Ambulance UK October 2021

NEWSLINE
helps to explain why some people
become more ill from Covid-19
than others.
We already know that the jab
doesn’t work for everyone. 1
in 100 fully vaccinated people
fail to develop any antibodies
at all after vaccination. That
means that, even if every UK
adult is vaccinated, half a million
adults will have no protection
whatsoever, and not even realise.
Identifying those people is crucial,
which is why widespread antibody
testing is vital.
‘If anyone is concerned about
their own immune response to the
jabs and how well they continue
to produce antibodies, the new
generation blood tests we offer
are highly accurate, quick and
simple to carry out, either in their
own home or at a clinic. These
tests are available privately for
those who don’t qualify for the
Government’s new limited testing
programme.
‘For the latest information about
the level of protection vaccinations
offer against Covid-19, see
London Medical Laboratory’s
new White Paper at: https://www.
privatecoronavirustests.com/
page/vaccine-immunity
Object Thrown At
Ambulance On
Emergency Call Out
An ambulance crew on an
emergency call for a patient
with a suspected stroke had to
pull over after an object was
thrown through the vehicle’s
windscreen.
The object damaged the vehicle’s
windscreen in Handsworth,
Birmingham (UK), and an
alternative ambulance was
dispatched
It “delayed the response” to the
patient by about 10 minutes,
the West Midlands Ambulance
Service said.
The incident on Worlds End Road
on Saturday was captured on
the vehicle’s CCTV, which will be
passed on to police.
UK ambulance emergency
operations director Nathan
Hudson’s dismay
“There is only one thing that an
ambulance travelling on blue
lights is doing and that is trying to
get to a patient in need.
“Given where the damage is, I
am just so glad that none of the
crew were hurt. It doesn’t bear
thinking about, what could have
happened.”
He added the service would work
with police to try and find and
prosecute the person responsible.
St John’s Ambulance
benefit from remote,
efficient immunity
testing for hepatitis B
with Medichecks
Around 250 people at St
John’s Ambulance have
taken advantage of a remote
blood testing service, after
the first aid charity teamed up
with Medichecks and Boots
Corporate Healthcare.
Since August 2020, the
partnership has delivered quicker
and more convenient immunity
testing for hepatitis B for St John’s
Ambulance employees and
volunteers.
This new centralised system for
provision of hepatitis B checks,
supported by Medichecks’
customer care team, has
significantly reduced admin time.
It’s also an essential service,
given the potential for exposure to
the virus from contact with bodily
fluids from another person.
Single use vouchers mean that
blood collection kits can be
ordered by individuals and posted
directly to their homes.
The test looks for hepatitis B
surface antibodies in the blood.
Samples are analysed by
Medichecks’ UKAS-accredited
partner laboratories, and individuals
receive their results via an online
dashboard, with commentary from
a Medichecks doctor.
A Clinical Project Officer with St
John Ambulance said: “The health
and safety of our employees and
volunteers is a top priority for St
John Ambulance. By working
with Medichecks, we can provide
hepatitis B immunity testing kits
posted directly to our volunteer’s
homes, which is a great bonus.
“By centralising the process
we’ve saved countless volunteer
hours and have peace of mind
knowing that the results are all
easily accessible in one place.
We find the order process very
simple, and the tests are available
to our employees and volunteers
in a very acceptable timeframe.
The customer care team at
Medichecks are always very quick
to respond to our emails and offer
a great standard of customer
service to us.”
Dr Sam Rodgers, Chief Medical
Officer at Medichecks adds:
“Medichecks’ service means that
St John’s Ambulance volunteers
and employees can focus on
what they do best - responding
to emergencies, supporting
communities and saving lives, with
the reassurance from knowing their
immunity status for hepatitis B.
“Because our tests are posted
out centrally, it means that
individuals don’t have to travel to
a specific location to collect their
test in their personal time. Use of
the Medichecks’ online system
with vouchers also removes
any requirement for St John’s
Ambulance to share personal
data of these frontline heroes.
“It’s a model we can roll out to a
range of businesses who need to
provide healthcare tests to their
teams. It’s also beneficial that
we can offer both venous blood
draws and at-home, remote fingerprick
collection methods, with
hepatitis B one of a whole range of
biomarkers we can monitor.”
About hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis B is an infection caused
by the hepatitis B virus (HBV),
which causes inflammation and
enlargement of the liver. HBV
infections can vary from a mild
form that lasts a few weeks, to a
more serious, chronic, form which
can cause lasting liver damage.
HBV is spread through contact
with blood or other body fluids
from an infected person.
For more information about
Medichecks’ testing for
employers, visit: https://services.
medichecks.com/
AMBULANCE UK - OCTOBER
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