olivia Peters, Events<br />
and Community Fundraiser,<br />
at olivia.peters1@nhs.net to<br />
receive your Dragon boat race<br />
participation booklet.<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
The trial found taking certain<br />
cardiac arrest patients to nearest<br />
emergency department – as<br />
LAS had been doing - was as<br />
important as getting to a<br />
specialist cardiac hospital. This<br />
was good news as it meant not<br />
all cardiac arrest patients needed<br />
immediate specialist intervention<br />
but a period of stabilisation in a<br />
normal hospital.<br />
However, patients experiencing<br />
a specific type of cardiac arrest<br />
known as ‘STEMI’– where an<br />
electrocardiogram (ECG) can<br />
detect a blockage of the artery<br />
supplying the heart - do benefit<br />
going straight to a heart attack<br />
centre which is current practise.<br />
Dr Fenella Wrigley MBE, Deputy<br />
Chief Executive and Chief<br />
Medical Officer for the London<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service on the<br />
ground breaking trial said:<br />
“I’m very proud this has been<br />
recognised as a world class<br />
piece of research. This trial was<br />
extremely complex but allowed us<br />
to prove that we were providing<br />
our cardiac patients with the care<br />
that would give them the best<br />
possible outcome.<br />
“Our commitment to developing<br />
and hosting research studies,<br />
means we are improving<br />
emergency medical care and<br />
outcomes in not just in London<br />
and the <strong>UK</strong> but worldwide.”<br />
It compared outcomes for<br />
patients being taken directly<br />
to one of seven Cardiac Arrest<br />
Centres in London to those who<br />
were taken to the nearest A&E.<br />
Arrest was the first randomised<br />
trial in the world to answer<br />
this question.<br />
It was already known patients<br />
having a STEMI heart attack<br />
benefitted from specialist<br />
hospitals. It was reasonable<br />
to assume that all patients<br />
who suffered a cardiac arrest<br />
would benefit from specialist<br />
intervention but there was no<br />
clear evidence of benefit when<br />
the patient did not have a STEMI.<br />
The trial was made possible<br />
thanks to a generous<br />
research grant from the British<br />
Heart Foundation.<br />
Enter the Dragons:<br />
an afternoon of team<br />
building, pumping<br />
adrenaline and<br />
fundraising!<br />
The London <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Charity is calling on Londoners<br />
Each team of 10 rowers and a<br />
drummer setting the rhythm in<br />
the distinctly designed dragon<br />
boats will complete a series of<br />
200 metre races in order to lift<br />
the winning trophy. The sport<br />
requires a high level of teamwork<br />
and communication, making it an<br />
excellent team-building activity<br />
or fun for friends and family. The<br />
fastest teams are not necessarily<br />
the strongest, but those that can<br />
synchronise their paddling and<br />
work together most effectively.<br />
It’s an inclusive event suitable for<br />
all ages and skill levels—no prior<br />
experience is necessary, just<br />
eleven willing team mates and<br />
buckets of enthusiasm! Entrants<br />
have until 17 <strong>June</strong> to sign up.<br />
Jessica Burgess, Head of the<br />
London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity, said:<br />
“We’re always looking for exciting<br />
and creative ways to raise money<br />
for the London <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Charity, from climbing the O2<br />
and runs across London, so the<br />
Dragon Boat Race is a perfect<br />
event for our fundraisers.<br />
“We’re so proud of what our<br />
supporters have raised for us this<br />
year and I know the excitement<br />
of a Dragon Boat race will be<br />
another amazing opportunity for<br />
them. Thanks to their efforts and<br />
enthusiasm, we will be able to<br />
support more paramedics and<br />
call handlers who care for the<br />
capital every day.”<br />
Annual cardiac arrest<br />
report - bystander<br />
CPR key to improving<br />
survival rates<br />
The use of a defibrillator on<br />
cardiac arrest patients, prior to<br />
the arrival of ambulance crews,<br />
is vital in improving cardiac<br />
arrest survival rates, a report<br />
published today by South East<br />
Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service,<br />
(SECAmb), shows.<br />
The report, which looks at out-ofhospital<br />
cardiac arrests attended<br />
by SECAmb between April 2022<br />
and March 2023, reveals that<br />
if a defibrillator is used prior to<br />
its arrival, the average time to<br />
shock a patient is more than<br />
four minutes quicker than when<br />
the first shock is delivered by<br />
ambulance teams.<br />
And remarkably, of those patients<br />
successfully resuscitated prior<br />
to ambulance arrival by shocks<br />
from a defibrillator, who did not<br />
rearrest, all survived at least<br />
30 days.<br />
In the year covered by the report,<br />
SECAmb attended a total of<br />
18<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
NEWSLINE<br />
8,824 cardiac arrest patients,<br />
and it was viable to commence<br />
resuscitation attempts on 2,891<br />
people (33 per cent of patients).<br />
Despite the challenging<br />
environment faced by ambulance<br />
services during the period,<br />
a Return of Spontaneous<br />
Circulation or ROSC was<br />
maintained to hospital 27 per<br />
cent of the time, while 9.5 per<br />
cent of patients’ lives were saved<br />
(271 people were alive 30 days<br />
after their cardiac arrest).<br />
While the percentage of survivors<br />
is slightly down on the 11 per cent<br />
revealed in the previous year’s<br />
report, the total is still the second<br />
highest reported in SECAmb and<br />
is 1.5 per cent higher than the<br />
national average of eight per cent<br />
for the period.<br />
Cardiac arrest survivors are found<br />
to have a number of predominant<br />
features related to their arrest;<br />
they are more likely to have<br />
someone witness their collapse<br />
or have been found early, more<br />
likely to have CPR performed,<br />
and to have presented in a<br />
shockable rhythm.<br />
Key to early CPR and defibrillation<br />
is the attendance of SECAmb’s<br />
more than 400-strong team<br />
of volunteer Community First<br />
Responders, (CFRs), who are<br />
trained by SECAmb to respond<br />
to emergencies. CFRs respond in<br />
areas where they live and work,<br />
meaning they can often be at the<br />
scene of an emergency before<br />
ambulance crews. More here:<br />
https://www.secamb.nhs.uk/joinus/community-first-responders/<br />
CFRs, who are equipped with<br />
defibrillators, were on scene in<br />
nine per cent of resuscitation<br />
attempts in the period covered<br />
by the report or 255 incidents.<br />
CFRs were first on scene in 45%<br />
of those incidents, reducing<br />
response times to patients<br />
in cardiac arrest by close to<br />
five minutes.<br />
The report also reveals:<br />
• On average, SECAmb<br />
attended 735 cardiac arrests<br />
each month - close to one<br />
every hour.<br />
• 79 per cent of patients received<br />
CPR from a bystander prior to<br />
ambulance arrival<br />
• 259 defibrillators were used<br />
before ambulance arrival,<br />
(10 per cent)<br />
• 80 per cent of cardiac arrests<br />
occurred at home or at a<br />
private address<br />
• 9 per cent of patients were<br />
aged under 40<br />
• 50 per cent were patients were<br />
aged over 70<br />
• 66 per cent of resus attempts<br />
were on males, with a median<br />
age of 69<br />
• 34 per cent of resus attempts<br />
were on females, with a<br />
median age of 71<br />
SECAmb Consultant Paramedic,<br />
Dan Cody, said: “We are<br />
committed to improving our<br />
cardiac arrest survival rates as<br />
we recognise that they are still<br />
some way behind the highest<br />
rates seen internationally,<br />
but we are pleased SECAmb<br />
continues to perform above the<br />
national average.<br />
“There are a number of key<br />
factors vital to improving out-ofhospital<br />
cardiac arrest survival,<br />
including increasing community<br />
engagement in learning CPR<br />
and increasing the availability of<br />
Public Access Defibrillators. We<br />
must also continue to ensure we<br />
are maximising the benefits our<br />
volunteer CFRs bring to improve<br />
response times to cardiac<br />
proactmedical.co.uk<br />
Metal Max COMBI 50 Laryngoscope System<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />
19
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AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
arrest patients.<br />
“As we continue to study and<br />
improve our response to cardiac<br />
arrests, I would urge everyone<br />
to take the time to learn CPR.<br />
