Ambulance UK December 2023

NEWSLINE
Medical Training Solutions Ltd
Snetterton, Norfolk, NR16 2JU
info@mtscourses.co.uk
www.mtscourses.co.uk
+44 (0)1603 486448
SAVING MEDICAL TRAINING FROM UK PARAMEDIC
TEAM IN AFRICA
The course was delivered over an intensive 5-day period and qualified staff to provide
life saving medical care across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
COMPANY NEWS
AMBULANCE UK – DECEMBER
”Wiltshire Air Ambulance now
has two fully branded cars with
state-of-the-art technology
and equipment which our
crews can use to respond to
emergencies when the helicopter
is unavailable, when an incident is
particularly close by or if we need
to send a second crew by road.”
Richard Miller, Wiltshire Air
Ambulance’s safety and
operations manager, said: “The
new Critical Care Car comes with
the latest BMW safety technology
and an enhanced emergency
navigational system to allow our
clinicians to reach the scene of
the incident quickly and safety.
“The boot compartment is big
enough to carry an exact match
of the medical equipment used
on-board the helicopter, allowing
us to deliver all of the critical
care skills we would as if on the
helicopter.”
HELP Appeal chief executive
Robert Bertram visited the
airbase recently to see the new
Critical Care Car in action.
He said: “The HELP Appeal
focuses on saving time and
saving lives, including funding
helipads at NHS hospitals,
helipads at Air Ambulance bases
and, in this case, a much-needed
critical care car for Wiltshire Air
Ambulance. The impact of this
car to critically ill patients in the
region is a game changer and we
are delighted that, thanks to our
supporters, we could help.”
Paramedic sworn
and spat at by
patient relives ordeal
‘This felt personal’ – Paramedic
sworn and spat at by patient
relives ordeal
A PARAMEDIC who was called a
‘c**t’ and spat at by a patient has
relived his ordeal.
Geoff Williams, who is based
in Chepstow, Monmouthshire,
needed hospital treatment after
an attack by the man he was
trying to help.
The 34-year-old describes feeling
‘dirty’ after the incident, which left
him unable to work the remainder
of his shift.
Geoff said: “An assault on one of
us is an assault on all of us.
“I come to work to help people,
not to be assaulted.
“This felt personal – there was so
much malice.”
Geoff and his colleague Matt
Baker, an emergency medical
technician, were responding to a
medical emergency in Cwmbran
in August.
Geoff said: “When we got there,
the man was in an agitated
state, heavily intoxicated and
behaving erratically.
“We got him onto the back of
the ambulance, and the police
arrested him for being drunk and
disorderly in the process.
“I got him onto the stretcher but
he was becoming aggressive and
lashing out.
“The next minute, he said ‘You’re
a c**t’ and spat in my face.
“The only way I can describe how
I felt is dirty – just really dirty.”
Geoff and Matt took the man
to hospital, where Geoff had
his eyes flushed and a round of
emergency bloods.
A second round of bloods later
this month will determine whether
Geoff has developed an infection.
He said: “With any assault
involving bodily fluids, the risk
is huge.
“You have to be careful about
things like hepatitis, tuberculosis
and Covid-19.
“Having my eyes flushed meant
I couldn’t drive, which in turn
meant I couldn’t finish my shift,
and when an ambulance is taken
off the road, that can have a
huge impact on service delivery,
especially in a small community.
“My wife Hollie is a paramedic
in Newport, and she had the
call that we both dread, which
was to say that the other had
been assaulted.
“It was a difficult time.”
Geoff, who lives in
Gloucestershire, started his
ambulance career as a volunteer
community first responder, later
qualifying as an emergency
medical technician and a
paramedic.
In his eight-year career, this was
his third assault.
“It definitely makes you more
conscious of things,” he said.
“This experience will always be at
the back of my mind now when
I’m treating other patients.”
At Newport Magistrates’ Court
on 13 October 2023, Curtis
Card pleaded guilty to assault by
beating of an emergency worker,
being drunk and disorderly in a
public place and possession of a
Class B controlled drug.
He was ordered to pay £100
compensation to Geoff and was
also given a community order,
including a three-month curfew
and a 10-day rehabilitation
requirement.
New guidelines to help courts
determine how to sentence
those who assault an emergency
worker came into effect in
July 2021.
The Sentencing Council
guidelines help courts in England
and Wales to make a balanced
assessment of the seriousness
of the offence and impose a
proportionate sentence.
It is the first time that judges and
magistrates have had specific
guidance for sentencing assault
on emergency worker offences,
which reflects legislation that
increased the PRESS maximum CONTACT
sentence
for common assault when the
Harrison Young Dip HE, MCPara, ASET
victim is an emergency worker.
HCPC Registered Paramedic
Jason Killens, h.young@mtscourses.co.uk
Chief Executive of
the Welsh Ambulance +44 (0)1603 Service, 394981
said: “This +44 incident (0)7715 not only 306213
affected Geoff, but the whole
community
PRESS
paid the price
KITwhen
that ambulance was taken off the
road and no Available longer available at: to
respond, and bit.ly/mtspresspack
that – frankly – is
unacceptable.
