Ambulance UK April 2024

Volume 39 No. 8 

April 2024 

DEDICATED TO THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AND ITS SUPPLIERS

CONTENTS 

MAKE A 

LEGENDARY 

MOVE 

CONTENTS 

4 EDITOR’S COMMENT 

6 FEATURE 

6 5 WAYS TO MISS AN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 

8 DISCUSSION: WHERE IS THE OCCLUSION? 

10 NEWSLINE 

30 IN PERSON 

Ambulance UK 

This issue edited by: 

Matt House 

c/o Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks, Lockhill 

Upper Sapey, Worcester, WR6 6XR 

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Terry Gardner, Samantha Marsh 

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PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY: 

February, April, June, August, 

October, December 

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Lockhill 


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The views and opinions expressed in 

this issue are not necessarily those of 

the Publisher, the Editors or Media 

Publishing Company 

Next Issue June 2024 

Designed in the UK by TGDH 

Do you have For anything further recruitment you would vacancies like to add visit: or include? www.ambulanceukonline.com 

Please contact us and let us know. 

AMBULANCE UK – APRIL 

3

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

“It feels like 

we have had 

another long 

winter, which 

has brought 

with it, its 

fair share of 

challenges 

across the 

Ambulance 

Sector” 

Welcome to the latest edition of Ambulance UK. As I write this, I’m seeing the first signs of spring. When I 

took my dog out for his walk this morning, the sky was blue, and I didn’t have to dress up in multiple layers 

just to keep warm. The first daffodils are blooming and the trees in the garden are showing the first signs 

of blossom. 

It feels like we have had another long winter, which has brought with it its fair share of challenges across the 

ambulance sector. Yet despite this, people have stepped up and worked hard. We are seeing more joinedup 

work as other areas of the NHS work with the ambulance sector to help us find alternatives to emergency 

departments and seek solutions to the hospital delays that have plagued us in recent years. I think I seem 

to be seeing other providers coming to us with suggestions for improvements or offering answers. These 

include changes to the same day emergency care (SDEC), which will make referrals easier, direct lines to 

consultants for advice on patient disposition, and single points of contact for ambulance referrals into other 

out of hospital providers. 

These are just a few of the initiatives that are being worked through. Some are re-works of existing or 

historical processes, whereas some are entirely new ideas. It’s good to see that, whatever the motivation, 

people are working together to help. From my perspective, the difference this time is that we are starting to 

find that the people external to the ambulance service are thinking of system-wide solutions more than they 

have done in the past. I am aware that there are external factors that have influenced this move, but it is still 

gratefully received. 

We are certainly not out of the woods yet, but we are definitely moving in the right direction. For our part, we 

need to assess honestly what we are doing and not be afraid to stop things or change direction when they 

are not adding benefit, while increasing or adding the things that are. 

So, as we see the first of the blue skies this year and the thermometer reaching double figures, we plan for 

time away from work. Let’s also look forward to a better year at work. I hope the work we and our partners 

are all doing will help provide our clinicians with much better options for their patients. 

Finally, I would just like to congratulate the College of Paramedics on being granted the Charter of 

Incorporation by His Majesty King Charles III. This is an important milestone for the profession. Well done! 

Matt House, Co-Editor Ambulance UK 

PREPARING OUR EMERGENCY 

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VISITORS 

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EXHIBITORS 


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Publishers Statement 

For nearly 40 years, thanks to trade support, we have been able to provide Ambulance UK FREE 

OF CHARGE in the knowledge that those receiving our dedicated bi monthly publication enjoy 

having something to read during their free time however, return on investment seems to be the buzz 

word amongst Ambulance Service Suppliers these days, therefore if you enquire about a product 

advertised, please mention Ambulance UK as it help us confirm to the trade that we are reaching 

the right people and providing advertisers with value for money. In respect of our current edition we 

would like to thank the following companies for their support as without their contribution towards our 

print and postal costs this issue would not have been published - Alpha Labs, APG, Bluelight UK, 

DS Medical, IAM Roadsmart, ORTUS, Proact Medical, St Johns WA, WEL Medical. 

Terry Gardner 

Publisher 

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com 

20,000+ 

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EMERGENCYUK.COM 

CO-LOCATED WITH

FEATURE 

5 WAYS TO MISS AN ACUTE 

MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 

Jerry W. Jones, MD FACEP FAAEM 

1. You stop looking too soon! 

If you were at home with your 2½ year old son or grandson and 

you suddenly noticed that he wasn’t in the room with you, you 

would go looking for him. Let’s say your home has ten rooms. You 

check eight rooms, but he isn’t in any of them. Would you stop 

looking for him and just assume he’s OK because he wasn’t in any 

of those rooms? Of course not! But that’s what too many people 

do when they order a 12-lead ECG for a patient with suspicious 

chest pain. They fail to “look in all the rooms.” They all too often 

take the advice of colleagues who say, “Well, if it’s not on the 12- 

lead ECG, you’re probably not going to find it in any of the other 

leads!” (I once overheard a resident tell a medical student this!) 

Probably? Think about that word for a moment – probably. It’s a 

word you use when you don’t know the answer to a question. 

If the patient is having chest pain consistent with an acute 

coronary syndrome and the initial 12-lead ECG is non-diagnostic 

– look in the posterior leads and the right-sided leads. It is NOT 

necessary to have an inferior MI for there to be an inferobasal 

(formerly posterior) infarction OR a right ventricular 

infarction. An occlusion of the left circumflex artery can easily 

cause an inferobasal infarction without an inferior infarction. And 

did you know that isolated right ventricular infarctions (without 

a concurrent inferior infarction) can occur in up to 5% of ALL 

myocardial infarctions? 

I can remember a number of times when, as the attending 

physician coming on-duty in the emergency department, the offgoing 

doctor would tell me about a patient with chest pain who 

was having a non-STEMI waiting for a CCU bed. The ECG showed 

no changes. The ECG? Singular? The first thing I did was to order 

a second ECG which occasionally resulted in my alerting the cath 

lab immediately. 

Bottom Line: If the first ECG is non-diagnostic, yet you are still 

suspicious of an acute MI – repeat the 12-lead ECG every 20 

minutes for at least 3 times! 

3. Adhering to the STEMI paradigm. 

OK… this one is a bit controversial because not everyone has 

accepted the Occlusion Myocardial Infarction (OMI) concept 

(but I certainly do!). 

If you aren’t familiar with OMI, it’s an approach to diagnosing 

acute myocardial infarctions by looking for evidence of acute 

coronary occlusion rather than an arbitrary, fixed deviation of 

the ST segment. Adhering to a fixed measurement to decide if a 

patient gets emergent reperfusion or medical management has 

one major flaw – you’re going to miss an unacceptable number 

of complete or near-complete acute coronary occlusions with 

transmural ischemia (25 – 30%) which would definitely benefit from 

emergent reperfusion. 

resulting in STE in Leads I and aVL which oppose simultaneous 

STE in Leads II, III and aVF). And that does NOT include all the 

ECGs that do have ST elevation but don’t quite meet the STEMI 

criteria and which are neither repeated nor pursued any further 

after being diagnosed as “non-STEMIs.” 

Bottom Line: If you are not familiar with all these ECG 

presentations, you’d better look them up! Better yet, enroll 

in The Masterclass in Advanced Electrocardiography 

(https://medicusofhouston.com). 

5. Depending on the ECG machine 

interpretation. 

I really don’t have much to say here but I will be brutally blunt: if 

part of your job involves ordering ECGs on acutely ill patients and 

making medical decisions based on those ECGs, and your ECG 

interpretation skills are so poor that you must depend completely 

on the ECG machine interpretation, you should find someone with 

better skills to see those patients. 

Bottom Line: If you are making immediate medical 

management decisions based on the ECGs that you are 

ordering, you must be able to read those ECGs with a high 

level of skill and confidence. If you are depending on the ECG 

machine interpretation to direct your management of the 

patient, you are betting the patient’s LIFE on a machine that is 

notorious for giving incorrect interpretations! 

FEATURE 

I teach ADVANCED electrocardiography because when a patient’s 

LIFE is in YOUR hands, introductory knowledge is simply not enough! 