Your actions could prove vital to<br />
a person’s survival and mean a<br />
loved one is able to spend many<br />
more years with their family<br />
and friends.”<br />
The report, featuring five<br />
stories of cardiac arrest<br />
survivors SECAmb has reunited<br />
with ambulance teams, is<br />
available to download in full<br />
- 2022-23-SECAmb-Annual-<br />
Cardiac-Arrest-Report-final.pdf<br />
The Resuscitation Council has<br />
created a “CPQR code” - a heart<br />
shaped QR code that directs<br />
people to a short video on how to<br />
do CPR.<br />
The British Heart Foundation<br />
has an online training tool,<br />
RevivR, a free and easy-to-use<br />
15-minute training course -<br />
https://bit.ly/4a0V8T6<br />
Face-to-face first aid and CPR<br />
courses can also be booked<br />
through St John <strong>Ambulance</strong> and<br />
the British Red Cross.<br />
Crawley cardiac<br />
arrest survivor<br />
thanks ambulance<br />
team<br />
A Crawley man has been<br />
reunited with a number of the<br />
ambulance team who helped<br />
save his life a year on from<br />
suffering a cardiac arrest.<br />
Retired Health and Safety Officer,<br />
Dave Mortimer, 67, visited South<br />
East Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service’s<br />
Make Ready Centre in Crawley<br />
this week to pass on his thanks in<br />
person for the team’s effort.<br />
Dave was accompanied by<br />
Nicky Carr and Steve Grant,<br />
who as an off-duty student<br />
nurse and off-duty Met Police<br />
officer respectively, sprang into<br />
action to help, calling 999 and<br />
commencing CPR when Dave<br />
collapsed at the wheel of his car<br />
at Three Bridges Tesco petrol<br />
station on 16 April 2023.<br />
The trio have since gone on<br />
to become good friends and<br />
recently celebrated with a meal<br />
to mark Dave’s ‘alive’ day on the<br />
anniversary of his cardiac arrest.<br />
With support from Nicky,<br />
Steve performed around seven<br />
minutes of chest compressions<br />
while on the phone to SECAmb<br />
Emergency Medical Advisor,<br />
Layah Garside.<br />
Critical Care Paramedic (CCP)<br />
Bradley Gander was first to arrive<br />
at the scene with Paramedic,<br />
Carly Scarborough.<br />
“When I arrived at the scene,<br />
it was clear to me that Steve<br />
was delivering excellent chest<br />
compressions,” said Bradley.<br />
“It’s always a welcome sight to<br />
see when we arrive at a cardiac<br />
arrest. Their quick-thinking and<br />
actions were absolutely vital in<br />
ensuring Dave was given the very<br />
best chance of survival.”<br />
Bradley and Carly were joined<br />
at the scene by then Student<br />
Paramedic, Craig Higginson<br />
and Associate <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Practitioner, James Dickson<br />
as well as CCP, Carl Tocknell,<br />
and Operational Team Leader,<br />
Phil Smith.<br />
Dave received a shock with<br />
a defibrillator to establish a<br />
more normal rhythm for his<br />
heart and was stabilised and<br />
sedated before being rushed to<br />
Royal Sussex County Hospital<br />
in Brighton, requiring a further<br />
shock en route to hospital.<br />
After being fitted with a stent,<br />
Dave spent 10 days in an induced<br />
coma and three further weeks<br />
recovering in hospital.<br />
Dave, who was due to drive to<br />
Wales on the day of his collapse,<br />
said: “I have little, if any, memory<br />
of what happened, but I have<br />
pieced together various pieces of<br />
information and found that I had<br />
purchased a bottle of Gaviscon<br />
for pain I had put down to being<br />
indigestion - I obviously was<br />
having a heart attack.<br />
“I feel so privileged to have<br />
met the team to thank them in<br />
person. I will forever be grateful<br />
for everything everyone did to<br />
save my life. In Nicky and Steve<br />
I have two new amazing friends<br />
for life and I and my whole family<br />
are so thankful to them both for<br />
stopping to help me despite they<br />
both had their children with them<br />
in their cars. They truly made<br />
the difference.<br />
“The hospital team, from who<br />
I received brilliant care too,<br />
explained to me that I only<br />
suffered two per cent damage to<br />
my heart and this is down to how<br />
quickly and expertly everyone<br />
responded. Throughout my own<br />
career I have done a fair bit of<br />
planning and I don’t think I could<br />
have planned the response and<br />
treatment I received any better!”<br />
“I am humbled by the<br />
professionalism and skills of each<br />
and every one of these people<br />
honed by their years of training<br />
and experience. I feel blessed<br />
and honored to have met them<br />
to pay this tribute. It means<br />
everything to me.”<br />
Steve said: “I’ve been trained<br />
in CPR for many years in my<br />
role as a prison officer and now<br />
in the police. Sadly, I hadn’t<br />
had a successful resuscitation<br />
before and it was a very different<br />
situation and quite scary to<br />
suddenly have to deliver CPR off<br />
duty. I would encourage everyone<br />
to take the time to learn CPR<br />
though and not be afraid to use<br />
it if needed. It was great to find<br />
out that Dave had survived and<br />
go on to become friends with him<br />
and Nicky, who gave me amazing<br />
support at the scene. I couldn’t<br />
have done it without her.”<br />
Nicky said: “I’m in awe of<br />
ambulance crews. Steve was<br />
amazing and then the teams did<br />
a fantastic job. Dave, Steve and I<br />
will be friends forever.”<br />
CCP, Bradley added: “The<br />
actions of Steve and Nicky<br />
meant that were in the best<br />
possible position we could be<br />
to commence advanced life<br />
support and aid Dave’s survival.<br />
They should both be very proud<br />
of everything they did. It was an<br />
amazing team effort from start to<br />
finish which continued at hospital.<br />
On behalf of all my colleagues I’d<br />
like to wish Dave and his family all<br />
the very best for the future.”<br />
Dartford heart attack<br />
survivor reunites<br />
with lifesaving crew<br />
A father from Dartford who<br />
suffered a heart attack at his<br />
home has been reunited with<br />
the two ambulance service<br />
colleagues who helped save<br />
his life.<br />
Ian Harris, 52, from Dartford,<br />
Kent was washing his car at his<br />
home on the evening of 20 May,<br />
2023, when he started to feel<br />
20<br />
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NEWSLINE<br />
pain and discomfort in his hands,<br />
as well as coming over flustered<br />
and dizzy.<br />
Through his many years of<br />
watching 999 programmes on TV<br />
with his family, Ian’s first thought<br />
was to go inside his home and lay<br />
down on a flat surface. He raised<br />
his legs up on the bathroom<br />
sink and called 111 as initially, he<br />
didn’t realise he was suffering<br />
from a heart attack.<br />
As his symptoms worsened,<br />
Ian called 999, and Trainee<br />
Associate <strong>Ambulance</strong> Practitioner<br />
Samantha Rees and Paramedic<br />
Fran Brewer were luckily<br />
just around the corner from<br />
his address.<br />
Ian said, “I didn’t realise the<br />
severity of the heart attack until<br />
I was back at home and reading<br />
through the paperwork. I am very<br />
lucky to be alive.”<br />
On arrival, Samantha and Fran<br />
quickly diagnosed Ian as having<br />
a severe heart attack and he<br />
was immediately taken to The<br />
William Harvey Hospital in<br />
Ashford for surgery and further<br />
medical treatment.<br />
After spending two days in<br />
intensive care, Ian was then<br />
transferred to the hospital<br />
ward where he stayed for<br />
several further days to recover.<br />
Subsequently, Ian then<br />
underwent a procedure to have a<br />
permanent stent fitted, facilitating<br />
improved blood flow through<br />
narrowed or blocked arteries.<br />
Along with his wife, Kerry,<br />
daughter, Emily and son in law<br />
Colin, Ian visited a South East<br />
Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service’s<br />
(SECAmb) ambulance station<br />
in Dartford recently for the<br />
emotional reunion with<br />
Trainee Associate <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Practitioner, Samantha and<br />
Paramedic, Fran.<br />
Ian said, “The incident has really<br />
made me re-evaluate life and<br />
confirm what’s important to me.<br />
Since the incident happened, I<br />
have rekindled a relationship with<br />
one of my daughters who I hadn’t<br />
spoken to in 14 years. For this, I<br />
am eternally grateful.”<br />
Ian is still on his journey to a<br />
full recovery and is very much<br />
looking forward to taking a trip<br />
to Spain with his family, shortly<br />
after the one-year anniversary<br />
of his heart attack. After the<br />
incident, Ian and his family also<br />
got a dog which Ian is enjoying<br />
