Ambulance UK October 2021

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NEWSLINE AMBULANCE UK - OCTOBER Research shows the valuable role of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in responding to incidents of penetrating torso trauma in semi-rural areas Research by Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) and the University of Surrey also highlights a prevalence of incidents along known County Lines. Research from life-saving charity Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) in partnership with the University of Surrey has shown the significant benefits of HEMS in responding to penetrating torso injuries suffered by patients in rural or semi-rural areas. Penetrating trauma is most commonly associated with stabbing or shooting. The retrospective study, which analysed data over a sixyear period, also highlights a prevalence of these incidents along known County Lines, networks established by citybased drug dealers to supply and sell drugs to users in towns and rural areas. The findings demonstrate the value of HEMS in expediting critical treatment for this group of penetrating trauma patients in rural and semi-rural areas and will inform multi-agency knife crime prevention strategy in these areas. The study identified that between 1st January 2014 and 31st December 2019: • KSS attended 363 patients who had sustained a penetrating torso injury; • 88% of these patients were male with a median age of 30 years; • 62% of these incidents occurred during the night; • 121 HEMS-specific interventions were performed in 14% of patients, with chest surgical decompression the most common (n=31); • The median time from incident occurring to arriving in hospital was 1.5 hours, with HEMS arriving in a median of 39 minutes to start critical care, before the patient arrived in hospital; • Heat map incidence data closely correlated with County Lines. Penetrating trauma patients pose a significant challenge to pre-hospital emergency medical care providers. Time-critical non-compressible hemorrhage requires rapid assessment and typically transport to a Major Trauma Centre (MTC). In this study, 54 patients required one or more HEMS-specific time-critical interventions in the pre-hospital setting, and in total 78% of patients were transferred to a MTC. Penetrating trauma has been a substantial part of the trauma workload in urban areas in the UK for the last decade [1] and more recently it has increased in rural and semi-rural areas, where patients are frequently significantly further away from a tertiary care centre. In this study, the town of Margate in Kent, located 73 miles and two hours away from its nearest MTC, had a significant number of penetrating torso trauma patients. The involvement of KSS resulted in transfer time for these patients being halved. Professor Richard Lyon MBE, Associate Medical Director at KSS and Professor of Pre-Hospital Emergency Care at the University of Surrey, said: “We know that time is absolutely critical to patients who have suffered penetrating torso trauma from a knife or gunshot injury. It can be challenging to discern which injuries require immediate intervention. Penetrating trauma patients can initially present as stable but can quickly deteriorate into a life-threatening condition. Getting the advanced clinical skills and clinical decision-making of HEMS teams to patients as quickly as possible can significantly improve outcomes for these patients.” “From their significant clinical experience, HEMS teams are more aware of underlying injuries and, in addition to providing emergency treatment at the scene, also have the capability to intervene en route to hospital if required. 34 patients in our study required a blood transfusion whilst being transferred by KSS to hospital.” He continued: “Previous studies have demonstrated that the accuracy of clinical examination to establish the degree of bleeding and potential for internal damage after penetrating injury is poor, making it difficult to predict which patients will deteriorate before they reach hospital. Our study confirms this, and also shows that HEMS attendance can be crucial. Several of the patients in this study received pre-hospital interventions, without which they would not have survived.” The research also highlighted the geographical distribution of penetrating trauma across KSS’s region over the six-year study period and identifies a specific pattern which mirrors existing drug trafficking County Lines. This information will help knife crime prevention strategy and will also support the safeguarding of vulnerable people at risk. The research has been published in the Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine. NWAS New major multisports event, The Gratitude Games, launches to support the mental health of emergency service and NHS workers • The Gratitude Games aims to generate £10 million in funding to support Emergency Responders’ mental health over the next five years • The Cities of Manchester and Salford will hold the inaugural games next year for over 20,000 Emergency Responders and their families The Gratitude Games, a new sporting event to support the mental health of emergency service and NHS workers is calling on the British public and businesses to donate to their fundraising appeal. 1 in 4 (27%) emergency service workers have considered ending their lives due to stress and other factors 1 , and this has only been amplified by the pandemic, with 69% 2 reporting that their mental health has worsened since the start of Covid-19. 3 The first Gratitude Games will be hosted by the Cities of Manchester and Salford from 27th April – 29th May 2022 at leading venues, including the iconic Etihad campus. The Games will unite over 20,000 Emergency Responders and their families, across 20 different sports. From the whole of the NHS and the Fire and Rescue Service, to RNLI and Cave Rescue, workers from 17 different Emergency Services will 156 For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