Come join us and be a PARTICIPANT… never just an audience! 

WEBSITE: https://medicusofhouston.com 

EMAIL: jwjmd@medicusofhouston.com 

WHY NOT WRITE FOR US? 

Bottom Line: If the initial 12-lead ECG is non-diagnostic, 

keep looking using posterior and right-sided leads. 

2. Once again, you stopped too soon! 

Returning to our allegory of the missing toddler, let’s say you 

check the remaining two rooms and you still don’t find him. Some 

rooms have more than one door by which one can enter or leave. 

The GOOD news: By abiding by the OMI concept, you will miss 

fewer acute myocardial infarctions! 

The “SO-SO” news: There are no specific algorithms or criteria 

to guide you. You are going to have to depend on more advanced 

ECG interpretation skills than you did by simply following a “cookbook” 

method of diagnosis. 

Ambulance UK welcomes the submission of 

clinical papers and case reports or news that 

you feel will be of interest to your colleagues. 


He could have gone out one door as you were entering the other. 

And children that age love to hide, so you need to go back through 

some of those rooms and look more thoroughly rather than 

just glancing. 

But too many healthcare providers managing patients with very 

credible chest pain don’t take that “second look in all the rooms.” 

The repolarization changes indicating acute ischemia (ST elevation) 

may not show up immediately and it is not too unusual for a patient 

who is indeed having an acute MI to have an initial ECG that shows 

nothing – even to an experienced electrocardiographer. It’s also 

possible that the reciprocal change may appear before the primary 

change of acute ischemia! What IS unusual, however, is for NO 

Bottom Line: You are going to need advanced ECG 

interpretation skills. 

4. Thinking that ST elevation is the only way 

to diagnose an acute MI! 

There are a number of acute myocardial infarctions that don’t 

always manifest with ST elevation: Wellens Syndrome, De Winter 

T waves, acute inferobasal (formerly “posterior”) infarctions, 

right ventricular infarctions, some proximal occlusions of the left 

circumflex artery (resulting in STE in Leads I and aVL which oppose 

simultaneous STE in Leads II, III and aVF) and some proximal 

Material submitted will be seen by those working within the public and private 

sector of the Ambulance Service, Air Ambulance Operators, BASICS Doctors etc. 

All submissions should be forwarded to 

If you have any queries please contact the publisher Terry Gardner via: 

info@mediapublishingcompany.com 

info@mediapublishingcompany.com 


signs of an acute MI to appear at all during the next hour or two. 

occlusions of a “wraparound” left anterior descending artery (also 

6 

7 


For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com

FEATURE 

FEATURE 

DISCUSSION: Discussion: WHERE Where IS Is the THE Occlusion? OCCLUSION? 



Figure 1 

Figure 1 (repeated) 


8 

I received 

some excellent, 

some 

well-thought 

excellent, 

responses 

well-thought 

and I was 

responses 

artery – you’re 

and 

right! 

I 

But 

was 

you still 

very 

haven’t 

impressed 

answered completely. 

with 

A 

the 

very impressed with the degree of advanced skill that many of 

superdominant right coronary artery can also produce ST elevation 

degree of advanced skill that many of you demonstrated. 

you demonstrated. 

subtle. All three coronary arteries can create ST elevations in 

more than one vascular area on the 12-lead ECG. 

There is ST elevation in the inferior (II, III, aVF) leads and ST elevation in all the precordial 

other. Apparently, the ST elevation in Lead III was greater than in Lead 

Intermediate leads, though Level the ST elevation in Lead V6 is quite aVL because subtle. Lead All III has three retained coronary some STE while arteries the STE in Lead can aVL 

has been totally neutralized. 

create ST elevations in more than one vascular area on the 12-lead ECG. 

OK… we’ve noted inferior ST elevation and anterior ST elevation. 

in the inferior leads and ALL the precordial leads. However, the ST 

elevation tends to be maximal in Lead V1 and diminishes as we follow 

the leads leftward (not the case here). Also, an occlusion of the RCA is 

Introductory Level 

not going to result in ST elevation of Leads I and aVL. Again, that is not 

Obviously, 

Introductory 

there is a lot of ST 

Level 

elevation on this ECG! We need to try to the situation here because we have ST elevation in both Leads I and 

make sense of it. One reader suggested acute pericarditis. Pericarditis aVL. You don’t see the ST elevation in Lead aVL? That’s because you 

is Obviously, characterized by there ST elevation is a that lot is of not ST restricted elevation to a particular on (or this ECG! need advanced We need level skills to to try see to it. make sense of it. One 

single) 

reader 

vascular 

suggested 

area on the ECG. 

acute 

While 

pericarditis. 

that finding is true, 

Pericarditis 

it is not as 

is characterized by ST elevation that is not 

specific as we would like. Acute ischemia can frequently involve 

restricted 

more than one 

to 

vascular 

a particular 

region. If you 

(or 

look in 

single) 

Lead V6 you 

vascular 

will see a 

area 

Advanced 

on the ECG. 

Level 

While that finding is true, it is 

gradual not as downsloping specific of the as TP we segment. would That like. is called Acute Spodick’s ischemia Sign You should can have frequently noted that, although involve there is ST more elevation than in the one 

and it is said to be characteristic of acute pericarditis. The problem is: inferior leads, Lead III has much less STE than Leads II and aVF. You 

vascular region. If you look in Lead V6 you will see a gradual downsloping of the TP 

this isn’t acute pericarditis! Thus, Spodick’s Sign is not always reliable also should have noted that there is ST elevation in Lead I which should 

as segment. a sign of acute That pericarditis. is Look called at those Spodick’s “tombstones” (massive Sign and be accompanied it is said by STE to in be Lead characteristic aVL – but there doesn’t of appear acute to be 

ST elevations) in Leads V2 – V4; you will never see ST elevation of that 

pericarditis. The problem is: this isn’t acute pericarditis! 

any in that lead. 

Thus, 

So we have 

Spodick’s 

two unexpected, 

Sign 

unexplained 

is not 

findings: 

always 

magnitude in acute pericarditis – never! 

less STE in Lead III than in Leads II and aVF and essentially no STE 

reliable as a sign of acute pericarditis. Look at those 

in Lead aVL 

“tombstones” 

while ST elevation is present 

(massive 

in Lead 

ST 

I. Could 

elevations) 

there be a 

There 

in Leads 

is ST elevation 

V2 – 

in 

V4; 

the inferior 

you 

(II, 

will 

III, aVF) 

never 

leads and 

see 

ST elevation 

ST elevation connection? of that Yes! magnitude And that connection in is acute the fact that pericarditis Leads III and aVL – 

in all the precordial leads, though the ST elevation in Lead V6 is quite are reciprocal to each other. Both have ST elevation but their systolic 

never! 

currents of injury are traveling in opposite directions (Lead III: down 

and to the right, Lead aVL: up and to the left) and thus cancel each 

Which vessel can cause ST elevation of BOTH those vascular areas? Let’s say two leads are reciprocal to each other, like Leads III 

If you answered a type 3 (“wraparound”) left anterior descending and aVL… 


Intermediate Level 

If one lead has acute ischemia with ST elevation and the other 

remains nonischemic, the nonischemic lead will act reciprocally 

and manifest the reciprocal changes of ST depression. 

However, if BOTH leads manifest acute ischemia with ST elevation, supports (but doesn’t prove) an occlusion proximal to D1 and distal to 

anterior 

then based on 

descending 

their relative locations 

artery 

to each 

– 

other, 

you’re 

the ST 

right! 

elevations 

But 

S1. 

you 

If haven’t 

still haven’t 

noticed it, look 

answered 

again before continuing. 

completely. A 

will cancel each other and it is possible that both leads will have 

3 (“wraparound”) LAD. Most people – between 75% to 80% – have 

and infarctions. 

located in the inferior wall caused by the occlusion of the LAD. So 

maybe it is and maybe it isn’t proximal to S1. 

OK… we’ve noted inferior ST elevation and anterior ST elevation. Which vessel can cause 

As advanced ECG nerds, you should have noticed something that 

ST elevation of BOTH those vascular areas? If you answered a type 3 (“wraparound”) left 

superdominant right coronary artery can also produce ST elevation in the inferior leads and 

normal-appearing ST segments! 