taking for short walks in the<br />
neighbourhood.<br />
Samantha said, “When we<br />
received the many letters of<br />
gratitude from Ian’s family it<br />
brought me and Fran to tears.<br />
We were over the moon to be<br />
seeing Ian again, and in such<br />
good health.”<br />
Emergency<br />
responders helping<br />
hundreds of patients<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />
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AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
Two teams of volunteer<br />
Emergency Responders,<br />
(ERs), participating in a trial<br />
to understand how they can<br />
improve patient care, have<br />
responded to hundreds of<br />
seriously ill patients over the<br />
past year.<br />
The first team of responders<br />
began operating out South East<br />
Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service’s<br />
(SECAmb’s) Ashford operating<br />
unit, in Kent, in February 2023,<br />
focussing primarily on the<br />
Romney Marsh area. The second<br />
team, now operating out of<br />
Crawley and Horsham in West<br />
Sussex, began responding to<br />
patients in March 2023.<br />
The scheme works in a similar<br />
way to the Trust’s volunteer<br />
community first responders,<br />
who are trained by SECAmb to<br />
respond to emergencies in the<br />
areas that they live and work and<br />
can deliver care to patients in the<br />
minutes before ambulance crews<br />
arrive. Rather than being based<br />
from home or work, the ERs,<br />
who have undergone additional<br />
training, book on for a shift and<br />
operate out of a SECAmb base or<br />
standby point.<br />
Together, the 21 ERs have<br />
volunteered more than 9000<br />
hours, operating on dedicated<br />
vehicles equipped to respond<br />
on blue lights and sirens. They<br />
have been dispatched to over<br />
1600 incidents, (1,687), including<br />
281 immediately life-threatening<br />
Category 1 calls. The teams have<br />
also responded to hundreds of<br />
non-life threatening incidents<br />
including to patients who<br />
have fallen.<br />
Since their launch in the New<br />
Romney area alone, the ERs<br />
have attended more than 100<br />
Category 1 calls and averaged a<br />
response time of 7 minutes and<br />
46 seconds. The West Sussexbased<br />
ERs have attended 171<br />
category one incidents with<br />
an average response time of 6<br />
minutes 58 seconds.<br />
ERs focus on providing a safe<br />
and effective initial response and<br />
receive back up from ambulance<br />
crews as required.<br />
Each ER is subject to a robust<br />
recruitment process and<br />
have undertaken additional<br />
extensive training including a<br />
nationally-accredited blue-light<br />
driving course and additional<br />
clinical training.<br />
SECAmb Head of Community<br />
Resilience, David Wells said:<br />
“With both of our Emergency<br />
Responder teams now having<br />
been operating for more than a<br />
year, I would like to say a very<br />
big thank you to every volunteer<br />
for their dedication to this<br />
important project.<br />
“While we will need to formally<br />
evaluate the trial, the volunteers<br />
involved have shown they are<br />
very capable of responding to<br />
patients in this way. The ERs<br />
complement our Community First<br />
Responders offering and help<br />
to ensure our patients, including<br />
those in an immediately lifethreatening<br />
condition, receive the<br />
treatment they require as quickly<br />
as possible.”<br />
Dan Garrett, Operating Unit<br />
Manager for Gatwick said: “We<br />
are very fortunate to have the<br />
ERs working in our area. Their<br />
availability and option to respond<br />
under emergency conditions<br />
is of real benefit as we look<br />
to strengthen our response<br />
to our most seriously ill and<br />
injured patients.”<br />
Nick Keech, Operating Unit<br />
Manager for Ashford added:<br />
“New Romney is an area which<br />
can be challenging for us to<br />
respond to as quickly as we<br />
would like for Category 1 calls in<br />
particular. While there are many<br />
variables which can impact on<br />
our performance, we have seen<br />
an improvement in our response<br />
times of around two min since the<br />
launch of the ERs and I would like<br />
to thank every volunteer for their<br />
dedication and hard work.”<br />
Father of three<br />
recovering from<br />
cardiac arrest after<br />
son’s miracle chest<br />
compressions<br />
An Ashford father of three who<br />
suffered a cardiac arrest at his<br />
home in May 2022 has been<br />
reunited, alongside his family,<br />
with some of the ambulance<br />
team who helped save his life.<br />
Gerard Quinn, 59, from Ashford,<br />
Kent, was at his family home with<br />
wife Jenny, daughter, Elizabeth<br />
and son, Solomon when he<br />
collapsed on 29 May, 2022.<br />
After calling 999, wife Jenny was<br />
able to move Gerard to a safe<br />
space on their bedroom floor,<br />
before Solomon performed lifesaving<br />
chest compressions while<br />
ambulance crews made their way<br />
to the scene.<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> colleagues arrived in<br />
under two minutes and, working<br />
with colleagues from Kent Fire<br />
and Rescue Service, were able to<br />
safely transfer Gerard to William<br />
Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where<br />
he remained in a coma in the<br />
intensive care unit for more than<br />
a month.<br />
SECAmb Critical Care Paramedic,<br />
Chris Fudge, said: “Gerard is<br />
here because of Solomon. Often<br />
people are not able to perform<br />
chest compressions on a loved<br />
one, but Solomon did with flying<br />
colours. Thanks to everyone’s<br />
efforts, Gerard has made a<br />
good recovery.”<br />
Gerard said: “I woke up in hospital<br />
thinking, I didn’t go to bed here.<br />
As scary as it was, the event has<br />
made us closer as a family.”<br />
Gerard and his family were<br />
reunited with ambulance<br />
crew Julia Lewis, <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
paramedic, Sophie Emery,<br />
Trainee Associate <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Practitioner, and Jenna<br />
Woodcock, <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
paramedic, as well as John<br />
Sweeney, Operational Team<br />
Leader and Chris Fudge, Critical<br />
Care Paramedic.<br />
Gerard is currently on his journey<br />
to full recovery and hopes to<br />
get back to work soon as a<br />
mechanic. Gerard currently has<br />
no recollection of the cardiac<br />
arrest or his time in hospital.<br />
His wife Jenny said: “When<br />
Gerard first woke up from the<br />
coma he couldn’t move, or even<br />
open his eyes. Every single<br />
day since then his situation has<br />
improved, which is a miracle.”<br />
Julia said: “Sadly with this type<br />
of incident, there is a low survival<br />
rate. I’ve been on the road for<br />
14 years and I can only count<br />
on one hand how many cardiac<br />
arrest returns we’ve successfully<br />
completed. We were all thrilled to<br />
see Gerard with his family and we<br />
wish him the best of luck with his<br />
continued recovery.”<br />
Paramedic<br />
completes epic<br />
mountaineering<br />
expedition<br />
A South East Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service (SECAmb) Critical<br />
22<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
NEWSLINE<br />
Care Paramedic (CCP) has<br />
achieved an extraordinary feat<br />
by conquering one of the most<br />
challenging ski mountaineering<br />
expeditions in the world, all<br />
in support of The Intensive<br />
Care Society.<br />
On Tuesday, 9 April, Paddock<br />
Wood CCP, Jim Walmsley,<br />
together with his team,<br />
completed the Patrouille des<br />
Glaciers, covering a total of<br />
more than 70km of uphill skiing,<br />
alpine climbing, and deftly<br />
dodging seracs, ascending a<br />
staggering total of over 7,000m<br />
in altitude with peaks reaching<br />
beyond 3,600m.<br />
Leading up to the challenge,<br />
Jim successfully reached his<br />
personal fundraising goal,<br />
raising an impressive £5,241<br />
for The Intensive Care Society.<br />
Together with the wider team,<br />
they also surpassed their original<br />
fundraising target, raising over<br />
£33,000 to date.<br />
Jim said, “Having surpassed my<br />
original fundraising target, the<br />
team have raised over £33,000<br />
so far - it’s safe to say it’s been<br />
an amazing experience. A<br />
tremendous thank you to all<br />
who so generously supported<br />
and donated – it’s humbling to<br />
experience such generosity.”<br />
Jim’s work at SECAmb means<br />
that he is in close contact with<br />
both patients and families alike<br />
who need the services of The<br />
Intensive Care Society.<br />
Jim said: “As a Specialist<br />
Paramedic (Critical Care) within<br />