NEWSLINE be able to take part. The event will be open to all sporting abilities, and the triathlon and road running events (including a 5k and 10k), will also be open to the public. The funds raised will be deployed through four existing specialist organisations – Police Care UK, The Fire Fighters Charity, The Ambulance Staff Charity and Duty to Care (NHS) - who collectively support all emergency responders to improve their mental health. Duty to Care, for example, provides NHS workers with free one to one online consultations. This is followed by wellbeing support including coaching, yoga and other holistic interventions. The Gratitude Games is the brainchild of serving Buckinghamshire fire fighter Mike Downard and sports industry veteran Simon Rider, who founded the charity UK Emergency Services Giving (UKESG) to help ensure every Emergency Responder has access to the tailored mental health support they need. The expectations and demands placed on our emergency services and NHS workers are higher than ever. Whether caring for a patient in an ICU, telling someone that their loved one has died or dealing with the aftermath of a car crash, our Emergency Responders witness more trauma on a daily basis than most of us do in a lifetime. It has been estimated that whilst most ordinary people will encounter serious trauma no more than three or four times in their life – for police officers it is 400-600 times. Commenting on the issues that drove him to develop the Gratitude Games as the key fundraising platform for UKESG, Mike said “In my 18 years as a fire fighter, I have seen first-hand the devastating impact that working on the front line can have on your mental health. You can be dealing with multiple traumatic events on a daily basis and that can really take its toll. “The pandemic has affected the mental health of many, but especially those of us in the emergency services - so there is an urgent need to make sure the specialist support is readily available. To help make this a reality, we are calling upon the British public and businesses to get behind the Gratitude Games - by donating to the fundraising appeal and sharing the message of the Games to friends and family.” One of the first supporters of the Gratitude Games is Ricky Nuttall, a fire fighter who recently appeared on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins. Ricky experienced a steep decline in his mental health after the Grenfell fire. He recalls: “I began to feel depressed and anxious and my relationships started to crumble. One evening, I sat on my living room floor and cried for four hours straight. I then realised that I couldn’t handle feeling this sad for the rest of my life. I didn’t see how I could recover. That was the first time I wanted to kill myself and it scared me”. Chloe Kitto, Occupational Therapist and Wellbeing Lead at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, who used the Duty to Care services during her time on the front line commented: “I spent the first few months of the pandemic developing wellbeing training to critical care staff across London, helping psychologically prepare thousands of NHS staff for the uncertainties, risk and trauma of Covid-19 frontline work. Healthcare workers and emergency responders are used to being the care providers, not the care receivers. However, after a few months it was clear I was not practising what I was preaching. I was ignoring signs of stress and trauma within myself, I closed off from people close to me, became obsessive about the news, eventually leaning on alcohol to cope. “I didn’t feel ready to seek psychological support at that stage, and instead came across the Duty to Care charity. Almost immediately I was offered access to coaching sessions, yoga practice, breathing sessions, nutritional support, and a variety of other holistic wellbeing interventions.” The Gratitude Games will raise public awareness of the mental health challenges faced by so many of our Emergency Responders, whilst enabling people to show their appreciation for the essential work they do. To donate to the fundraising appeal, please visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ gratitudegames To find out more and register your interest visit: www.gratitudegames.uk 1 Mind data: April 2016 2 Of Emergency Responders 3 Mind: Blue Light “Behind The Mask” Report, published May 2021 LAS An open letter to London and Londoners As the country marks 999 Day, I would like to pay tribute to the dedicated staff and volunteers at London Ambulance Service and to all our emergency services partners who support us in our work. We also remember the ten colleagues who have died from the virus during this pandemic, as well as their families and friends. I am extremely grateful to everyone – from our call handlers and ambulance crews to our fleet teams and corporate staff – who continue to work so hard caring for this city of more than nine million people. They’ve worked tirelessly and continue to give their all to Londoners after 20 months of responding to COVID-19 and associated pressures. Our staff and volunteers, alongside other health and social care workers, have had to cope with so many changes to how we work, wearing hot and restrictive PPE, enduring lengthy separations from family, and losing loved ones and cherished colleagues to the virus. Throughout, it has taken almost superhuman effort to maintain the strength and professionalism to be there for London when it needed us most. For London Ambulance Service, our winter has arrived early. July was our second busiest month ever. We’ve also just had our busiest August. At peak times we are receiving calls every seven seconds to our 999 and 111 control rooms. We are planning for one of our longest winters. It’s going to be gruelling for everyone in our Service but I know we will not stop going the extra miles. I’m determined to do all I can to support our people to deliver the best possible care for our patients. To all London Ambulance Service staff and volunteers on this 999 Day: thank you for all you do. I am inspired by your passion and dedication and look forward to supporting you in the important work we still have ahead of us. Daniel Elkeles Chief Executive, London Ambulance Service AMBULANCE UK - OCTOBER For the latest Ambulance Service News visit: www.ambulancenewsdesk.com 157
Page 1 and 2: Volume 36 No. 5 October 2021 DEDICA
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS CONTENTS Ambulance UK 140
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Page 27 and 28: IN PERSON Dr Helen Bowcock OBE in 2
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Ambulance UK October 2021

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