The first septal perforator supplies blood to the right bundle branch. 

ALL the precordial leads. However, the ST elevation Occlusions tends proximal to to S1 be will often maximal result in acute in Lead RBBB – a V1 very and 

Which artery is occluded and at which level is the 

ominous sign during an occlusion of the LAD. There is no RBBB 

diminishes as we follow the leads leftward (not the case here). Also, an occlusion of the 

occlusion located? 

present on this ECG. While that adds to the likelihood that the 

RCA is not going to result in ST elevation of Leads I and aVL. Again, that is not the situation 

occlusion is distal to S1 and proximal to D1, it unfortunately doesn’t 

The 

here 

infarct 

because 

related artery 

we 

(IRA) 

have 

– often 

ST 

referred 

elevation 

to as the “culprit” 

in both 

artery 

Leads 

prove 

I 

it. 

and aVL. You don’t see the ST elevation 

is the left anterior descending artery (LAD). In this case, it is a Type 

in Lead aVL? That’s because you need advanced level skills to see it. 

There is another issue with occlusions of a Type 3 (“wraparound”) 

a Type 3 LAD. It is by far the most common type of LAD and, when LAD: the ischemia causing the ST elevation in Leads I and aVL can 

occluded, can result in very complex, difficult-to-see acute ischemias – at times – perfectly cancel the ST elevation in Leads II, III and aVF! 

Advanced Level 

This will leave you with signs of acute ischemia only in the precordial 

leads. Now, the ischemic changes in the precordial leads of this ECG 

So, can we tell where the level of the infarction is located? We can are extremely impressive – but in other ECGs they may not be. In fact, 

definitely You should say that it have is proximal noted to the that, first diagonal although branch there (D1) is ST the precordial elevation leads in may the show inferior nothing more leads, than hyperacute Lead III T waves has 

because of the ST elevation that involves Leads V2 to V5, and the which could be missed by someone not as astute and skilled as you. 

much less STE than Leads II and aVF. You also should have noted that there is ST elevation 

ST elevation in Lead I (and presumably, Lead aVL). We used to think So, a proximal occlusion of a Type 3 (“wraparound”) LAD may appear 

that in Lead if ST elevation I which were present should in Lead be V1, accompanied then the occlusion was by STE like in a Lead minor, distal aVL occlusion – but when there – in doesn’t fact – it is quite appear large! to be 

automatically any in that proximal lead. to the So first we septal have perforator two branch unexpected, (S1). While unexplained findings: less STE in Lead III than 

that is often, if not usually the case, it still doesn’t represent 100% And remember: most people have a Type 3 (“wraparound”) LAD. 

in Leads II and aVF and essentially no STE in Lead aVL while ST elevation is present in Lead 

assurance of a proximal location. We normally confirm an occlusion Exactly the kind of comforting thought that keeps you on your toes, 

proximal I. Could to S1 there by presence be a connection? of ST depression in the Yes! inferior And leads, that isn’t connection it? The next time is you the see fact a patient that with Leads ACS type III chest and pain aVL – 

but we don’t have that opportunity here because of the acute ischemia but the ECG appears normal – remember this! 

are reciprocal to each other. Both have ST elevation but their systolic currents of injury are 

traveling in opposite directions (Lead III: down and to the right, Lead aVL: up and to the left) 

and thus cancel each other. For further Apparently, recruitment vacancies the ST visit: elevation www.ambulanceukonline.com 

Lead III was greater than in Lead 


9

NEWSLINE 


Air ambulance 

charity and property 

developers join 

forces to save lives 

Great Western Air Ambulance 

Charity (GWAAC) has joined 

hands with YTL Developments 

to make Brabazon the first 

heart-safe community in the 

South West. 

Brabazon is the new 

neighbourhood for Bristol that is 

being built on the historic former 

Filton Airfield, where GWAAC 

used to have its Emergency 

Air Base. 

The partnership is a 

groundbreaking commitment to 

community health and safety. 

YTL Developments will pay for 

and install defibrillators around 

the neighbourhood through 

GWAAC’s Great Western Hearts 

defibrillator programme. The 

lifesaving devices will be placed in 

strategic locations at 300-metre 

intervals across Brabazon. The 

aim is for residents of Brabazon 

to have an accessible defibrillator 

within a three-minute-return walk, 

helping to increase the chance 

of survival for someone suffering 

a cardiac arrest nearby by up 

to 70%. 

In addition, YTL Developments 

will also donate £100 for every 

house sold in the remainder of 

the first phase and the entirety of 

the second phase of new homes 

at Brabazon. 

Anna Perry, Chief Executive of 

GWAAC, says: “Our team of 

Paramedics and Consultant 

Doctors treat the most serious 

trauma and medical emergencies 

across the region. But we can't 

do this by ourselves. As a charity, 

we can only remain ready to 

respond thanks to the generosity 

of community and business 

partnerships like this with YTL 

Developments. 

“Through this partnership, the 

neighbourhood will benefit from 

a defibrillator within 300m of 

every house. Every resident 

will be given the opportunity to 

learn how to use these devices, 

alongside CPR. With this support 

in place, we could see survival 

rates for anyone suffering an outof-hospital 

cardiac arrest jump 

from less than 10% to nearly 70%. 

“Not only this, but the donations 

GWAAC receive for every house 

sale will support everyone across 

Bristol if they ever suffer medical 

emergency. The funds will help 

ensure our ‘flying hospital’ can 

come to those who need it most. 

YTL Developments are helping to 

give people the best chance on 

their worst day. “ 

GWAAC is one of three major 

charity partners with YTL 

Developments 

As Brabazon is one of the largest 

construction projects in the South 

West, YTL Developments has 

also forged a partnership with: 

• Lighthouse Construction 

Industry Charity, to help 

support mental health within 

the industry 

• Southern Brooks, a charity 

providing community 

development opportunities and 

health and wellbeing services 

that support individuals and 

communities 

“We’re committed to building 

thriving communities that work 

not only for today but for many 

generations to come. Our three 

charity partnerships are designed 

to form a comprehensive strategy 

that supports the mental health, 

physical safety and social 

wellbeing of our staff, our supply 

chain, residents and neighbours. 

Our partnership with the Great 

Western Air Ambulance Charity 

will be a UK first in providing 

a heart-safe community. With 

the support of the Lighthouse 

Club, we are seeking to tackle 

the scourge of poor mental 

health. And our partnership 

with Southern Brooks is already 

supporting new residents 

both at Brabazon and across 

North Bristol. 

"These three charity partnerships 

epitomise our Vision for 

Brabazon. We want to live up to 

the legacy of the community that 

built Concorde, stewarding this 

historic landmark and create an 

inclusive new community that 

will drive local prosperity for the 

next century.” 

Jon McDiarmid, Sales Director at 

YTL Developments 

London’s Air 

Ambulance Charity 

announces most 

successful gala in 

its history, raising 

£1.2 million. 

London’s Air Ambulance 

Charity hosted its largest ever 

single fundraising event on 

7 February raising a record 

£1.2 million at its gala at 

Raffles London. 

The charity is called to London’s 

most severe trauma cases, 

delivering life-saving emergency 

medical care at the roadside and 

conducting procedures usually 

only seen in a hospital. 

The money raised will go directly 

to support the charity’s ongoing 

appeal, “Up Against Time”. The 

campaign, the largest in the 

charity’s 35 year history, aims to 

raise £15 million to fund two new 

helicopters by Autumn 2024. 

Support has never been more 

needed. Despite the sum raised 

at the gala, the charity still needs 

to raise more than £5 million, 

with just eight months left of 

the appeal. 

The gala was attended by the 

charity’s royal Patron, His Royal 

Highness The Prince of Wales. 

The Prince met with doctors, 

pilots and paramedics from the 

service, speaking to the team 

about their life-saving work. As 

a former air ambulance pilot 

himself, His Royal Highness has 

seen the difference advanced 

trauma teams can make when 

time is short. 

The Prince also met Milana, an 

inspirational patient whose life 

was saved by the London’s Air 

Ambulance team in January 

2022. Later in the evening, Milana 

gave a powerful speech to the 

assembled guests, sharing her 

experience and talking movingly 

about her rehabilitation - for more 

information on Milana’s story 

see below. 