the pre-hospital arena, I am<br />
in close contact with patients<br />
considered to be ‘time critical’.<br />
Intervening early to treat, stabilise,<br />
and safely support such patients;<br />
often as a pre-hospital medical<br />
service, I am handing over to ICS<br />
teams in hospital.”<br />
The Intensive Care Society<br />
provides a range of wellbeing,<br />
training and CPD opportunities<br />
for all associated clinicians who<br />
work in Intensive Care, allowing<br />
for improved care, well-being, up<br />
to date training and many more<br />
opportunities.<br />
To find out more about Jim’s<br />
expedition, and to visit his<br />
fundraising page, click here.<br />
Thanet clinical hub<br />
reducing demand<br />
on A&E<br />
A clinical co-ordination hub<br />
organised and implemented by<br />
South East Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service NHS Foundation Trust,<br />
(SECAmb), in partnership with<br />
East Kent Hospitals staff at the<br />
Queen Elizabeth The Queen<br />
Mother Hospital in Margate is<br />
delivering positive early results.<br />
The hub, based at SECAmb’s<br />
Thanet Make Ready Centre,<br />
in Ramsgate, follows trials<br />
established at the Trust’s<br />
Paddock Wood and Ashford<br />
operational sites.<br />
The Thanet hub, established in<br />
February <strong>2024</strong>, involves multidiscipline<br />
teams from across the<br />
Kent healthcare system, joining<br />
SECAmb Advanced Paramedic<br />
Practitioners to help ensure 999<br />
calls made in the Thanet area<br />
receive the most appropriate<br />
response and care.<br />
ALLIANCE<br />
PIONEER<br />
GROUP<br />
JOIN THE TEAM<br />
GREAT RATES OF PAY<br />
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES<br />
PARAMEDICS, TECH’S & ECA’S<br />
FRONTLINE FROM OUR PLYMOUTH BASE<br />
Email the HR Team on hr@alliance-pioneer.co.uk<br />
or call them on 01752 717722 for more information.<br />
Hawthorne House, 25 Darklake View,<br />
Estover, Plymouth, PL6 7TL<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
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NEWSLINE<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
By reviewing 999 calls, the hubs<br />
are helping to reduce pressure<br />
on A&E by guiding patients to<br />
the most suitable service and<br />
supporting ambulance crews at<br />
the scene of an incident.<br />
In the eight weeks since the<br />
Thanet clinical hub began<br />
operations, it has triaged more<br />
than 300 patients, which in turn<br />
avoided admission to A&E, with<br />
most of these being discharged<br />
at the scene for further<br />
community input.<br />
Joshua Byrne-Smith, SECAmb<br />
Practice Development Lead, said:<br />
“We have long aspired of working<br />
more closely with our external<br />
system partners and the ongoing<br />
relationship with the Complex<br />
Acute Response Team (C-Art)<br />
and the Canterbury Frailty Team<br />
has provided key opportunities<br />
to support our patients, while<br />
ensuring we are providing the<br />
correct care.<br />
“The success of our other hubs<br />
was pivotal in allowing the roll<br />
out to continue to Thanet. Since<br />
its set up, the team has grown<br />
in understanding of what our<br />
community partners can provide,<br />
and collaboratively, they work<br />
together to ensure the right care<br />
gets to the right patient at the<br />
right time.”<br />
Dr Jacqueline Gilbert, a<br />
consultant geriatrician<br />
specialising in frailty at QEQM,<br />
said: “The Thanet hub has<br />
provided expert advice and<br />
liaison, ensuring our patients get<br />
the right care in the right place,<br />
first time. In addition to accessing<br />
care in the community, the hub<br />
facilitates direct access to Same<br />
Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and<br />
the frailty assessment unit (FAU),<br />
avoiding the need to go through<br />
the Emergency Department<br />
(ED). This has greatly relieved ED<br />
pressures and wait times and<br />
provides a much more positive<br />
experience for our patients.”<br />
Injection of<br />
nature to relieve<br />
stress for Welsh<br />
ambulance staff<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> staff are being<br />
offered a dose of the outdoors<br />
to cope with the pressures –<br />
and occasional trauma – of life<br />
on the health care front line.<br />
The Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Services<br />
University NHS Trust is joining<br />
with mental health charity Mind<br />
Over Mountains to provide a<br />
series of back to nature respite<br />
days for its staff.<br />
The next event is over the May<br />
bank holiday weekend in the<br />
foothills around Llanberis and<br />
Dolbadarn in Gwynedd. Walkers<br />
are accompanied by qualified<br />
coaches and mental health<br />
counsellors alongside the usual<br />
mountain leaders.<br />
“Whether you’re a paramedic, a<br />
call handler, corporate staff or any<br />
of the other varied roles within<br />
the Trust, all our jobs come with<br />
a certain amount of stress,” says<br />
Catherine Lloyd, Organisational<br />
Development Experience and<br />
Engagement Lead at the Welsh<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service.<br />
“Working for the ambulance<br />
service can be incredibly<br />
rewarding, but it’s inevitable<br />
that our professional staff will<br />
be called upon to face difficult<br />
situations. That is why the<br />
wellbeing of our staff is so<br />
important to us,” she adds.<br />
“Days like this give our valued<br />
staff the opportunity to press the<br />
pause button and to walk-andtalk<br />
with colleagues and mental<br />
health professionals.”<br />
As well as special events for the<br />
blue light services, Mind Over<br />
Mountains provides walks and<br />
retreats for anyone who feels they<br />
could benefit.<br />
Upcoming retreat in North<br />
Llangollen (13-15 September).<br />
“We offer much more than an<br />
escape into nature. Enjoying<br />
the Welsh mountain scenery<br />
has a therapeutic effect on its<br />
own – and we add mental health<br />
support in that unpressured<br />
setting,” explains the charity’s<br />
chief executive Ian Sansbury.<br />
“Our events give you the<br />
opportunity to explore<br />
beautiful places in Wales<br />
while accompanied by skilled<br />
counsellors and coaches<br />
who walk, talk and, most<br />
importantly, listen.”<br />
Anyone can sign up to the<br />
Mind Over Mountains retreats.<br />
There is a fee to cover<br />
accommodation plus the cost<br />
of the guides and counsellors,<br />
with funded places also available.<br />
For more information visit<br />
www.mindovermountains.org.uk<br />
Sky’s the limit for<br />
drone-delivered<br />
defibrillators<br />
THE Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
is moving closer to using<br />
drones to fly defibrillators<br />
to patients.<br />
The Trust has partnered with<br />
the University of Warwick and<br />
industry partners SkyBound<br />
to explore whether dronedelivered<br />
defibrillators could<br />
make a difference to someone in<br />
cardiac arrest.<br />
When someone has a cardiac<br />
arrest, they either stop breathing<br />
entirely or take gasping or<br />
infrequent breaths.<br />
As well as immediate<br />
cardiopulmonary resuscitation<br />
(CPR), a defibrillator can help to<br />
restart their heart while waiting for<br />
the emergency services to arrive.<br />
Carl Powell, the Welsh<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service’s Clinical<br />
Lead for Acute Care, said:<br />
“In a cardiac arrest, every<br />
second counts.<br />
“We will always send an<br />
ambulance as quickly as possible<br />
on lights and sirens, but starting<br />
chest compressions and<br />
delivering an electric shock with a<br />
defibrillator in the meantime could<br />
mean the difference between life<br />
and death.<br />
“If you’re helping someone<br />
in cardiac arrest, it might be<br />
difficult to find a defibrillator soon<br />
enough to make a real difference,<br />
especially in rural areas and<br />
especially if you’re the only<br />
person there, which is why we’re<br />
thinking about better ways to get<br />
help to patients.<br />
“In Sweden, ambulance services<br />
have used flying drones to deliver<br />
defibrillators to people after<br />
cardiac arrest.<br />
“Nobody has yet demonstrated<br />
how we could do this in the <strong>UK</strong> –<br />
until now.”<br />
More than 6,000 people have a<br />
cardiac arrest in the community in<br />
Wales every year.<br />
Professor Nigel Rees, the Trust’s<br />
Assistant Director of Research<br />
and Innovation, said: “Dronedelivered<br />
defibrillators might<br />
sound like something from a sci-fi<br />
movie, but if it’s the quickest way<br />
to get a defibrillator to a patient,<br />
it’s a fantastic tool in our locker to<br />
improve survival rates.<br />
