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20 FocusBECOMING AN ON-CALL FIREFIGHTER AT 18: HARRY'S STORYMEET SOUTH WOODHAM FERRER’S NEWEST ON-CALL FIREFIGHTERAt 18-years-old, Harry might be one of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s (ECFRS) youngest on-call firefighters, but with the levelof dedication to training and community safety he demonstrates, you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s been in the role far longer.Earlier this year Harry, who used to live in Maldon but recently moved to South Woodham Ferrers, started training to become an on-callfirefighter."Being a young driver and motorcyclist, I form part of Essex’s high risk group for road traffic incidents. This is one of the reasons I wantedto be a firefighter, not only to give back to the public services, but to contribute to the safety of my friends, family and other people inEssex,” said Harry.Providing on-call fire cover during the day and evenings is easy for Harry - he lives and works within 5 minutes of South Woodham FerrersFire Station so when his pager sounds he can immediately make his way to the fire station to attend anything from a road traffic collisionto a field fire or even a chemical spill.Harry is paid for the time he is available to work, regardless of whether he is called out and is also paid an additional hourly rate forattending incidents and training. The amount on-call firefighters depends on their availability but they can earn anywhere between £4,000and £8,000 a year, sometimes more.Just like all new on-call firefighter recruits, Harry initially passed a fitness test and an assessment day and then spent two full weekstraining at ECFRS's Service Training Centres, followed by 10 weekly evening training sessions."The training covers everything from ladders and hoses to road traffic collisions, and everyone on your squad is new like you,” said Harry.“My advice to anyone thinking about becoming an on-call firefighter is to do your research on the job and the commitment you’ll needto give. But don’t overstress on things, the Service has fantastic training team who will work with you throughout every part of theprocess.”"It’s a really great feeling to know I’ll be supporting the local community and helping to make Essex a safe place to live, work and travel."Could you be an on-call firefighter? If you're aged 18 or over, live or work within 5 minutes South Woodham Ferrers Fire Station and arephysically fit you could be paid to protect your local community.South Woodham Ferres Fire Station began its week-long recruitment information week on Monday 14 October and has daily eventsrunning until Friday 18 October. To find out more visit www.essex-fire.gov.uk/swfWe’ve also recently created a South Woodham Ferrers Facebook page – make sure you give us a like to keep up to date on news andevents from the station: https://www.facebook.com/SouthWoodhamFerrersFireStation/FOCUS
FOCUS ON HEALTH0South Focus Woodham FocusSouth Woodham Focus 21WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND: In the bad old days, those whocould afford it paid others to breast feed their children for them. "Wetnursing is an ancient practice, common to many cultures" says Wikipedia... adding: "It has been linked to social class, where monarchies, thearistocracy, nobility or upper classes had their children wet-nursed for thebenefit of the child's health, and sometimes in the hope of becomingpregnant again quickly. Wet-nursing was a well-paid, respectable andpopular job for many lower class women in England. In 17th- and 18thcenturyEngland, a woman would earn more money as a wet nurse thanher husband could as a labourer."In recent times the emphasis changed to donated milk. When my wife,Sue, was feeding her first baby (Laura) she regularly donated milk to thematernity hospital in Mill Rd, Cambridge. It was very laid back in thosedays - a midwife brought round a bottle, the nursing Mum filled it up, andin next to no time a needy baby was being fed the perfect 'formula' fortiny humans ... one that contains an abundance of immunoglobulins to helpprotect them.On Monday night 'Look East' shone the light of publicity on the work of'The Human Milk Foundation' ... which takes up the story. "In the UK, milkbanks used to exist in every hospital that delivered babies. After the 1980s,a combination of funding constraints and the discovery of HIV meant thatonly six milk banks that had equipment to heat-treat the milk remained.Even now, only a handful of NHS milk banks exist in England and Wales,meaning donor milk has been a precious resource rationed to the mostsick, premature babies.We believe a new approach is possible. One of the primary objectives ofthe Human Milk Foundation is to enable infants to receive human milkwhen breastfeeding is impossible for medical or practical reasons. We alsoaim to support exclusive breastfeeding and breastmilk feeding for parentswho have not yet fully established their breastmilk supply and for whomsupplemental feeding of their baby has been recommended by ahealthcare professional."The Human Milk Foundation's vision is to work to help more families feedtheir babies with human milk. It provides screened donor milk to sick,premature babies in NICUs, and to mothers with cancer and otherconditions. The screening has to be of the highest order these days tomeet NICE guidelines ... which makes it safe but adds greatly to the cost- hence the foundation's greatest need is for fundraisers. For further detailssee: humanmilkfoundation.org“My father drank so heavily, when he blew on the birthday cake he lit thecandles.” – Les Dawson.GOING OUT WITH A BANG. The Telegraph reported that "The country'sdeparting chief medical officer has said she would favour a ban onflavoured e-cigarettes, in line with actions planned in the United States.Prof Dame Sally Davies, who has just stood down, spoke out amid growingconcern about the promotion of candy-like flavours which could attractchildren to vaping." As for the overall picture ... Public Health England haschampioned the role of e-cigarettes, which it claims are 95 per cent saferthan smoking.What caused the biggest stir, however, was the mention of eating on busesand trains. Sarah Boseley, The Guardian's Health Editor, wrote: "Thegovernment should put children’s health before companies’ profits, saysthe outgoing chief medical officer in a hard-hitting report calling for toughaction against junk food, including a ban on eating