The event, held at Raffles London 

at The OWO, was hosted by Tania 

Bryer and Mark-Francis Vandelli 

and attended by a number of 

VIP guests, including Top Gun 

star Tom Cruise and Arsenal 

manager Mikel Arteta and saw 

entertainment from disco legends 

Sister Sledge. 

During a speech at the Gala 

Dinner, His Royal Highness 

The Prince of Wales said: 

“We gather tonight to help 

as many people as possible 

benefit from top class care in 

the silhouette of London’s Air 

Ambulance’s flying lifelines. 

As a former pilot for East Anglia 

Air Ambulance, I know just how 

vital the work of air ambulance 

teams across the country 

is, and the truly life-saving 

difference it can make to deliver 

urgent medical care wherever 

injury strikes. 

Here in London, the current 

aircraft have served magnificently. 

But our capital city needs a new 

fleet. And we are Up Against 

Time. The clue really is in the 

Appeal’s name. By September, 

we need the two new red birds - 

decked with the latest kit such as 

night vision - in our skies. 

You wouldn’t be here if you 

needed much persuading, I 

know. But just wait to hear 

Milana’s story later of how the 

Air Ambulance, and its incredible 

teams, have given her a second 

chance at life. 

Anyway, an enormous thank you 

to all for being here tonight and 

for supporting such a wonderful 

cause. You are all, each and 

every one of you, lifesavers.” 

Jonathan Jenkins, CEO of 

London’s Air Ambulance 

Charity said; 

“Every day London’s Air 

Ambulance is up against time 

to save lives in London. Our 

helicopters get to the scene 

within 11 minutes to deliver 

lifesaving care. But it has become 

increasingly difficult to operate 

them. We have a discontinued 

model and there is a lack of spare 

parts available worldwide. 

We cannot operate an emergency 

service if we need to wait for 

months to replace a part. When a 

life is on a line, we simply cannot 

afford to lose time. 

That is why the support at this 

evening’s event will help save 

lives in London; by raising this 

money we move closer to our 

fundraising target of £15million so 

we can replace our helicopters. 

We are honoured to have the 

support of HRH The Prince of 

Wales and have him attend the 

Gala tonight. We would like to 

thank our Patron, and those 

who made the evening possible, 

including our Philanthropy Board 

and sponsors Chopard, Hinduja 

Foundation, Corsair, Akademy 

Club and Viaro Energy. Their 

belief in our cause means we can 

continue to be there for everyone 

in London, whenever they 

need us.” 

London’s Air Ambulance delivers 

an advanced trauma team, made 

up of a doctor and paramedic, 

to bring the hospital to the scene 

via helicopter or rapid response 

car when time is of the essence. 

The expert teams can reach 

anywhere in London in under 

11 minutes. 


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Primarily funded by charitable 

donations, the service is also 

run in partnership with Barts 

Health NHS Trust and the 

London Ambulance Service 

NHS Trust. Barts Health NHS 

Trust provides the doctors, some 

financial support and the helipad 

facilities at The Royal London 

Hospital. The London Ambulance 

Service NHS Trust provides the 

paramedics and the emergency 

infrastructure to dispatch the 

service 24 hours a day. 

Milana’s story 

On 17 January 2022, Milana – a 

mother of two – accidentally fell 

from a great height in London. 

Her life took a turn that no one 

could prepare for. 

London’s Air Ambulance was 

dispatched and arrived at her 

side within minutes, the first on 

scene. Our advanced trauma 

team found Milana barely 

alive. She was critically injured, 

extremely pale, breathing very 

quickly with only palpable central 

pulses, cold and in a lot of pain. 

She also had no recordable blood 

pressure and her heart rate was 

over twice the normal rate. 

The crew sited intravenous 

access to administer strong 

painkillers. They suspected 

Milana was severely bleeding 

internally in her abdomen and 

from a life-threatening pelvic 

fracture. She had broken her 

ribs on her left side, puncturing 

her lung, and had broken her left 

ankle to such an extent it was 

stopping the blood supply to 

her foot. The team also noticed 

that Milana was not moving her 

lower limbs at all. They suspected 

she had unfortunately suffered a 

spinal cord injury. 

Once off the ground onto a 

trolley bed, having had a pelvic 

splint applied, Milana received a 

blood transfusion – something 

only London’s Air Ambulance’s 

team can administer on scene 

in London. The team also 

administered a roadside general 

anaesthetic to take over her 

breathing and performed a 

surgical procedure to the left 

side of her chest to re-inflate 

her punctured lung. Both these 

procedures ensured Milana could 

get maximum oxygen to her vital 

organs, especially her brain. 

The team then rang the nearest 

major trauma centre and 

declared a code red. A code 

red is an early warning to the 

receiving hospital team, to 

prepare them for a patient who is 

severely injured and has got lifethreatening 

bleeding. On the way 

to hospital the crew performed 

an ultrasound scan of Milana’s 

abdomen which confirmed their 

suspicion of internal bleeding. 

The team accompanied Milana to 

hospital, where they handed her 

over to an awaiting trauma team. 

“When I woke up from my coma, 

I thought I was in a nightmare. 

Doctors were telling me what had 

happened, but I didn’t believe 

it was real,” said Milana. “I was 

waiting for someone to pinch me 

to wake me up properly so I could 

return to my normal life.” 

For the following 10 months, 

Milana remained in hospital. Her 

spinal cord injury had resulted 

in paralysation from her waist 

down. “For the first three months 

I struggled to accept this new 

reality. But when I realised it was 

real, I said to myself I have to 

work out how to do this. 

“First I have to heal physically and 

then find my way out of hospital 

and back home. I have to return 

home to my boys.” 

Through 12 surgeries and months 

of intensive rehabilitation, Milana 

worked tirelessly on her recovery 

with dedication and tenacity. 

“I had to find a new way of living. 

I had to learn how to do the 

daily things you don’t even think 

about in a wheelchair, like getting 

dressed and getting onto a bed. 

But I wanted to do it for my 

children, I wanted to be at home 

with them for Christmas. They 

were my driving force. 

“An inspiring woman said to me 

that it is not the accident that 

happens to you that defines 

you, but how you respond to 

the challenges.” 

Surrounded by unconditional love 

and fuelled by determination to 

overcome the challenges ahead 

of her, Milana progressed through 

rehab and returned home to her 

family, where she lives today. 

“I vividly remember my first breath 

of fresh air after removing my 

respiratory breathing tube and 

seeing my first sunrise since the 

accident – so many shades of 

pink, orange and blue. We can 

get caught up in life sometimes, 

but I was reminded never to take 

anything for granted. 

“Something really dreadful 

happened that day, but at the 

same time, a miracle happened 

and from that point onwards so 

many stars aligned to help me 

survive. London’s Air Ambulance 

being first on the spot and 

then the NHS for the following 

months. I am grateful for every 

day, minute and second. Being 

alive is a privilege and I am 

so thankful to all the medical 

teams that have given me the 

opportunity to be here. The 

courage and professionalism of 

London’s Air Ambulance’s crew 

was incredible.” 

After a year of being back at 

home, living her life with her 

children and husband, Milana is 

full of thanks for everyone who 

has been a part of her journey. 

“Two things made this impossible 

journey possible for me. The 

immense love I received from 

my husband, my children, my 

parents, brother, sister and 

friends. And of course all the 

doctors and nurses that attended 

to me. London’s Air Ambulance: 

the first to arrive and help me. 

Those first minutes were the most 

crucial. The charity made my 

recovery possible.” 

Milana was already aware of 

London’s Air Ambulance Charity 

before her accident – she had 

attended one of our events in 

2019 and subsequently joined the 

charity’s gala committee. 

“I was taken aback by the charity 

when I first heard about it. It’s an 

inspirational service – you really 

do save lives.” 

She played an instrumental role in 

organising the 2022 gala – which 

went on to raise over £1 million on 

the night – but hadn’t been able 

to attend as was still in hospital 

at the time. Instead, she followed 

the evening through a video call 

from her hospital bed! 

“I am best placed to say that this 

really can happen to anyone. I 

wouldn’t wish it to happen to 

anybody ever. But if it does, we 

need to make sure London’s Air 

Ambulance can be there to save 

their life too.” 