“We would encourage judges and
magistrates ABOUT to use the MEDICAL
full extent
of their sentencing TRAINING powers SOLUTIONS
when
sentencing assault on emergency
Medical Training Solutions is a
worker offences, ensuring that
sentences
multi-award
are proportionate
winning
but
medical
also reflect training the hurt and provider pain who are on a
inflicted by mission offenders. to empower
individuals and organisations
“Being assaulted with is the not knowledge – and and skills
never should necessary be – ‘part of to provide excellent
the job.’ medical care for any person, in
any place, at any time. Based
“Our ambulance at crews their are there state-of-the-art
to help people, training but they venue can’t in Snetterton,
fight for someone’s life if they’re
Norfolk, Medical Training
fighting for their own.”
Solutions are proud to have
worked with a variety of multinational
clients across the
globe providing industryleading
medical training and
consultancy. Find more
information about how Medical
Training Solutions are shaping
the future of medical training
at www.mtscourses.co.uk.
Global Humanitarian
Charity receives
life-saving medical
training from UK
Paramedic team
in Africa
and promote healthcare
The newly qualified staff will now
Medical Training Solutions, a leading "We’re delighted to have had the
awareness in the region.
be ready to provide emergency
provider of medical training, are pleased opportunity to collaborate with Mercy
medical care support to
to announce the successful delivery of a Corps in delivering this vital training,"
The course equipped staff humanitarian aid missions across
intense 5-day emergency medical care said Harrison Young, MD of Medical
Africa and the Middle East.
course to Mercy Corps; a humanitarian
members with essential Training skills Solutions. "By equipping their
charity dedicated to relieving and suffering,
knowledge required staff to members with emergency medical
For more information about
poverty and oppression across respond the world. effectively to skills, medical we believe that Mercy Corps will
Mercy Corps including their
emergencies. It covered be a better wide prepared to handle medical
was delivered
history, current projects and how
The course, which was delivered range of by topics UKincluding emergencies basic and provide immediate
over an intensive 5-day period
to help support their vital work
Paramedics to their staff in Kenya, assistance to those in need."
and qualified staff to provide life support, management of please visit www.mercycorps.org.
marked an important collaborative effort
life saving medical care major bleeding and wounds,
to enhance emergency response The newly qualified staff will now be
across Europe, Africa and the emergency response protocols
capabilities and promote healthcare ready to provide IPRS MTS emergency Expands medical
Middle East.
awareness in the region. and much more. care support Services to humanitarian with New aid
missions across Africa and the Middle
Medical Training Solutions, a
Stafford Office
“We’re delighted to have had
leading The course provider equipped of medical staff members with East.
training, essential are skills pleased and to knowledge the required opportunity to to collaborate
IPRS MTS, a division of IPRS
announce respond the successful effectively delivery to with Mercy medical Corps in For delivering more information Aeromed, is a specialist about Mercy
of emergencies. a intense 5-day It emergency covered a wide this vital range training,” of said Corps Harrison including
patient
their
transport
history,
service
current
medical topics care including course to Mercy basic life support, projects and how to help support their
Young, MD of Medical Training provider who is celebrating
Corps; management a humanitarian of charity major bleeding and vital work please visit
Solutions. “By equipping their a significant milestone in
dedicated wounds, to emergency relieving suffering, response protocols www.mercycorps.org.
its journey of delivering
poverty and oppression across staff members with emergency
and much more.
exceptional care. Just five
the world.
medical skills, we believe that
months after launching, IPRS
Mercy Corps will be better
The course, which was delivered
MTS has opened a new office
prepared to handle medical
by UK Paramedics to their staff
in Stafford, reaffirming their
emergencies and provide
in Kenya, marked an important
commitment to providing toptier,
patient-centred collaborative effort to enhance immediate assistance to those
services
emergency response capabilities in need.”
across the UK.
Launching in June 2023 in
Gatwick, their rapid growth has
led to this expansion, which
positions IPRS MTS to better
serve communities in Stafford
and beyond.
Their new office, located at
Dunston Business Village just
outside of Stafford, will serve as
a control centre, enhancing their
capabilities and reach.
IPRS MTS specialises in a range
of patient transport services,
including high dependency
transfers, repatriation, secure
mental health transfers, and
bariatric transfers with all
services delivered by HPAC
registered clinicians. Their
dedication to patient well-being,
safety, and quality care has
been pivotal in driving their
rapid growth.
Director, Phil Bayliss stated, “Our
journey has been nothing short
of remarkable. We are thrilled
to have opened our new office,
a testament to our hard work
and dedication. It reinforces
our commitment to providing
exceptional patient transport
services to those in need.”
Martyn Jackson, CEO of
IPRS Group, expressed his
excitement, “This is a testament
to our unwavering commitment
to delivering top-tier services to
our patients. We are thrilled to
expand our presence to Stafford
and continue our mission of
making a difference in the lives
of those we serve.”
Find out more about IPRS MTS
over on their website
www.IPRSMTS.com.
AMBULANCE UK – DECEMBER
30
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
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