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Ambulance UK April 2021

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NEWSLINE<br />

LAS<br />

London <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service supports<br />

National Day of<br />

Reflection<br />

Colleagues at London<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service joined a<br />

national minute’s silence on<br />

Tuesday 23 March <strong>2021</strong> to<br />

remember those who died<br />

during the pandemic and show<br />

support for the bereaved.<br />

Staff and volunteers remembered<br />

colleagues lost to COVID-19, as<br />

well as those who died across the<br />

NHS, the <strong>UK</strong> and the world, as<br />

part of a national day of reflection.<br />

The event, spearheaded by<br />

end-of-life charity Marie Curie,<br />

falls on the anniversary of the<br />

<strong>UK</strong> going into the first national<br />

lockdown. The charity estimates<br />

around three million people in the<br />

<strong>UK</strong> have been bereaved since<br />

the pandemic began – today is a<br />

moment to grieve and celebrate<br />

the lives of those lost.<br />

Chief Executive Garrett Emmerson<br />

said:<br />

“This last year has had a terrible<br />

toll on London and the country<br />

as a whole, and it is important<br />

to pause for a moment of quiet<br />

reflection.<br />

“Today we remember London<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service, NHS and<br />

care colleagues who lost their<br />

lives to the virus and acknowledge<br />

the incredible efforts and<br />

sacrifices made by staff and<br />

volunteers to care for patients in<br />

the darkest days of the pandemic.<br />

“We also stand in support of<br />

families of those who died and<br />

offer our condolences to all those<br />

who are grieving.”<br />

At the peak of the pandemic our<br />

call handlers were answering twice<br />

as many 999 and three times as<br />

many 111 calls a day from people<br />

needing help across London.<br />

London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

established a Wellbeing Hub<br />

in response to the pandemic<br />

which provides a single point of<br />

access to all the new services<br />

and initiatives designed to<br />

support the mental and physical<br />

health of staff and volunteers.<br />

Resources include access to<br />

counselling, wellbeing workshops<br />

and seminars and expanded peer<br />

support networks.<br />

The Service is also offering<br />

practical support such as testing<br />

and vaccination programmes,<br />

financial advice, refreshments<br />

including packs for those<br />

isolating, and rostering that allows<br />

people to take much-needed<br />

annual leave as operational<br />

pressures ease.<br />

Katy Crichton, Head of Wellbeing<br />

at London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service,<br />

said:<br />

“This past year has been incredibly<br />

traumatic for the whole country.<br />

Our staff and volunteers have had<br />

to help more people than at any<br />

time in our history, whilst, in many<br />

cases, sadly having to deal with<br />

the loss of their own relatives,<br />

friends and colleagues.<br />

“Reflection is a vital part of the<br />

grieving process. That’s why<br />

we are marking today and why<br />

London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

is working round the clock to<br />

provide emotional and practical<br />

support to teams so they can<br />

continue to care for London.”<br />

The National Day of Reflection<br />

was developed by end of life<br />

charity Marie Curie and aims<br />

to give the nation a moment to<br />

remember, grieve and celebrate<br />

everyone who has died during<br />

this time and show support for our<br />

families, friends and colleagues<br />

who are grieving.<br />

Marie Curie Chief Executive<br />

Matthew Reed said:<br />

“We need to mark the huge<br />

amount of loss we’ve seen<br />

this year and show support for<br />

everyone who has been bereaved<br />

in the most challenging of<br />

circumstances.<br />

“We cannot simply stand by<br />

and not recognise the effects<br />

the pandemic has had on the<br />

bereaved. We know people are<br />

in shock, confused, upset, angry<br />

and unable to process what has<br />

happened.”<br />

London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service is<br />

building a permanent memorial<br />

garden at its headquarters in<br />

Waterloo to remember all those<br />

who have died during their service.<br />

SCAS<br />

South Central<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity<br />

receives £410k<br />

funding boost to<br />

deliver pioneering<br />

training programmes<br />

South Central <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Charity has been allocated<br />

£410k by NHS Charities<br />

Together to help support<br />

a number of innovative<br />

projects across South Central<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service (SCAS).<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> - APRIL<br />

These include pioneering training<br />

programmes for Community<br />

First Responders (CFRs) and<br />

care home staff, as well as<br />

17 new LUCAS 3 mechanical<br />

cardiopulmonary resuscitation<br />

(CPR) devices.<br />

The funding forms part of a<br />

wider £7 million investment<br />

by NHS Charities Together in<br />

ambulance services across the<br />

<strong>UK</strong> announced today.<br />

It means South Central<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity can embark<br />

56<br />

For more news visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com

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