Ambulance UK - April 2020

NEWSLINE
Trust launches
‘Where Best Next’
Campaign
Isle of Wight NHS Trust has
launched a new initiative
‘where best next’ to help
ensure its patients are
discharged from hospital in a
safe, appropriate and timely
way.
There is lots of evidence to show
patients recover better at home
once their hospital treatment is
complete. Some 35% of patients
over the age of 70 years old
cope less well with daily activities
during hospital admission
compared to how they felt before
they became unwell. Prompt
discharge from hospital to home
contributes to a speedy recovery
and reduces the risk of hospital
associated infections, which has
become an increasing problem.
Dr Mark Connaughton,
Consultant Cardiologist, said
“where best next encourages
you and your family to discuss at
an early stage the plans for your
care once you leave hospital.
“All the healthcare professionals
looking after you will contribute
to these plans and for almost
everyone the discharge plan will
work on the basis that “home
first” is the best option.
“Your needs may best be
assessed in your own home, and
your hospital staff will arrange
this if required. We recognise
that there will be a few people
that will not be able to go home
in the first instance and may
need alternative care in the
community.
“Where best next should allow
earlier and safer discharge from
hospital for you, and should
contribute to a speedier and
more complete recovery.”
Bunzl donates third
vehicle to St John
Ambulance
St John Ambulance has
welcomed a new mobile
treatment centre to its
operational fleet in Greater
Manchester, thanks to a
generous donation from Bunzl
Healthcare.
It’s the third custom-built vehicle
that Bunzl has donated to St John
Ambulance, and is already being
used to provide community health
and first aid support in the area.
The mobile treatment centre will
be used by St John Ambulance
at high profile events such as
the Great Manchester Run and
Manchester Pride, as well as
smaller community events. It
could be deployed to emergency
situations in the Greater
Manchester area, if required and
also supports two community
projects.
Alex Bonthrone, Divisional
Managing Director of Bunzl
Healthcare commented: “We are
so pleased to provide a treatment
vehicle that will increase the first
aid support for people in the
Manchester area. The vehicle will
enable those with minor injuries to
receive immediate first aid which
will benefit them, and will also
help to take the pressure off our
A&E centres.”
Rob Macintosh, Head of Fleet at
St John Ambulance, said: “We
are delighted to be working with
Bunzl Healthcare to make our
communities safer – this vehicle
is a welcome addition to our
fleet which enables us to make a
difference to those who need it,
as well as reducing the number
of people needing to access NHS
services.
“The generosity and support
of Bunzl Healthcare is hugely
appreciated, and we look forward
to our continuing partnership with
them.”
The health charity uses the
treatment centre to support two
important community projects.
Every Saturday night (10pm until
4am), volunteers from St John
Ambulance provide first aid
support to the night-time economy
in Manchester city centre, helping
people get home safely after their
night out and allowing emergency
services to be there for those
most critical patients.
The vehicle, located on Peter
Street, provides a place for
people to be treated for minor
injuries, or simply as a safe haven
whilst they sober up, wait to meet
their friends, or for a taxi home.
This activity ensures that, as often
as possible, patients are seen
and treated by St John without the
need for further NHS care.
And, every fortnight on a Tuesday
evening, St John volunteers work
in partnership with the Bolton
NHS Foundation Trust to support
their outreach work for the town’s
homeless and vulnerably housed.
Based at Homeless Aid UK’s
street kitchen event near Bolton
Town Hall, St John’s first aiders
work alongside NHS nurses
to provide medical care and
support to those who need it.
The treatment centre provides a
confidential area where people
can freely talk about their health in
a more private setting.
To demonstrate the difference the
new treatment centre is making
in the local community, staff from
Bunzl Healthcare’s Manchester
office were recently shown around
the vehicle. They were told about
the important role it’s playing
within the Greater Manchester
area, and St John volunteers gave
first aid demonstrations as well as
showing them the vital equipment
it has on board.
Bunzl has worked with St John
Ambulance over the past five
years, initially to help young
people not in education or
employment to access first aid
skills, and more recently by
donating three bespoke treatment
vehicles.
In 2020, the partnership is
supporting first aid training in
schools, particularly young people
in communities where Bunzl
operates. For more information
on Bunzl Healthcare visit
www.bunzlhealthcare.co.uk
AMBULANCE UK - APRIL
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