In February 2024, just two years 

after her accident, Milana spoke 

at our 2024 gala, bravely sharing 

her journey with the guests. 

“Speaking at the gala is part of 

my journey, another milestone 

for me,” she beamed. “This is an 

opportunity to say thank you to 

everyone who supported me. 

“Something tragic happened to 

me. But from that point onwards, 

so much good happened and I 

am so thankful to London’s Air 

Ambulance Charity for that. 

“There is no rewind button in life, 

so we have to look forward and 

that is what I’m doing. Together, 

tonight, we can make sure that 

London’s Air Ambulance Charity 

is able to give another person 

that chance.” 

Royal Engineers from 

Kinloss Barracks join 

forces with HELP 

Appeal helipad charity 

for first time to bring 

lifesaving helipad to 

Isle of Gigha. 

Once completed the HELP 

Appeal and 39 Engineer 

Regiment could construct 

more helipads in Scotland to 

speed up remote communities’ 

access to hospitals in medical 

emergencies. 

For the first time, the Corps of 

Royal Engineers, and the HELP 

(Helicopter Emergency Landing 

Pads) Appeal, the only helipad 

charity in the country, will be 

working together to build a 

much-needed emergency helipad 

on the community owned Isle 

of Gigha. 

Gigha is located on the most 

southerly Hebridean Islands, 

three miles west of the Kintyre 

peninsula and around a threehour 

drive from Glasgow followed 

by a 20-minute sailing on a 

ferry. Whilst there is a regular 

ferry service, Gigha is still a 

remote and rural community, 

and its inaccessibility can be 

problematic particularly during a 

medical emergency. By having 

Rendering Controlled Drugs Irretrievable for Use 

SaferDenature Controlled Drug denaturing kits will render unused, waste or expired medicines 

irretrievable prior to disposal via pharmaceutical waste streams in line with current legislation * . 

Simple, easy-to-use, instructions on every kit 

Small 250ml kit for convenient use in the field 

Suitable for use with tablets, capsules, liquids, 

aerosols or patches 

The water soluble sachet contains the 

formula granules to guard against accidental 

spillage and user contamination 

Larger kit volumes available for expired 

stock clearance 

a permanent, purpose-built 

helipad at Gigha Airfield, the 

Scottish Air Ambulance and 

larger coastguard helicopters can 

land and take off at any time on 

the island, transporting critically ill 

patients to the most appropriate 

major trauma centre or A&E 

hospital on the mainland. 

Jane Millar, from The Isle of Gigha 

Heritage Trust, approached the 

HELP Appeal for support. By a 

happy co-incidence the charity 

had also been contacted by 39 

Engineer Regiment in Kinloss, 

Scotland, asking if there was 

a helipad project it could be 

involved with to gain exercise 

experience of building emergency 

platforms. 39 Engr Regiment 

are the MOD’s high readiness 

air support Engineer force and 

the regiment strive to improve 

its understanding of helicopter 

infrastructure so it can react 

without delay to the needs of 

defence across the world. 

Purchase at NHS supply chain: 

my.supplychain.nhs.uk/catalogue or www.alphalabs.co.uk/safer-denature 

Phone: 023 8048 3000 • www.alphalabs.co.uk 

In 2002, the Gigha islanders 

managed to purchase the 

island for £4 million under the 

Community Right to Buy scheme. 

They now own it through the 

Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust, 

which has teamed up with the 

HELP Appeal and 39 Engineer 

Regiment to coordinate the 

project. Currently the island 

operates on a “landing strip” of 

grass, which is a highly unsuitable 

surface for its volunteer 

ambulance service when 

escorting patients to a helicopter. 

It can become waterlogged and 

muddy delaying their transfer to 

lifesaving treatment at a hospital 

on the mainland. 

Robert Bertram, the HELP 

Appeal’s Chief Executive has 

agreed to fund the cost of the 

project - £150,000 - and 39 

Engineer Regiment in conjunction 

with local contractors, will 

build the helipad. It will be 

operational by April 2024. Once 

*The misuse of Drugs 

Regulations 2001 


12 


01 Safer Denature - Ambulance UK - Jan 2024.indd 1 10/01/2024 14:27:14 


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completed the HELP Appeal 

and 39 Engineer Regiment 

could construct more helipads 

in Scotland to speed up remote 

communities’ access to hospitals 

in medical emergencies. The 

HELP Appeal is also dedicated 

to partnering with other Royal 

Engineer regiments, to make 

helipads a reality on islands 

across England and Wales. 

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive 

of the HELP Appeal says: “Gigha 

needs this helipad now as there 

is only one surgery on the Island 

with no Doctor, so thanks to our 

supporters, funding is available 

immediately and with the Royal 

Engineers on board I’ve no 

doubt that construction will be 

as efficient as possible ensuring 

it opens this Spring. Once built, 

the community will never have to 

fear that ground conditions will 

let them down again and they 

can be sure of a swift transfer off 

the island to hospital whenever 

they need it. I’m excited that this 

unique partnership will provide 

lifesaving access to hospital in 

an emergency.” 

Captain Paddy Bryden of 

39 Engr Regt says: “53 Field 

Squadron, is part of 39 Engineer 

Regiment, and we are delighted 

to be involved with this project. 

Our role in supporting military 

helicopters has many similarities 

to the construction of civilian 

helicopter infrastructure, and 

this opportunity offers valuable 

training for our specialist 

tradespeople. As a Regiment 

we are grateful to be afforded 

the opportunity to give back 

to our rural areas and having 

been born and raised in the 

Highlands myself, I recognise the 

disproportionally positive impact 

improved infrastructure can have 

on communities such as Gigha. 

We hope there might be future 

training opportunities for the Regt 

to work with the HELP Appeal 

team when our schedule allows.” 

Jane Millar, Business 

Development Manager of the 

Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust says: 

“We are completely amazed by 

this opportunity with the HELP 

Appeal and Royal Engineers. The 

issues with the existing airfield 

have been raised for years, but 

there never seemed to be a viable 

solution for the community Trust 

to take forward. We know how 

difficult the current situation has 

been for our local emergency 

services, so this project will 

hugely support their work, and 

ensure safe access to hospital for 

our community. To receive this 

level of support from the HELP 

Appeal and the Royal Engineers 

has been incredible.” 

Gigha resident, Maurice Forster, 

53, agrees after he was airlifted 

to the HELP Appeal funded 

Queen Elizabeth University 

Hospital helipad in Glasgow 

in December 2023 following a 

medical emergency. Maurice 

was taken to intensive care 

immediately after landing. He 

says, “The emergency services 

were amazing, as was the 

coordinator between them all. 

Within 20 minutes, I had arrived in 

Glasgow. The Air Ambulance is a 

crucial service, and a permanent 

landing pad in Gigha will make 

it even more seamless for 

our community.” 

The HELP Appeal has funded 

or is funding 15 helipads in 

Scotland, including at the Queen 

Elizabeth University Hospital in 

Glasgow, Raigmore Hospital 

in Inverness, Edinburgh Royal 

Infirmary and Campbeltown 

Hospital. The charity has also 

donated £200,000 towards 

portable landing lights for 

Scotland’s Air Ambulance Service 

for 20 island locations across 

Scotland. It has funded 45 

helipads across the UK, which 

have seen over 27,000 landings. 

Midlands Air 

Ambulance Charity 

Hosts European 

Trauma Course 

Twenty-four doctors and 

advanced clinical practitioners 

from across the country 

travelled to Midlands Air 

Ambulance Charity’s new 

airbase and headquarters, 

to join 15 faculties from 

across UK & Ireland at the 

European Trauma Course (ETC) 

in September. 

The three-day course, at the 

charity’s new facility on the 

Shropshire / Staffordshire border, 

brought together clinicians from 

key hospital specialties involved 

in the immediate stabilisation of 

major trauma patients on arrival 

in hospital, focusing on technical 

and non-technical skills required 

to optimise patient care. Running 

for over ten years, the course 

covers key aspects of trauma 

management, such as advanced 

airway management, head injury, 

paediatric injury, spinal injury 

and more. 

