paramedics

CONTENTSCPD from around the UK...Press ExposureTrauma: Who Comes?An Audience with… Dr Anthony Marsh p6/7College NewsHide and Seek with SEPSISp4p4p5p8p9Special Feature: p10/11My Nepal Earthquake ExperiencePre-hospital Research Conference ReviewResearch articles:The Impact of Working Shifts: Exploring theviews of UK paramedicsp12p13A Pilot Study into the sensitivity and specificityof pre-hospital sepsis screeningp13HCPC Renewal for Paramedics and ‘Appropriate’Indemnity Insurance p14/15Traumatic Cardiac ArrestIn the lab… with Ben MaysBarney’s Island Adventure with Bear GryllsMeet the Member: David Reedp16p17p18p19The College of Paramedics is verygrateful for the generous sponsorshipfrom Class Professional PublishingPlease feel free to send any suggestions for any futurearticles or if you would like to provide us with an insightin to your role we would be delighted to hear from you,Ian Purchase, Marketing Managerian.purchase@collegeofparamedics.co.ukDISCLAIMER:The opinions expressed by the various contributors are not necessarily those of the College ofParamedics. The inclusion of an article in this publication does not necessarily imply arecommendation of its aims, policies or methods. The College cannot be held responsible for theinformation disclosed by advertisements that are taken in good faith. Every effort is made toensure the accuracy of information in this magazine. However, no liability can be accepted forloss or inconvenience caused as a result of error or omission.Welcome to Paramedic InsightThis will be the last article I write for the newsletter as Chief Executive of theCollege of Paramedics. My five years as Chief Executive have been hugelyinteresting, exciting, and very rewarding. As an organisation, the College looksquite different to when the immediate past Chair, Professor Malcolm Woollard,invited me to meet with the Executive to be interviewed for the position.Among others, Malcolm Woollard, the late Roland Furber (inaugural Chief Executive),and Bob Fellows (a previous and long-serving Chair) had all worked tirelessly sincethe formation of the British Paramedic Association through its transition to theCollege of Paramedics to establish a professional body capable of effectivelyrepresenting the paramedic profession in the UK.Since then, I have had the great pleasure of working with the current Chair,Professor Andy Newton, the members of the Executive team and Governing Council,and the administrative staff to develop and grow the organisation further. In thosefive years we have seen an increase of membership in combined categories fromaround 1,000 to 7,500 and importantly the percentage of full members has grownfrom 10 to 25 percent of the paramedics registered with the HCPC.The innovate thinking and commitment of Executive and Council members hasprovided the membership with access to a range of benefits including CPD events,guidance on research activities and insurance packages to name a few. The widerand strategic benefits of having an effective professional body have includedrepresentation on national bodies, presence and input at significant events, theestablishment and updating of curricula guidance and career and competenciesframeworks, responses to consultations and important contributions such as theParamedic Evidence-based Education Project (PEEP) and the paramedicindependent prescribing project. All of these have gone a long way to ensuring theCollege is increasingly seen as the primary and authoritative point of reference forthe views and formal positions of the paramedic profession.But the profession still has some way to go and a large factor in how it gets thereand how quickly will depend on continuing to grow and increase membership.When the College speaks, there should be no doubt whatsoever, that it is speakingon behalf of the whole of the paramedic profession in the UK.I would like to thank all those I have worked with including past and presentCouncil members many of whom have given enormous amounts of their own timeto provide CPD events and to represent the College at meetings and events all overthe UK. As is the case every year, some of those will be stepping down as there areagain changes following Council elections which are held every year and aredetailed in this newsletter. In particular, I extend my thanks to my colleagues onthe Executive and to the Administrative staff, all of whom have worked tirelessly andalways ensured we have met deadlines and targets. And most importantly, thankyou to all members of the College of Paramedics for your ongoing support.I have every confidence that the College willcontinue to prosper under the guidance ofGerry Egan who has been appointed as ChiefExecutive until a permanent full-timeappointment is made next year and I haveabsolutely no doubt that the College will reachthe goals it has set in its strategic plan. Myvery best wishes to all members for the futuredevelopment and success of the paramedicprofession.Dave HodgeChief Executivewww.collegeofparamedics.co.ukPARAMEDIC INSIGHT3