and drinking on publictransport, to tackle obesity. Dame Sally Davies, in her final report as CMOfor England, said: 'Today’s children are drowning in a flood of unhealthyfood and drink options, compounded by insufficient opportunities forbeing active. It’s the right of children to live in a healthy environment andwith proper nutrition. What we’ve done to date has not stopped theproblem.'"Ten in every 30 primary school children are now overweight or obese. Eachweek the equivalent of 13 school buses of children are admitted to hospitalfor tooth extraction under general anaesthetic because of decay causedby sugar, she said, adding: “That’s damaging children, costing the NHS.”In later life it leads to heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.SB tells us that "The report said England was “nowhere near” thegovernment’s goal of halving childhood obesity by 2030. It proposes alengthy list of radical taxation, legislative and other changes."In this part of the world Dame Sally is up against the planners who seemto think that what this town needs is more fast food outlets.For further info see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timeto-solve-childhood-obesity-cmo-special-report“A good rule to remember for life is that when it comes to plastic surgeryand sushi, never be attracted by a bargain.” - Graham NortonTHE STATE OF THE NATION'S HEALTH SERVICE. The Nursing Timesreports that: "In its latest annual assessment of health and social care inEngland, the Care Quality Commission highlighted that 14 independentmental health hospitals that admit people with a learning disability and/orautism had been rated “inadequate” and gone into special measures sinceOctober last year. Overall, the number of inpatient services for people withthese conditions tagged with the lowest rating had increased by ninepercentage points, from 1% in 2017-18 to 10% in 2018-19. Meanwhile, 7%of child and adolescent mental health inpatient services were rated“inadequate”, up from 3% in 2017-18."The NT points out that: "They said difficulties recruiting nurses specialisingin these areas meant vulnerable patients were too often being cared forby staff who lacked the skills and expertise to meet their needs."As for A&E, it's the bad news that made the headlines although a nationalpatient survey says 80% report a good A&E experience (but there are stillproblems with patient discharge and people waiting too long for painrelief.)Having said that, the BBC reports: "Half of A&Es in England are not goodenough - and there are no guarantees services will get better despite theextra money going into the NHS, the regulator says. The Care QualityCommission said people were turning to A&E in a crisis because of a lackof support in the community. It said services would remain under pressureuntil a funding solution was found for social care."We're told that: "Analysis by BBC Newsnight and the Nuffield Trust foundan average of 86% of patients were admitted, transferred or dischargedfrom A&E within four hours in the six months to September. This is theworst performance in that period since the 95% target was brought in in2004. NHS England said it had been "the busiest ever summer" for A&Es."In the past six months, there have been half a million more visits to A&Ethan at the same point last year," a spokesman said. Doctors warned thatthe system was "running out of resilience" and that winter in A&Es wasgoing to be "really difficult".Growing demand and staff shortages are causing problems across thenational health service and A&E is left to pick up the pieces. Patientsattending inappropriately take up acres of staff time and waste £millionsof NHS resourcesSo ... as we approach winter, what can you do to help? The first point tomake is please don't go to A&E unless it's really necessary (i.e. is it anaccident meriting hospital treatment or a genuine emergency?) Back in2010 A single visit to A&E was estimated to cost £124 (just to be seen) andit's bound to have risen since then.Patients are also being advised not to call an ambulance unless it's reallynecessary. In 2015 The Guardian reported: "The London ambulance servicesays each patient costs on average £7.81 per 999 call. To be furtherreviewed on the telephone by a clinician costs £64.59, to receive anambulance and be treated at home is £155.30, and to receive an ambulanceand be taken to hospital costs £254.57." Perhaps more important is thefact that, if ambulances are called needlessly (as happens surprisingly often)it has the potential to hold them up at times when they are needed forheart attack victims, serious road traffic accidents and the like.What can the NHS do? It can start by strengthening general practice . Theway primary care has been dealt with in SWF in the past has beenscandalous but there is hope that things will improve here - so let's hopethat the NHS in South Woodham eventually gets its fair share of the NHScake.There are also plans to support GPs by increasing use of the alliedprofessions - and, if well managed, this could take some of the strain off'the system.'What else needs to be done? Social care is an ongoing problem and itneeds to be addressed as its impact on the NHS is considerable.Keeping the NHS going is a joint effort - if we don't all pull together it willgo under.LIFE SAVING ROLE FOR AN OLD DRUG: There's an interesting paper inThe Lancet which features a drug that has been around for many years andhas been widely used in general practice for conditions such as heavyperiods. Its cause called tranexamic acid and has also been used maternityunits for e.g. postpartum haemorrhage.In recent years it has been in emergency departments for conditions suchas stab wounds - and in suitable cases it can stop patients bleeding todeath. A new study has shown it's ability to arrest bleeding makes it veryeffective in reduction of deaths from head injuries – it is most effectivewhen given to patients with moderate injuries (and, needless to say, leasteffective patients with severe head injuries).The fact that it is a tried and trusted medication means that it's availablefor use now - the BBC reports that it can potentially save hundreds ofthousands of lives a year worldwide if it's routinely given to people broughtinto hospital with head injuries - so let's end on that bit of good news!For full details see:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)32233-0/fulltextDr JohnFOCUS
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