Hosted in Midlands Air 

Ambulance Charity’s new 

clinical training suite, the course 

included scenario workshops, 

each focusing on specific areas 

of trauma, growing in complexity 

to meet patient needs as the 

course progressed. In addition, 

the charity’s immersive simulation 

suite, supported by The Kildare 

Trust, was utilised throughout 

the training, using the charity’s 

facilities and equipment that is 

some of the best available in 

the industry. 

Adam Low, pre-hospital 

emergency medicine doctor at 

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity 

and Medical Director for this 

European Trauma Course, said: 

“The ETC provides a valuable 

team-based approach to 

immediate trauma management, 

providing an environment to 

learn technical and non-technical 

skills that are integral to real life 

situations. It was a privilege to 

be able to host the course-at our 

state-of-the-art clinical training 

suite, inviting fellow advanced 

clinical practitioners for training 

to support the wider quality of 

trauma care nationally.” 

After receiving a positive response 

from the group of delegates that 

attended, the charity is hoping to 

host another European Trauma 

Course in spring 2024. 

Learn more about the 

European Trauma Course at 

europeantraumacourse.com 

To make an inquiry about booking 

a bespoke training course at 

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, 

please contact education@ 

midlandsairambulance.com. 

Learn more about the charity by 

visiting midlandsairambulance. 

com or by following the charity on 

social media. 

EEAST team first in 

country to win global 

quality certification 

A team at the East of England 

Ambulance Service NHS 

Trust (EEAST) has won an 

international quality standard. 

EEAST has a dedicated team 

that maintains the Trust’s medical 

devices. Medical devices are 

lifesaving essentials such as: 

• defibrillators, 

• ventilators, 

• patient monitoring, 

• and oxygen equipment. 

The certification process provides 

an enhanced level of assurance 

to patients, staff and volunteers. 

It includes an audit of the quality 

and documentation systems for 

the whole lifecycle of the Trust’s 

medical devices - from purchase, 

deployment, servicing and 

ultimately disposal. 

EEAST is the first ambulance 

service in the UK to receive 

the global ISO 13485:2016 

accreditation for medical devices. 

Katie Birkenhead, Head of 

Medical Devices said: 

“This certification is a fantastic 

achievement for the team, 

they have all worked incredibly 

hard and it is a credit to their 

commitment. 

“ISO accreditation has been 

an ambition of mine for many 

years, and I’m proud that we’ve 

successfully delivered our goal.” 

Picture: Andrew Macdonald – 

Clinical Engineering Manager; 

Matt Kent – Clinical Engineering 

Technician; Charlotte Ennew 

– Medical Devices Assurance 

Manager; Neil Hogg – Clinical 

Engineering Technician and 

Paige Hogg – Clinical Engineering 

Support with their ISO 

certification. 

Falls partnership for 

Ambulance Service 

and Cambridgeshire 

Fire and Rescue 

Service 

People who have fallen in 

their homes will benefit from 

a new partnership between 

Cambridgeshire Fire and 

Rescue Service and East of 

England Ambulance Service 

NHS Trust. 

The partnership is a 12-month 

pilot which will see four 

Community Wellbeing Officers 

work across Cambridgeshire 

responding to calls from people 

who have fallen. 

The Community Wellbeing 

Officers completed a three-week 

emergency responder training 

with EEAST to learn the skills 

required for their role. 

Falls can account for up to 20% 

of the ambulance service’s calls 

and although some patients will 

require hospital treatment, many 

simply need to be helped to their 

feet and checked over to make 

sure they are safe to be left at 

home. Currently, if a person falls 

at home and has no injuries, they 

could have a long wait for an 

ambulance to become available. 

The new partnership aims to free 

up ambulance crews to attend 

the most seriously ill people in 

Cambridgeshire and this new 

programme aims to send a 

Community Wellbeing Officer 

within an hour of the call. 

Cambridgeshire Fire Service 

Station Commander Scott 

Fretwell, Community Risk 

Manager said: “We are excited 

to be working in partnership 

with East of England Ambulance 

Service Trust to introduce 

community wellbeing officers. 

“The collaboration will help to 

save lives, enhance patient 

experience and subsequently 

improve community welfare. 

When they are not responding to 

calls, the community wellbeing 

officers will be visiting homes of 

the most vulnerable people in our 

communities to help them stay 

safe from fire and other risks such 

as slips and falls. 

“We are looking forward to 

seeing the positive impact of 

this new partnership over the 

coming months.” 

Tom Barker, EEAST Community 

Response Manager said: 

“We’re delighted to be part 

of this collaboration with 

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue 

Service which aims to improve 

the speed of response and 

increase support for people who 

have fallen in their homes. 

“The people we’ll be responding 

to are the vulnerable members of 

our communities who will not only 

benefit from a quicker response 

to help them back on their feet, 

but also the person-centred 

home safety check that will be 

carried out at the same time. 

“I am confident that this 

programme will see real benefits, 

for not only for the ambulance 

service, but more importantly to 

our vulnerable members of our 

community who we want to make 

sure are safe in their homes.” 

How the scheme will work 

When a call is received by EEAST 

via 999 or 111 to a person who 

has fallen it will be clinically 

assessed by the EEAST control 

room. If the patient doesn’t have 

any injuries, it will be assigned 

to the Community Wellbeing 

Officers. The officers, who will 

be working in pairs, will then be 

dispatched to the address to 

safely get the patient off the floor. 

The officers will then discuss the 

patient’s condition with a clinician 

in the EEAST control room to 

ensure the patient can be safely 

left at home. 

Once the officers have assisted 

the patient, they will also carry 

out a tailored home safety check 

to ensure their smoke alarms 

are working and will also help to 

reduce risk of fire or further falls 

(loose rug, old slippers, steps 

without hand rails). 

The aim of the partnership is to 

allow paramedics to be available 

for serious medical emergencies, 

while making vulnerable residents 

safer in their homes. 

Photo caption: Joshua Berrisford, 

Tom Barker, Jo Fletcher, Scott 

Fretwell and Megan Cantwell 

Successful jockey 

finds “second 

calling” with the 

ambulance service 

A former professional jockey 

who rode for Her Late Majesty 

Queen Elizabeth II and football 

legend Sir Alex Ferguson has 

found his “second calling” with 

the East of England Ambulance 

Service (EEAST). 

Thomas Brown, 31, rode 123 

winners as a jockey with his 

biggest success coming in 2016 

on a horse called Educate in 

the prestigious John Smith’s 

Cup at York – the feature race 

on a raceday which attracted 

over 35,000 people and was 

broadcast live on Channel 4. 

One of Thomas’ other winners 

was for Sir Alex Ferguson at 


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Ascot and he also achieved a 

third place aboard a horse in 

the royal silks when he was an 

apprentice jockey. 

But injuries saw Thomas give up 

his jockey’s licence in 2017 and 

a knee injury in a football match 

in 2022 left him unable to ride 

horses for three months. 

During his rehabilitation he 

considered a career outside of 

horse racing and consulted with 

a career adviser at JETS – the 

Jockeys Education and Training 

Scheme. They identified a career 

with the ambulance service to 

help fulfil Thomas’ desire to be 

outside meeting new people 

every day and providing a similar 

adrenaline rush to being a jockey. 

JETS arranged for Thomas 

to meet EEAST paramedics 

providing medical cover at 

a raceday at Newmarket so 

he could find out more about 

working for the ambulance 

service. 

They told Thomas he could 

retrain to work for the ambulance 

service without a university 

degree, as internal career 

pathways within EEAST would 

allow him to progress from 

an entry level position as an 

emergency care assistant to 

become a paramedic. 

Thomas successfully applied 

to become an emergency 

care assistant working in the 

Bury St Edmunds area and 

started in March 2023. He was 

on the road in an ambulance 

working alongside a qualified 

paramedic after six weeks of 

intensive training. 

Celebrating his year anniversary 

at EEAST, Thomas says he 

looks forward to every shift and 

his ambition is to become an 

emergency medical technician 

and then a paramedic. 

He said: 

“I feel incredibly proud to wear 

the green uniform and work for 

the ambulance service. 

“I had some great days as a 

jockey, but it feels like I have 

found my second calling at 

EEAST and I’m loving every 

minute of it. 

