Ambulance UK April 2021

NEWSLINE
report following its review of
DNACPR decisions during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Over
the last few months, the CQC
has engaged with a range of
stakeholders, including RCUK.
They have spoken to people and
their families affected by DNACPR
decision-making during the
pandemic, to a range of health
and social care providers and
professionals involved in their care
and reviewed people’s records in
seven CCG areas. This has led to
them making recommendations
around the following key areas:
• information, training, and
support
• the need for a consistent,
national approach to advanced
care planning and DNACPR
decisions
• oversight and assurance
at local and system level to
ensure that people experience
personalised, compassionate
care in relation to DNACPR
decisions
The report cites ReSPECT as a
good example of an advance care
planning process that when done
well, can support everyone to
make decisions about their future
care and treatment.
SCAS
Paramedics
turn written-off
ambulance into
innovative training
simulation pod
Paramedics at South Central
Ambulance Service (SCAS)
have given life-saving treatment
to an ambulance which was
written off after a road traffic
collision – by using it to create
an innovative training pod.
The SCAS education team in
Newbury had the body of the
vehicle repaired to repurpose it as
a training simulator and provide
the opportunity for students to
learn in the real thing.
It weighs 4.5 tonnes before the
addition of kit and includes all the
essentials – as well as a working
tail lift and even a power line to
flick on the blue lights and sirens
to add to the experience.
It is the latest addition to the
family of simulators at the
SCAS Education and Enhanced
Simulation Centre, a facility that
includes six purpose-built training
and environment rooms that
recreate patients’ journeys from
“The ambulance converted was
unfortunately involved in a serious
road traffic collision and was not
fit to return to the road, so not only
have we avoided losing a vehicle
from the fleet, we are now in the
fortunate position of using this
one to train a new generation of
staff.”
He added: “While there are many
simulators around, many of these
are purpose-built as opposed
to developed from real vehicles
and are therefore limited in their
ability to provide a real-life training
environment.
“We believe this is the first pod
of its kind having been salvaged
from the scrapheap and able
to provide the most realistic
experience of any simulator – so
we are extremely pleased with the
outcome.
“We’ve even had a label added
to the side to say it is probably
the best ambulance pod in the
country - we think it is!”
will be the first to use the new kit.
Medics will be able to press a
button to record if a patient or
member of the public becomes
threatening or aggressive. The
footage can then be used in court
to aid prosecutions.
Paramedic Kristoffer Fairhurst,
based in Burnley, will be amongst
the first to use the cameras. He
said: “Sadly it is all too common
for frontline staff to be subject to
violence by the very people we
are trying to help. I have worked
for the ambulance service for 13
years and during that time I have
been kicked, spat at, shouted at
and even threatened with a knife.
“This should not be happening and
I am hoping that these cameras will
give us an extra level of protection
to deter incidents of abuse as well
as assist with prosecutions and
make staff feel safer.”
In 2020, almost 400 incidents of
physical assaults were reported
against staff in the North West,
a rise of 4% since 2018 despite
lockdown measures in place.
In addition, there were 1,061
incidents of verbal abuse or
threatening behaviour reported.
Director of Operations Ged Blezard
A report, also published today,
by the charity Compassion in
Dying, highlights the good and
bad experiences of people
from across the UK who have
contacted them about DNACPR
decisions made for them or their
loved ones during the pandemic.
While these significant reports
highlight examples of poor
practice in relation to DNACPR
decision-making during the
pandemic, they also recognise
that not everyone wants
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) to be attempted. For many
people, DNACPR decisions offer
reassurance that they will not be
given an intervention that may be
home, into to a mobile simulated
ambulance and then at handover
to a hospital’s emergency
department resuscitation bay.
“What we really love about the
introduction of this simulation
pod is that its authenticity will
give students a much more
enhanced and lifelike insight into
the workings of the vehicle and
its kit,” said Darren Best, Senior
Education Manager at SCAS.
NWAS
Ambulance service
to trial body worn
cameras
Ambulance crews in the North
West are set to be equipped
with body worn video cameras
in a bid to reduce violence and
aggression against frontline staff.
As part of a national pilot, North
West Ambulance Service (NWAS)
will be rolling out the cameras
from 31 March. It will start in areas
that see the highest number of
incidents of abuse against staff.
Central Manchester, East
said: “Our staff work day in, day
out to protect and care for their
patients, they do not deserve to be
subject to abuse and assaults.
“It’s a top priority for us to keep
our staff safe and this is a huge
step towards reducing violence
and aggression against them. Not
only will this aid in prosecutions of
offenders but it is hoped to help
de-escalate situations and avoid
attacks from even taking place”
NWAS has a dedicated violence
and aggression group that has
been set up to proactively target
frequent offenders and work with
the police and partner agencies
to put sanctions in place where
AMBULANCE UK - APRIL
unwanted or unsuccessful.
Lancashire and parts of Merseyside
possible.
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