“Lone bystanders aren’t currently<br />
instructed by ambulance call<br />
handlers to leave a patient to<br />
retrieve a nearby defibrillator,<br />
as the priority is the chest<br />
compressions.<br />
“Delivering a defibrillator directly<br />
to them would negate the need to<br />
leave the patient, and potentially<br />
24<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
TESTED<br />
improve chances of survival.”<br />
Funding from Resuscitation<br />
Council <strong>UK</strong> enabled the Drone-<br />
Delivered Defibrillators study<br />
– or ‘3D Project’ – to conduct<br />
a number of test flights to<br />
demonstrate the feasibility of<br />
delivering a defibrillator via drone<br />
after a 999 call.<br />
Further funding from the National<br />
Institute of Health Research and<br />
Health and Care Research Wales<br />
has enabled the 3D Project to<br />
enter its next phase, which is<br />
to interview people who have<br />
helped someone in a real-life<br />
cardiac arrest to understand the<br />
difference that a drone-delivered<br />
defibrillator could have made.<br />
This summer, researchers will<br />
also perform long-distance<br />
‘beyond visual line of sight’ flights<br />
to demonstrate how real-time<br />
communications between the<br />
999 control room and a drone<br />
operation team would work<br />
during a cardiac arrest call.<br />
Dr Christopher Smith, Clinical<br />
Lecturer in Emergency Medicine<br />
at the University of Warwick,<br />
said: “Early CPR and defibrillation<br />
are crucial if we are to improve<br />
survival from out-of-hospital<br />
cardiac arrest.<br />
“This collaboration represents<br />
a significant step forward<br />
in leveraging technology to<br />
potentially save lives, particularly<br />
in remote areas where access to<br />
defibrillators can be challenging.<br />
“Our involvement underscores<br />
the very reason SkyBound<br />
came into fruition, as the initial<br />
inspiration came from the<br />
experience I gained as a beach<br />
lifeguard where I dealt with a lifecritical<br />
incident.<br />
“This was the foundation of<br />
our commitment to harnessing<br />
innovative drone solutions to<br />
enhance emergency response<br />
and ultimately, save lives.”<br />
The 3D Project is one of a<br />
number of studies involving the<br />
Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service, which<br />
earlier this month was granted<br />
University Trust status by Welsh<br />
Government in recognition of its<br />
commitment to drive research<br />
and innovation.<br />
Professor Rees said: “We have<br />
an extensive research portfolio,<br />
and this is an example of the<br />
longstanding partnership we have<br />
with the University of Warwick<br />
and other partners conducting<br />
research and innovation that is of<br />
international significance.<br />
ADVANCED<br />
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“Drones may be one way of<br />
getting a life-saving defibrillator to<br />
more patients faster than before.<br />
“This project allows us to optimise<br />
the processes required and is<br />
an important step in making<br />
an effective drone-delivered<br />
defibrillator system a reality for<br />
the <strong>UK</strong> in the near future.”<br />
Gemma Alcock, Chief Executive<br />
at SkyBound, added: “We<br />
are excited to be part of the<br />
pioneering effort with the<br />
Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service and<br />
University of Warwick in exploring<br />
drone-delivered defibrillators.<br />
“University Trust status formally<br />
recognises the world-class<br />
research we undertake to<br />
improve public health and patient<br />
care-enhancing knowledge, as<br />
well as advancing treatments in<br />
the NHS and making a difference<br />
to people’s lives.<br />
“It also helps our patients,<br />
population and stakeholders<br />
to understand the vital links<br />
between health, education and<br />
research which lead to better<br />
outcomes for us all.”<br />
The 3D Project is due to conclude<br />
in October <strong>2024</strong> and the results<br />
will be available in early 2025.<br />
Contact us for further<br />
information and brochures<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
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25
NEWSLINE<br />
Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service awarded<br />
University Trust<br />
status<br />
THE Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
has been awarded University<br />
Trust status.<br />
The sought-after status has been<br />
granted by Welsh Government<br />
in recognition of the Trust’s<br />
commitment to develop its<br />
current and future workforce and<br />
to drive research and innovation.<br />
With effect from 01 April <strong>2024</strong>,<br />
the Trust’s new name will be<br />
the Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Services<br />
University NHS Trust.<br />
Chief Executive Jason Killens<br />
said: “We’re delighted to have<br />
secured University Trust status,<br />
but this is much more than just a<br />
name change.<br />
their skills – currently, more than<br />
250 student paramedics are<br />
being trained with more than<br />
100 more about to enter fulltime<br />
study.<br />
“Securing University Trust status<br />
will only serve to strengthen our<br />
links with universities in Wales<br />
and the wider university network.”<br />
Professor Nigel Rees, Assistant<br />
Director of Research and<br />
Innovation, said: “WAST was<br />
amongst the first ambulance<br />
services internationally to<br />
embrace academia and has<br />
a longstanding reputation for<br />
developing and delivering high<br />
quality research and innovation.<br />
“University Trust status is a<br />
fitting recognition of the efforts<br />
our people, and national and<br />
international partners who are<br />
collaborating to develop world<br />
class efficient, effective and<br />
sustainable healthcare.”<br />
to Wales and is based on a<br />
robust assessment of a broad<br />
range of evidence across our<br />
three criteria – Research and<br />
Development; Training and<br />
Education; and Innovation.”<br />
The Trust has embarked on a<br />
phased re-branding exercise to<br />
reflect University Trust status,<br />
as well as its new Crown Badge<br />
following the coronation of<br />
King Charles III.<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> service<br />
pledges enhanced<br />
support for people<br />
with hidden<br />
disabilities<br />
Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
NHS Trust has joined the<br />
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower<br />
network to better support its<br />
staff, volunteers and patients<br />
who have an invisible disability.<br />
diabetes, chronic pain, long<br />
COVID, cancer and coeliac<br />
disease. There are currently 910<br />
non-visible health conditions<br />
listed on the Hidden Disabilities<br />
Sunflower website. Many people<br />
experience a combination of<br />
visible and invisible disabilities.<br />
Peter Reading, Chief Executive<br />
at Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service, said: “I am thrilled that<br />
Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
has joined the Hidden Disabilities<br />
Sunflower network. Our<br />
membership is another vital step<br />
in enhancing our status as an<br />
inclusive organisation.”<br />
Paul White, Chief Executive<br />
Officer at Hidden Disabilities<br />
Sunflower, said: “Yorkshire<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service provides a<br />
vital service to people in need.<br />
At times of fear, worry, pain and<br />
confusion, the Sunflower acts as<br />
a tool to communicate that the<br />
wearer has an invisible disability<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
“It’s an exciting opportunity<br />
to formally recognise the role<br />
we play in the education and<br />
development of ambulance<br />
workers and the world-class<br />
research we undertake to<br />
improve public health and<br />
advance treatments in the<br />
NHS, making a difference to<br />
people’s lives.”<br />
Jo Kelso, the Trust’s Head<br />
of Workforce Education and<br />
Development, said: “We are<br />
committed to ensuring colleagues<br />
have the very best education and<br />
development opportunities, and<br />
our partnership with universities<br />
is key to this.<br />
“Hundreds of colleagues across<br />
the organisation, in every area of<br />
the service, have been supported<br />
to expand their capabilities and<br />
knowledge through the many and<br />
various career pathways in place.<br />
“That’s not to mention the<br />
plethora of clinical colleagues that<br />
have been supported to develop<br />
Non-Executive Director Hannah<br />
Rowan, who is Chair of the<br />
Trust’s Academic Partnerships<br />
Committee, added: “The move<br />