Successful jockey finds 

“second calling” with the 

ambulance service 

“To see the difference you make 

to patients is incredible. It’s a 

good feeling when you see the 

relief on a patient’s face when 

you arrive on scene and it’s even 

better when you make them 

more comfortable. 

“Becoming a paramedic is the 

eventual goal but I’m taking 

things one step at a time and 

enjoying learning new skills from 

supportive colleagues who want 

you to do well. 

“Working in the ambulance 

service has matured me a lot and 

given me a wider perspective 

on life.” 

Jemma Varela, head of clinical 

operations in Suffolk and North 

East Essex, said: 

“Thomas is an excellent example 

of someone starting in the 

ambulance service later in life 

and seeing a career pathway to 

progress and do well at EEAST. 

“Working for the ambulance 

service is incredibly rewarding 

and it’s great that Thomas loves 

his job and feels he has found his 

second calling.” 

Thomas is sharing his story of 

how he joined EEAST at the start 

of National Careers Week. He will 

be taking part in a Q&A session 

on EEAST’s Instagram account 

on Thursday 7th March from 

12pm to 2pm alongside a fellow 

emergency care assistant. 

He also speaks at seminars to 

young apprentice jockeys about 

his riding career and his second 

career with the ambulance 

service, discussing the skills he 

was able to transfer from horse 

racing to the ambulance service. 

He said: “JETS has given me 

so much help in supporting me 

into a career that I love, so it’s 

important I give something back 

to them by sharing my experience 

and what I have learned from it. 

“When I was starting out in 

racing aged 16, I never thought 

of anything other than being a 

jockey. I now encourage people 

to think about your options if 

a career as a jockey doesn’t 

work out.” 

Pilot programme 

gives volunteers 

a pathway to join 

East of England 

Ambulance Service 

A new programme run by the 

East of England Ambulance 

Service provides a direct route 

for volunteers to start a career 

with the ambulance service. 

The ‘Volunteer to Career’ 

programme provides training for 

people to get the skills needed to 

begin full time roles at EEAST. 

And the course now has its 

first success stories, with 

graduates Grant Harvey and 

Matt Sharp taking up new roles 

as emergency care assistants 

in Ipswich and Hellesdon 

respectively in April. 

Grant and Matt were two of 11 

people on the NHS Englandfunded 

pilot programme and 

joined EEAST as volunteer 

community first responders after 

receiving induction training. 

The students then shadowed 

ambulance crews and call 

handlers in an emergency 

operations centre to see which 

role would suit them best, before 

being trained to kickstart a career 

in that role. 

In Matt and Grant’s case it was 

a career in frontline operations 

that appealed most and they 

undertook more clinical training to 

complete the course. 

Grant also completed the 

four-week course to drive an 

ambulance on blue lights – the 

certificate in emergency response 

ambulance driving (CERAD) – so 

will be ready to hit the ground 

running when he joins the Trust 

in April. 

The programme offers no 

guarantee of a job, but everyone 

on the course is supported 

throughout and secures 

qualifications that enhance their 

career prospects. 

Matt joined the programme from 

the care industry having long 

wanted to pursue a career with 

the ambulance service, while 

Grant had previously been a 

lorry driver. 

The programme has support from 

Helpforce, a charity which aims to 

accelerate the growth and impact 

of volunteering in health and care. 

It is hoped that the early success 

of the programme will lead to 

it being continued and provide 

another pathway for people to 

join EEAST. 

Vikki Darby, a leadership 

development manager at EEAST 

who led up the programme, was 

delighted to hear the news that 

Grant and Matt had secured jobs. 

She said: 

“It has been a privilege to support 

everyone on the pilot of the 

Volunteer to Career programme 

and I was ecstatic to hear Matt 

and Grant had been successful in 

their applications to join the Trust. 

“The teamwork across the 

organisation to help launch 

this programme has been 

phenomenal and ensured it has 

been a success. 

“Grant and Matt securing jobs at 

EEAST shows that the pathway 

works and we are looking to 

continue and develop this 

programme.” 

Grant said: 

“I would recommend this 

programme to anyone who is 

thinking about working in the 

ambulance service. 

“It takes a lot of effort and 

sacrifices as there are many hours 

of studying, but it gives you a real 

sense of achievement when you 

have completed all the courses. 

“The support from everyone 

involved with the programme 

has been fantastic and it gives 

volunteers a real insight into 

working at the ambulance service 

before committing to the job 

full time.” 

Matt said: 

“The support from Vikki and 

her team this on programme 

is exceptional. I can’t thank 

them enough. 

“The course was challenging but 

very rewarding and you always 

felt supported. 

Save more lives with 

the SPR 

“I feel incredibly lucky to be the 

first to have gone through this 

route to secure a job.” 

Photo caption: From volunteers 

to a career at the ambulance 

service, Matt Sharp (left) and 

Grant Harvey who have secured 

jobs at EEAST after completing 

the Volunteer to Career 

programme; they are pictured 

with Vikki Darby, leadership 

development manager. 

£1 million boost for 

wireless innovations 

to improve patient 

care 

Highest 

IP66 

Rating 

Trials of new wireless 

technologies to help improve 

patient care and strengthen 

connectivity in A&Es and 

ambulance bays are set to 

launch across seven NHS 

trusts, following new funding 

from NHS England. 

Around £1million in total has been 

awarded to seven trusts as part 

of NHS England’s Wireless Trials 

programme, which seeks to make 

the most of cutting-edge wireless 

technologies to provide the best 

care and experiences for patients, 

while freeing up more staff time to 

spend with their patients. 

Manchester University NHS 

Foundation Trust will trial an 

innovative approach of combining 

satellite and cloud-based wireless 

solutions to enhance connectivity 

across their 10 hospital sites and 

wider community services. 


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Mid Cheshire and Princess 

Alexandra Hospital NHS trusts 

will use the funding to install 

wireless trackers on medical 

equipment and hospital beds, 

which allow real-time monitoring 

and location tracking so that staff 

can easily find what they need, 

when they need it. 

The North West and East of 

England ambulance services 

trusts will also roll out improved 

wireless connections in A&E and 

ambulance areas, speeding up 

the transfer of essential patient 

care data from ambulances 

to hospitals. 

Another project run by Sussex 

Community NHS Foundation 

Trust will introduce a new 

app that allows staff to take 

observations on tablets and 

smartphones by a patient’s 

bedside, reducing the time spent 

typing up patient notes and 

providing more time to spend 

with patients. 

A trial at the Countess of Chester 

NHS Foundation Trust will 

wirelessly link modern diagnostic 

devices with the trust’s electronic 

patient records system, speeding 

up assessment time for patients. 

Stephen Koch, Executive 

Director of Platforms, NHS 

England, said: “I have been 

impressed with the innovative 

ideas coming from the system 

and we are delighted to be able 

to award this funding to the 

successful trialists to develop 

new or improved wireless 

solutions for the NHS. 

“We’ll be monitoring the 

outcomes of the trials and are 

very hopeful that a number of 

these will be able to be scaled 

more broadly across the health 

and social care system saving 

clinical time, improving patient 

care and saving money for 

the system.” 

Dan Prescott, Group 

Chief Information Officer, 

Manchester University NHS 

Foundation Trust, said: “As 

one of the country’s largest NHS 

trusts, it’s essential that we can 

provide continuous patient care 

with minimum disruptions. With 

the Wireless Trial we’re aiming to 

create a reliable, fast and secure 

network access solution to 

address unexpected connectivity 

issues, even in areas of poorconnectivity. 

This is vital in 

supporting key initiatives for our 

staff and giving our patients the 

best possible care.” 

Previous wireless trials included 

the development of University 

College London Hospitals’ Find 

and Treat service, which uses 

high-tech tools and software 

to provide real-time remote 

diagnosis and referrals on board 

a mobile health unit. The service 

provides remote screening, 

testing and treatment for 

vulnerable, homeless, and highrisk 

people in London. 

Another trial led to South London 

and Maudsley NHS Foundation 

Trust becoming the first 

5G-connected hospital in the UK. 

This Wireless Trials programme 

aims to provide NHS 

organisations with the capability 

they need to deliver the 

challenging digital ambitions set 

out in the NHS Long Term Plan. 

