Ambulance UK October 2023

NEWSLINE
identify as lonely and socially
isolated have been interviewed
using open questions which
gather information anonymously
on their circumstances, social
circle and community support
networks. Their lived experience
is being explored alongside the
views of NEAS staff.
Health advisors and paramedic
crews dealing with contacts from
people who call frequently have
been featured in the popular BBC
documentary, Ambulance, which
followed and filmed with NEAS
crews during series 9.
The project follows a research
paper published in the British
Paramedic Journal by Dr
Scott, Dr Collins and a group
of expert authors from UK
ambulance services which
analysed the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on people
who call frequently and how
ambulance services in particular
were adapting to suit changing
patient needs.
The team are currently analysing
data from interviews with service
users and staff and hope to be
able to publish the research
findings later this year.
Plans to harness Northumbria’s
research, education and
knowledge exchange expertise
to help meet the health and
social needs of communities
in the region and beyond are
being developed as part of the
University’s Centre for Health and
Social Equity (CHASE).
New route for nurses
to join frontline at
EEAST
A new pathway for nurses to
transfer their skills to frontline
pre-hospital care is open at the
East of England Ambulance
NHS Trust (EEAST).
Introduced in November 2022,
the new initiative has received
excellent feedback from the
nurses who have already made
the move to pre-hospital practice
at EEAST.
The pre-hospital nurse
practitioners, who must have a
professional registration with the
Nursing and Midwifery Council
(NMC), work on the frontline
alongside paramedics and other
pre-hospital clinicians.
After an induction and training
programme over up to 30 weeks,
the pre-hospital practitioners
work to a similar scope of
practice to a paramedic.
David Young, who qualified as a
nurse in 2001, was part of the first
group of 14 nurses to go through
the programme to become a
pre-hospital nurse practitioner
and is loving his new role on a
frontline ambulance.
Before starting at EEAST, David
was a clinical nurse specialist
in international emergency
assistance and repatriations.
David said:
“Traditionally this type of role was
never open to nurses and I had
considered undertaking further
study to become a paramedic
during my 22 years as a nurse,
but I never found the right time
in my career to make the switch
before this programme.
“This role allows me to apply my
previous nursing experience, but
also to learn some challenging
new skills such as emergency
trauma care, advanced life
support for all age ranges and
emergency obstetric care.
“As a nurse on a frontline
ambulance, every day and every
patient is different; one minute,
we can be responding to a 999
call to a woman in labour to
deliver a baby, then the next
a road traffic collision, cardiac
arrest, or transferring a patient
between hospitals and anything
in between. You never know what
you will be asked to do next,
which is fantastic.
“I love this job. I look forward to
putting on my green uniform,
getting to the station, getting in
the ambulance, and waiting for
control to allocate us a job. It’s
amazing!”
Melissa Dowdeswell, Director
of Nursing and Interim
Chief Operation Officer at
EEAST, said:
“This new programme allows
nurses to transfer their extensive
knowledge, experience and
skills to working in a prehospital
setting working
alongside paramedics and other
frontline clinicians.
“The feedback from nurses on
the programme and the support
provided has been excellent
which is why we are looking to
expand the programme to further
bolster our workforce.
“The specialist skills that prehospital
practitioners bring
to EEAST will help enhance
the service we provide to our
communities.”
London Ambulance
Service to provide
NHS 111 services to
North Central London
London Ambulance Service
(LAS) has been awarded
the contract to provide NHS
111 services, in partnership
with London Central and
West (LCW), to the 1.5 million
people who live within North
Central London.
LAS and LCW will take on
responsibility for 111 and GP
out-of-hours service from
November 2023 covering five
London boroughs – Barnet,
Camden, Enfield, Islington and
Haringey. The new contract
and accompanying new service
model, which is worth £19 million
per year, will have a number of
benefits for patients, including
an increase in ‘consult and
complete’, meaning that patients’
needs are met within two hours.
Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive
for London Ambulance Service,
said: “I’m so pleased that the
North Central London Integrated
Care System awarded their
111 contract to LAS as the lead
provider in partnership with
London Central and West. We
will use the strengths of both
organisations to put in place
more responsive care models
for both the 111 and GP out-ofhours
services.
AMBULANCE UK – OCTOBER
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
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