to become a University Trust<br />
articulates, emphasises and<br />
recognises the work that we<br />
undertake with universities and<br />
shows the ever-greater focus on<br />
training and research.<br />
“We’re grateful to Welsh<br />
Government for supporting us to<br />
navigate this journey, which has<br />
been several years in the making.”<br />
Cabinet Secretary for Health and<br />
Social Care, Eluned Morgan,<br />
said: “I am very pleased to grant<br />
University Trust status for the<br />
Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service.<br />
“This represents a commitment<br />
by the Trust to ensure university<br />
expertise and activity is improving<br />
the quality of care and outcomes<br />
for patients.<br />
“University Trust status is unique<br />
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower<br />
symbol indicates to people that<br />
the wearer may need additional<br />
support, help or a little more time.<br />
By becoming a member of the<br />
initiative, Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service is committed to:<br />
• ensuring that its staff and<br />
volunteers with a nonvisible<br />
disability are, and feel<br />
supported and can access the<br />
help they need<br />
• providing our staff and<br />
volunteers with training to<br />
enable them to better support<br />
colleagues and patients with<br />
invisible disabilities.<br />
One in seven people live with a<br />
disability and 80% of those are<br />
hidden. Non-visible disabilities<br />
are not immediately apparent.<br />
They can be physical, mental<br />
or neurological, for example<br />
autism, ADHD, anorexia, asthma,<br />
learning difficulties, dyslexia,<br />
endometriosis, hearing loss,<br />
– giving silent communication to<br />
the ambulance teams to allow<br />
extra time, understanding and<br />
patience. Joining the Sunflower<br />
network also signals to staff who<br />
have non-visible disabilities that<br />
they will be supported at work.”<br />
Find out more about the Hidden<br />
Disabilities Sunflower on<br />
their website.<br />
£16m Workforce<br />
Wellbeing<br />
Programme launched<br />
to support NHS<br />
staff wellbeing and<br />
mental health<br />
NHS Charities Together have<br />
launched a £16m Workforce<br />
Wellbeing Programme to<br />
support NHS staff across the<br />
<strong>UK</strong>. The ambitious programme,<br />
which is being announced at<br />
the charity’s annual member<br />
conference for over 230 NHS<br />
charities, aims to improve NHS<br />
26<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
NEWSLINE<br />
staff health and wellbeing,<br />
in turn making sure patients<br />
are provided with the care<br />
they need.<br />
NHS Charities Together will<br />
commit an initial £6.0152m to<br />
support healthcare staff across<br />
the <strong>UK</strong>, with the fund being<br />
shared proportionately across<br />
the four nations, along with<br />
aspirations to fund a further<br />
£5 million over the duration of<br />
the programme.<br />
In England the independent<br />
charity’s contribution will be<br />
match-funded by NHS England<br />
who will contribute £5 million<br />
to the programme as part of<br />
its People Plan to support<br />
staff wellbeing.<br />
The Workforce Wellbeing<br />
Programme will run for three<br />
years with initiatives co-designed<br />
and co-led by NHS staff. Support<br />
will be tailored to the individual<br />
needs of the NHS organisations<br />
and their workforces,<br />
supplementing existing support<br />
provided to staff.<br />
After a period of co-design with<br />
NHS staff, NHS England and<br />
others throughout the summer,<br />
the charity will invite NHS<br />
charities in partnership with<br />
their associated NHS Trusts or<br />
Health Boards to apply for grants<br />
from the Autumn. The impact of<br />
projects will be monitored and<br />
evaluated so that learnings can<br />
be shared and scaled across<br />
the <strong>UK</strong>.<br />
NHS charities, which provide<br />
extra support in every NHS<br />
trust and health board across<br />
the <strong>UK</strong>, have a successful track<br />
record in making a difference<br />
to staff and patients, with<br />
over 90% of the thousands of<br />
projects NHS Charities Together<br />
funded during the pandemic<br />
through the network of NHS<br />
charities continuing to have a<br />
lasting impact.<br />
Ellie Orton OBE, CEO of NHS<br />
Charities Together, said:<br />
“NHS staff work under immense<br />
pressure with unprecedented<br />
staff shortages and vacancies<br />
and the extra help we provide<br />
to support their wellbeing and<br />
mental health is now more<br />
important than ever. The NHS<br />
needs to be able to attract and<br />
retain the caring workforce to<br />
look after the ageing population<br />
and meet the growing needs<br />
of the public, who face more<br />
complex and long-term<br />
conditions than ever before.<br />
“There’s lot of work going on<br />
across Trusts to support the<br />
wellbeing and mental health of<br />
NHS staff but more needs to be<br />
done. We’re delighted that NHS<br />
England has matched our £5m<br />
investment in support across<br />
England, and we are also putting<br />
proportionate investment across<br />
the devolved nations. We have<br />
ambitions for this programme<br />
to grow so that we can make<br />
sure we continue to deliver this<br />
important and much-needed<br />
support for as long as it’s<br />
needed.”<br />
Amanda Pritchard, Chief<br />
Executive of NHS England said:<br />
“Our hardworking NHS staff are<br />
busier than ever but go the extra<br />
mile for patients every day, so it’s<br />
right that we look to do everything<br />
we can as employers to support<br />
their health and wellbeing.<br />
“As part of our NHS Long<br />
Term Workforce Plan every<br />
local employer should have a<br />
comprehensive offer for their<br />
staff to help them stay well and<br />
stay within the health service, but<br />
this new programme will support<br />
those small, extra improvements<br />
which staff tell us will make a big<br />
difference to their working lives.<br />
“Charities have played an<br />
important role alongside the<br />
NHS throughout our 76-year<br />
history, and it’s great to take<br />
that relationship to the next<br />
level with this first-of-its-kind<br />
national partnership, with thanks<br />
to NHS Charities Together and<br />
all those who have donated or<br />
raised funds.”<br />
One example of where previous<br />
rounds of funding are having a<br />
lasting impact on staff wellbeing<br />
is expanding and renovating the<br />
faith facilities at Royal Bolton<br />
Hospital in recognition of the role<br />
spiritual wellbeing plays in staff<br />
experience and satisfaction.<br />
Revd. Neville Markham, Head<br />
Chaplain at Bolton NHS<br />
Foundation Trust, said:<br />
“The original prayer rooms were<br />
no longer adequately serving<br />
the needs of hospital staff and<br />
patients, so the new facilities have<br />
been transformational. Everyone<br />
is just so pleased to have the<br />
space they always wanted.<br />
Colleagues consistently tell us<br />
the quality of the faith facilities<br />
conveys a powerful message<br />
about how the Trust values and<br />
cares for them, and that positivity<br />
ripples back into the care and<br />
services they provide to patients,<br />
families and communities.”<br />
Tahira Hussain, Volunteer<br />
Chaplain at Bolton NHS<br />
Foundation Trust, added:<br />
“We live in a fast-paced<br />
world. The things you see and<br />
experience through the day<br />
can take their toll, so having<br />
this space gives people chance<br />
to take some time out. Visiting<br />
for the first time, I actually felt<br />
special. The fact that someone<br />
had made the effort to provide<br />
a facility for me to reflect, to<br />
prayer, to connect, makes a<br />
massive difference.”<br />
Another example is the Oasis<br />
Health and Wellbeing Centre and<br />
Garden in Berkshire - a central,<br />
vital wellbeing hub for NHS staff.<br />
Jointly funded by the Royal Berks<br />
Charity and the Royal Berkshire<br />
NHS Foundation Trust, and<br />
supported by a grant from NHS<br />
Charities Together, it offers a<br />
range of activities and services<br />
aimed at promoting staff health<br />
and wellbeing.<br />
Don Fairley, Chief People<br />
Officer at Royal Berkshire NHS<br />
Foundation Trust, said:<br />
“The Oasis Health and Wellbeing<br />
Centre and Garden includes a<br />
free gym, wellbeing classes and<br />
a vibrant green space where<br />
staff can relax and unwind.<br />
The centre is also used for<br />
events to reward and recognise<br />
staff and promote inclusivity,<br />
recently commemorating<br />
International Day of the Midwife<br />
and hosting our cultural diversity<br />
celebration event.<br />
“The Oasis campus also<br />
