Ambulance UK - April 2020

NEWSLINE
Call for healthcare
workers to be
first responders
for ambulance
service through the
GoodSAM app
When someone goes into
cardiac arrest, getting help
within minutes can save a life.
GoodSAM is a community of
registered responders willing to
assist during a cardiac arrest until
ambulance crews arrive.
Many are off-duty doctors, nurses,
paramedics and other members
of the emergency services.
Others are members of the public
trained in basic first aid and
qualified to perform lifesaving
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR). The app uses GPS
technology to alert trained first
responders to nearby lifethreatening
emergencies.
When an emergency call is
directed to one of the GoodSAM
emergency operations centers,
the app automatically notifies
nearby responders.
If the responder is available,
they can accept the alert via the
GoodSAM app and make their
way to the patient in need. If the
volunteer responder is unable to
accept the alert, it will get diverted
to the next nearest responder. The
responder is also advised of the
location of the nearest defibrillator.
EEAST of England Ambulance
Service NHS Trust (EEAST) started
using the app in June 2019 to alert
nearby responders during those
vital minutes while ambulance
crews are on their way.
More than 1,200 responders have
signed up to respond for EEAST,
with six successful survival-todischarge
outcomes for patients
where a GoodSAM responder has
attended.
This is just one of the incidents:
We received a 999 call for a 44
year old male in Welwyn Garden
City with chest pain.
While we were taking the call, he
went into cardiac arrest.
The GoodSAM app was activated
and off-duty EEAST employees
Keiran Robinson, Vicky Baughan,
Ruby Mahy, Lilly Moran, and
Lawrie Medina were on the scene
within seven minutes with a
portable defibrillator and began
resuscitating the patient.
Our ambulance crew Scott Wilson
and Dan Boreham, along with
Gary West in the rapid response
vehicle arrived and the patient was
shocked a total of seven times.
Paramedic Vicky Baughan, one of
the GoodSam First Responders
said:
“Before the first EEAST crew
arrived, we had shocked this
patient twice and completed
many rounds of CPR. And then
we stayed to assist the crew.
“After a little while the patient was
sitting up talking to us.
“I visited the gentleman in hospital
a few hours later when I started
work with EEAST and doctors
think there is a very good chance
of survival with a good outcome.
“I genuinely think that had we not
all responded to this gentleman
with the defibrillator and arrived so
quickly that there would be a very
different outcome now.“
The GoodSAM app in now
entering its next phase and
nationally governed healthworkers
(such as GPs and Paramedics)
can be part of EEAST’s GoodSAM
responder community and
deployed by EEAST’s emergency
operations teams.
If you are already signed up to
GoodSAM, you do not need
to take any action – you will
automatically be added into
EEAST’s responder community.
If you are a healthcare worker
and are interested in becoming a
GoodSAM responder, please go
to www.goodsamapp.org and
sign up.
An EPiCC response
to emergencies and
disasters
The future media and
communication response to
emergencies and disasters
within the UK will be shaped by
a new not for profit organisation
launched on Tuesday, 4th
February.
EPiCC (Emergency Practitioners in
Crisis Communication) will support
the development and delivery of
effective crisis communication by
providing a network for all who
practice and operate in this arena to
share good practice, train, learn and
exercise within a safe environment.
Director of EPiCC, Chris Webb,
the former Head of News and
Deputy Director of Public Affairs
with the Metropolitan Police said:
“EPiCC is built around three core
principles. The need to Prepare,
Plan and Practice. Having led the
media and comms response to
emergencies and major incidents
for almost 30 years, I understand
the benefits that an organisation
like this will bring.
“In 2017 and 2018 I was invited to
deliver key note speeches to EMPA
(Emergency Media and Public
Affairs) a not for profit organisation
in Australia and New Zealand who
work with comms professionals
from the public and private sectors
to enhance and improve their
response to disasters. EMPA has
made a real difference to how
those two countries now handle
such incidents.
“Over the last 12 months I have
been working with partners involved
in the emergency response at a
national level here in the UK to
set up a similar model and I’m
delighted that the vision has now
become a reality. There will continue
to be a close working relationship
between EPICC and EMPA.”
EPiCC is supported by a Board
of Advocates with wide-ranging
and extensive experience of
emergency management and crisis
communication across a broad
range of incidents and sectors.
As well as enhancing what they
deliver, through their knowledge,
skills and international networks,
they help to ensure EPiCC stays
up to date, relevant and responsive
to the rapidly changing nature of
emergency management and crisis
communication in today’s society.
Advocate Alec Wood, the former
Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire
Police said: “Effective crisis
communication must be at the
heart of an effective emergency
management response for any
organisation that provides services
to the public. Ultimately the quality
and timeliness of information
during an emergency can save
lives and keep people safe.”
“Developing and enhancing the
skills of your people is key. If you
fail to plan, you will plan to fail.
One can only fully prepare when
decisions are based on a sound
understanding and comprehensive
knowledge of what to expect
during an emergency or crisis. The
training and coaching from EPiCC
gives greater confidence, should
the worst happen.”
You can find out more about EPiCC
by visiting www.epicc.org.uk or
follow us on Twitter @UKEPiCC
AMBULANCE UK - APRIL
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