provides staff health checks and<br />
counselling services, which can<br />
be a lifeline. One member of staff<br />
was able to access invaluable<br />
help and understanding and<br />
face to face counselling which<br />
prevented them from self-harming<br />
and potentially going on to take<br />
their own life. We’ve seen a 40%<br />
increase in positive responses<br />
to staff surveys regarding our<br />
support for health and wellbeing<br />
since the campus opened, with<br />
RBFT now proudly one of the<br />
top-performing acute NHS Trusts<br />
in this area. With over 3,400 staff<br />
accessing the centre and garden<br />
over 36,000 times in 2023 alone,<br />
its role in boosting staff wellbeing,<br />
and consequently enhancing<br />
patient care, is clear.”<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
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27
IN PERSON<br />
delivered an overall ‘good’ rating for the last<br />
inspection of the CQC, including ‘outstanding’<br />
for caring and well led.<br />
He is also a founder member of the Zero<br />
Suicide Alliance and was awarded the<br />
Commander of the Order of the British<br />
Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honours<br />
List 2020 for his work on suicide prevention.<br />
He became an honorary professor at the<br />
University of Liverpool Institute for Population<br />
Health Sciences the following year, followed<br />
by the award of the Bicentenary Fellowship at<br />
Liverpool John Moores University in 2023.<br />
Mr Rafferty was key to establishing a<br />
partnership between Mersey Care and the<br />
University of Liverpool to create the Mental<br />
Health Research for Innovation Centre<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
Professor Joe Rafferty<br />
CBE Steps Down as Chief<br />
Executive at Mersey Care<br />
Professor Joe Rafferty CBE is to retire on<br />
31 October <strong>2024</strong> as Chief Executive Officer<br />
at Mersey Care, having transformed the<br />
organisation into one of the largest and<br />
successful mental and community health<br />
trusts in the country during his 12 years<br />
in charge.<br />
Since taking over as Chief Executive in<br />
2012, Mersey Care has almost tripled in size<br />
through acquisitions while maintaining or<br />
growing its performance. The Trust has also<br />
been internationally recognised for its work in<br />
restorative just and learning practices, suicide<br />
prevention and a leader in digital and data<br />
led innovation. Mr Rafferty’s retirement ends<br />
34 years within the NHS, following an earlier<br />
career in cancer research.<br />
Mersey Care will now undertake a robust<br />
recruitment process to identify Mr Rafferty’s<br />
successor, which will begin immediately. This<br />
involves engagement with various stakeholder<br />
panels representing external partners,<br />
service users and carers and staff prior to<br />
an interview with the Trust’s Chair, Non-<br />
Executive Directors and external assessors.<br />
The preferred candidate will also be subject<br />
to a range of pre-employment checks and<br />
the Leadership Competency Framework for<br />
Board Members.<br />
“Helping Mersey Care to evolve into the<br />
organisation it is today has been an absolute<br />
joy and one of the highlights of my working<br />
life, however it has been a lot of hard work<br />
for the whole team who have been brilliant to<br />
work alongside,” said Mr Rafferty.<br />
“Although in a lot of ways I am sad to be<br />
leaving Mersey Care, I’m pleased to handover<br />
an organisation that is in good shape, with<br />
a talented and committed workforce and<br />
an Executive Group capable of leading it<br />
through the undoubtedly challenging times<br />
ahead. I feel the time is right for me to<br />
explore new opportunities and make way for<br />
others to lead Mersey Care through a period<br />
of consolidation.”<br />
During Mr Rafferty’s time in charge, Mersey<br />
Care has transformed its estate by building<br />
Clock View Hospital, Rowan View Hospital,<br />
Hartley Hospital, Aspen Wood, renovating<br />
Leigh Moss Hospital and are currently<br />
working on building a state-of-the-art mental<br />
health hospital on the site of the former<br />
Mossley Hill Hospital, investing a total of circa<br />
£300 million.<br />
Under his tenure he has also faced significant<br />
challenges like leadership of Cheshire &<br />
Merseyside out of hospital response to the<br />
COVID-19 pandemic, acquiring the former and<br />
troubled Liverpool Community Health, North<br />
West Boroughs Health Care NHS Foundation<br />
Trust, and acquisition and transfer of services<br />
at Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation<br />
Trust. The bigger Mersey Care Trust still<br />
(M-RIC), a ground-breaking research facility<br />
based in Liverpool and funded by the National<br />
Institute for Health and Care Research which<br />
aims to impact directly on NHS mental health<br />
services. Mr Rafferty’s lasting impact and<br />
influence has been further reflected by the<br />
Health Service Journal (HSJ) consistently<br />
naming him in their list of the Health Service’s<br />
top 50 CEOs over many years.<br />
Mersey Care’s Chair, Rosie Cooper, said: “I’ve<br />
been fortunate enough to know and work with<br />
Joe a long time, going back to my days as the<br />
MP for West Lancashire. For as long as I have<br />
known him and especially throughout his work<br />
here at Mersey Care, he has shown what a<br />
remarkable leader, innovator and strategic<br />
thinker he is, always striving for a better way of<br />
doing things which benefits patients, service<br />
users and carers.<br />
“Mersey Care, like much of the NHS, has<br />
faced a lot of challenges in recent years; the<br />
COVID-19 pandemic, the independent review<br />
into Liverpool Community Health and the<br />
constant pressures on the health and care<br />
system. Throughout these difficult times, Joe<br />
has demonstrated his great knowledge and<br />
expertise, receiving widespread acclaim for<br />
his work in forging a path for Mersey Care.<br />
His presence and personality will be greatly<br />
missed within Mersey Care and the NHS<br />
Leadership community, and I wish him well<br />
in retirement.”<br />
28<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
IN PERSON<br />
Appointment of new Chief<br />
Digital Information Officer<br />
for Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service<br />
Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service (YAS) has<br />
appointed Sam Robinson to the role of<br />
Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO)<br />
following the recent retirement of Simon<br />
Marsh, the previous post-holder.<br />
Sam will be joining YAS in <strong>June</strong> from NHS<br />
England, where she is currently Associate<br />
Director for Live Services.<br />
The CDIO leads the Trust’s information<br />
technology and business intelligence teams.<br />
Speaking of her appointment, Sam said: “I<br />
am absolutely delighted to be taking up the<br />
role of CDIO with YAS. I’m looking forward<br />
to ensuring technology and data play an<br />
important role in delivering the Trust’s recently<br />
launched five-year strategy, enabling teams at<br />
YAS to deliver great patient care.<br />
“Through my most recent role at NHS Digital<br />
(now NHS England), I am responsible for<br />
ensuring critical national infrastructure and<br />
digital services that support the wider NHS<br />
are highly available and well run, and this<br />
experience of running national systems will be<br />
incredibly valuable in my role at YAS.”<br />
Steve Irving retires after<br />
40-year career in the NHS<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Sector<br />
The Association of <strong>Ambulance</strong> Chief<br />
Executives (AACE) has announced the<br />
formal retirement of its long-serving<br />
executive officer Steve Irving, following a<br />
distinguished 40-year career in the NHS<br />
ambulance sector.<br />
Steve - or ‘Mr ALF’ as he has become<br />
affectionately known in recent years due to<br />
his direction and management of AACE’s<br />
prestigious annual <strong>Ambulance</strong> Leadership<br />
Forum (ALF) event - will retire fully from his<br />
role on 24 May <strong>2024</strong> but may still occasionally<br />
provide consultancy support to AACE.<br />
Steve joined London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />
as a trainee on 21 May 1984, initially based<br />
in Wimbledon, London and eventually<br />
undertaking extensive front line clinical roles<br />
including secondments as both a Helicopter<br />
Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and<br />
motorcycle paramedic working across the<br />
capital city.<br />
He rose to prominence as executive officer to<br />
Peter Bradley CBE, the former chief executive<br />
of London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service and National<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Advisor to the (then) Department<br />
of Health. For Steve, this led to positions<br />
in national roles for the former <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service Association<br />
national roles, most recently with AACE.<br />
“His personal integrity and commitment to<br />
the development of patient care and the<br />
ambulance workforce have underpinned<br />
his many successes to date, perhaps most<br />
notably progressing our prestigious annual<br />
ALF event from scratch into the exciting affair<br />
it is today. Steve has been a phenomenal<br />
team member who will be missed daily. Thank<br />
you Steve for your service and we wish you all<br />
the very best in your retirement.”<br />
Going forward, Assistant Director of AACE<br />
Helen Vine will be responsible for the<br />
production of the annual ALF event. She says:<br />
“Steve will be a hard act to follow but we are<br />
confident we now have the foundations of a<br />
great event that we will continue to invest time<br />
and resources in to develop and progress to<br />
the benefit of our delegates and sponsors.<br />
For enquiries, please contact a member of the<br />
ALF team via ALF@aace.org.uk.”<br />
Peter Reading, Chief Executive at YAS, said:<br />
“We look forward to welcoming Sam when<br />
she joins us in a few months to lead on digital<br />
technology and business intelligence services.<br />
Sam’s knowledge, skills and experience<br />
will be essential to ensure we have the right<br />
support and systems in place to deliver our<br />
new five-year strategy for our communities.”<br />
Ms Robinson has worked in health information<br />
technology for almost 20 years across<br />
Yorkshire and the Humber, in the NHS, public<br />
and private organisations, including Yorkshire<br />
and Humber Strategic Health Authority,<br />
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and with<br />
Leeds-based technology organisation Answer<br />
Digital. She is a board member of Women<br />
in Leeds Digital (WILD), aimed at bringing<br />
more diversity into technology roles, as well<br />
as a trustee for the Children’s Heart Surgery<br />
Fund charity.<br />
(ASA), the former <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service Network<br />
(ASN) and since its inception in 2011, AACE.<br />
Steve has undertaken a varied remit at AACE,<br />
with extensive experience of working on<br />
national strategic issues across ambulance<br />
services, government departments and<br />
alongside key stakeholders. Aside from<br />
progressing ALF into being the key event in<br />
the annual ambulance service event calendar,<br />
another of Steve’s key successes has been<br />
supporting the Joint Royal Colleges Liaison<br />
Committee (JRCALC) in the development<br />
of the JRCALC Guidelines, which have<br />
benefitted millions of patients across the <strong>UK</strong>.<br />
Anna Parry, Managing Director of AACE, said:<br />
“During a distinguished career working in<br />
the NHS ambulance sector, Steve has made<br />
a tremendous contribution to patient care<br />
both locally across London and in his various<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />
29
COMPANY NEWS<br />
people have been secured, and<br />
injury risks for many users have<br />
been dramatically reduced.<br />
This success is due to the<br />
challenges we the <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service set for them, which<br />
they embrace wholeheartedly.<br />
So, what’s NEW?<br />
With amazing developments<br />
track that eliminates the need<br />
for lifting. Having successfully<br />
passed trials, tests, and<br />
evaluations, this chair is ready for<br />
your fleet. It excels in front-line<br />
services, urgent care, complex<br />
discharges, and patient transport<br />
services (PTS). Its design allows<br />
it to navigate tight areas, stairs,<br />
thresholds, and even challenging<br />
garden paths effortlessly.<br />
just over the Horizon FERNO is<br />
thrilled about future innovations<br />
Further Innovations<br />
52 years of<br />
FERNO <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Equipment<br />
FERNO has been a leader in<br />
patient transportation for over<br />
52 years in the <strong>UK</strong>. Starting<br />
primarily with ambulance<br />
stretchers and carry chairs,<br />
they evolved into major patient<br />
transfer experts, developing<br />
transportation and handling<br />
equipment for individuals of<br />
all sizes and all ages. Every<br />
minute of every day, their<br />
equipment is in use, and they<br />
take great pride in knowing<br />
countless lives have been<br />
saved, vulnerable and injured<br />
for the interior of ambulances,<br />
ushering in the next phase of<br />
patient transport safety and<br />
user experience.<br />
BUT Today they introduce the<br />
NEW COMPACT PowerTraxx<br />
FERNO is especially excited<br />
to announce the COMPACT<br />
PowerTraxx, an affordable power<br />
stair chair for every ambulance.<br />
Based on the Compact Range<br />
of Carry Chairs, this new<br />
development features a powered<br />
Alongside the NEW COMPACT<br />
PowerTraxx, the latest VIPER<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Stretcher and VLS<br />
(Viper Loading System) eliminate<br />
the need for a tail-lift or ramp<br />
to load patients onto your<br />
ambulance. These innovations<br />
offer significant weight savings<br />
and a simpler operational<br />
process, transforming the<br />
EMS landscape.<br />
For a DEMONSTRATION<br />
call +44 (0)1274 851 999 or<br />
email salesuk@ferno.com<br />
WHY NOT WRITE FOR US?<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong> welcomes the submission of<br />
clinical papers and case reports or news that<br />
you feel will be of interest to your colleagues.<br />
Material submitted will be seen by those working within the public and private<br />
sector of the <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service, Air <strong>Ambulance</strong> Operators, BASICS Doctors etc.<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
All submissions should be forwarded to info@mediapublishingcompany.com<br />
If you have any queries please contact the publisher Terry Gardner via:<br />
info@mediapublishingcompany.com<br />
30<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
NEWSLINE<br />
•<br />
Join us at the South<br />
Western <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />
Service where the<br />
beauty and diversity of<br />
our region is endless and<br />
so are the opportunities<br />
to thrive in your role<br />
About us<br />
The outstanding beauty, culture and diversity of our region<br />
– from the coast to city centres, from universities to ancient<br />
monuments – draws people from across the <strong>UK</strong> and the world.<br />
At the heart of this varied landscape, diverse population<br />
and wealth of history we employ over 6000 people and are<br />
supported by over 575 volunteers, serving a population that<br />
increases from 5.7 million up to 23 million throughout the year.<br />
What we can offer you<br />
We listen and work with our staff to ensure a progressive,<br />
clinically advanced service, whilst equipping you with the<br />
skills, resources and development you need to help you<br />
thrive in your role.<br />
We’re proud to invest in education and training to support<br />
our people and you will have opportunities to progress and<br />
enjoy continuous professional development.<br />
With annual performance and wellbeing conversations and<br />
the support of our team, you will have career potential that<br />
matches your ambitions.<br />
So contact us today and start<br />
your journey with SWASFT<br />
Visit www.swast.nhs.uk and click Join to find more<br />
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />
AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – JUNE<br />
31
ACCUVAC Pro<br />
Mobile Suction Device For Clear Airways<br />
Introducing ACCUVAC Pro: the advanced portable suction device for pre-hospital care. Designed for rapid<br />
airway clearance and effective ventilation, operating efficiently in and out of emergency vehicles. Choose<br />
ACCUVAC Pro for reliable and efficient emergency care:<br />
• High suction capacity of approx. 34 l/min at -0.8 bar for efficient clearing of the airways<br />
• Four predefined suction levels for adults, children and infants allowing quick and easy deployment<br />
• Optional accessories bag, protective bag and/or shoulder strap<br />
• Daily function test eliminates the need for annual service<br />
• Efficient deflation of vacuum mattresses and splints<br />
• Long-lasting lithium-ion battery with tool-free replacement<br />
Learn more:<br />
Scan the QR code with your phone camera<br />
and click the link, or visit: uqr.to/1sr2v<br />
www.theortusgroup.com