The trialists will benefit from 

funding for their project, advice 

and guidance from NHS England, 

and the opportunity to collaborate 

with like-minded organisations. 

NHS England will also capture 

best practice from successful 

trialists and share this across the 

wider NHS. 

Applications for the next series of 

wireless trials will open later this 

year. More details are available on 

the Connectivity Hub. 

College of 

Paramedics 

Granted Charter 

of Incorporation 

The College of Paramedics is 

thrilled to announce that we 

have been granted the Charter 

of Incorporation by His Majesty 

King Charles III. 

The Royal Charter was granted 

to the College in recognition 

of its objectives to inspire 

and enable all paramedics to 

participate in the profession 

within an environment based on 

safety, collegiality, inclusiveness, 

mental and physical wellbeing 

and innovation. 

The issue of the Royal Charter 

represents an important 

milestone in the development 

of the College of Paramedics, 

provides recognition for the 

profession, gives strength to our 

professional voice and leadership 

and offers our members a 

moment of immense pride. 

It also cements the College 

in perpetuity, meaning that 

there will always be a College 

of Paramedics for the future, 

supporting and guiding the 

profession forevermore. 

Chief Executive of the College 

of Paramedics, Tracy Nicholls 

said: “I am delighted we have 

been able to achieve this on 

behalf of our members, and to 

strengthen the College for the 

future. Gaining the Royal Charter 

is the first step towards being 

granted the title ‘Royal’ but our 

journey to increase leadership 

and development across our 

profession has a solid foundation 

for future chartered titles and 

more scope for development 

of paramedics.” 

President of the College of 

Paramedics, Jon Price said: “I am 

extremely proud that the College 

of Paramedics has received this 

level of recognition, and this 

represents a monumental effort 

from a large number of people 

who have tirelessly worked with 

the College since its inception to 

get us to this point. 

“The College has been 

recognised as a well-run charity 

whose purpose brings value, 

not only to its members but 

the nation as a whole. It is also 

recognition for every paramedic 

in the UK and beyond, in 

whatever professional setting 

you work, that your contribution 

to the profession is absolutely 

acknowledged and valued.” 

The College of Paramedics began 

life as the British Paramedic 

Association on December 14, 

2001, when it was established 

as the professional body for 

paramedics in the UK. Three 

years later, the organisation 

rebranded itself the College of 

Paramedics and within 15 years 

of its inception, the College had 

10,000 members. This figure has 

continued to grow over the years 

and today stands at more than 

20,000 members. 

Since its early days, the 

College has been instrumental 

in developing the paramedic 

profession and was responsible 

for writing the first standards 

of proficiency for paramedics 

in 2004, introducing the British 

Paramedic Journal, presenting 

the first paramedic curriculum 

framework in 2006, raising 

the threshold for entry to the 

Health and Care Professions 

Council’s register to degree 

status and achieving independent 

prescribing for paramedics. 

More recently, thanks to the 

College’s work with Public Health 

England and NHS England Public 

Health Commissioning and 

Operations, it was announced 

in September 2023 that primary 

care paramedics would be able 

to undertake the training required 

to become sample takers in 

the NHS Cervical Screening 

Programme. 

Several of these achievements 

occurred under the presidency 

of Dr John Martin, who has been 

a member of the College since 

2004 and was president between 

2017 and 2023, and who has 

been invaluable in guiding the 

College on its path to Royal 

Charter status. 

Dr John Martin, currently 

Chief Executive of South 

Western Ambulance Service, 

on secondment from his 

role as Chief Paramedic and 

Quality Officer and Deputy 

Chief Executive at London 

Ambulance Service said: “This 

is a fantastic acknowledgment 

that paramedics have become 

a key part of society delivering 

as a trusted profession to 

patients. The recognition through 

a Royal Charter confirms this 

proactmedical.co.uk 

and means the College of 

Paramedics will now be in place 

to support ongoing development 

for generations to come. It’s 

excellent news!” 

HELP Appeal makes 

fifth £250,000 

donation to British 

Association for 

Immediate Care 

(BASICS) 

Since 2019, its donations have 

enabled 79 grants to be made 

to BASICS’ schemes across 

the country 

Over the past five years, the 

HELP Appeal has donated a 

total of £1,250,000 to the British 

Association for Immediate Care 

(BASICS), which distributes 

individual grants to schemes, 

made up of medical, nursing and 

paramedic volunteers, who give 

up their free time to be on call to 

help NHS Ambulance Services. 

Thanks to the HELP Appeal, 

79 grants have been made to 

schemes, which have been used 

to purchase: 

• 8 Response vehicles 

• 172 Covert blue light and 

siren systems for emergency 

responders 

• 28 Safety equipment for 

vehicles, such as tyres, 

equipment cages and 

safety cameras 

• 32 Communications and 

satellite navigation equipment 

• 236 Personal protective 

equipment including helmets, 

flame retardant/all-weather 

high-vis safety wear and boots 

• 64 Specialist equipment bags 

• 21 Advanced monitor/ 

defibrillators 

• Specialist monitoring 

Metal Max COMBI 50 Laryngoscope System 

equipment 

• 23 Ultrasound equipment 

• 25 Emergency driver training 

• 150 Specialist pre-hospital 

training 

The HELP Appeal’s latest (and 

fifth) donation of £250,000 will be 

distributed amongst 14 schemes 

in 2024 to help cover the cost 

of PPE, covert blue light and 

siren systems for emergency 

responders to ensure teams can 

arrive quickly at an emergency 

incident, kit bags and clinical 

equipment including defibrillators, 

ultrasound machines and cardiac 

resuscitation devices. The latest 

schemes to receive a grant are: 

• BASICS Devon 

• BASICS Essex 

• BEEP Doctors (Cumbria) 

• Beds and Herts Emergency 

Critical Care Scheme 

• BRAVO Medics (Bristol 

and Avon) 


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• East Midlands Immediate 

Care Scheme 

• MERS Accident and Rescue 

(Midlands) 

• North East Immediate Care 

Scheme 

• North Staffordshire BASICS 

• North West Pre-Hospital 

Critical Care Charity 

• Suffolk Emergency Medical 

Charity 

• Swift Medics (Wiltshire, 

Swindon and Bristol) 

• SCAS BASICS (Hampshire) 

• West Yorkshire Medical 

Response Team 

Tony Kemp, Chief Officer of 

the British Association for 

Immediate Care, says: 

“As volunteers, our teams have 

little time to dedicate to the 

essential task of fundraising, 

neither do they have the skillsets 

and experience. The annual HELP 

Appeal donations are an absolute 

lifeline providing much needed 

vehicle, training and specialist 

equipment to our volunteer 999 

responders. Today, critical and 

enhanced care as provided by 

BASICS responders is much more 

costly as it requires much more 

advanced specialist equipment 

both for the patient’s benefit and 

to keep our volunteers safe and 

well prepared for their role.” 

Robert Bertram, Chief 

Executive of the HELP 

Appeal adds: 

“Thanks to our supporters’ 

generosity, we have been able 

to focus on saving time and 

lives by enabling grants to be 

made to these incredible teams 

of medical volunteers who help 

in emergency incidents – often 

being first on the scene to treat 

a critically ill patient. The new 

equipment and PPE that will be 

purchased, can only strengthen 

their services across the country 

helping to save even more lives.” 

Mersey Care 

becomes first NHS 

Trust to eliminate 

Hepatitis C for more 

than six months 

The team, based at Brook 

Place in Liverpool, has now 

been free of Hepatitis C within 

their service users for the 

last eight months. It’s a virus 

which can cause serious and 

potentially life-threatening 

damage to the liver and is 

particularly common among 

more deprived communities, 

including those who have a 

history of substance abuse. 

They reached such a consistency 

by testing almost everyone 

registered with the service, no 

matter what risks they have 

been exposed to, and regularly 

reviewing their risk status and 

date of their last test. 

“All our Brook Place staff 

have been retrained on Hep 

C understanding, testing and 

offering harm reduction advice 

and risk of re-infection prevention 

information,” explained Hayley 

Curran, Recovery Co-ordinator 

at Brook Place. “That includes 

giving out safe needle exchange 

cards that we created and 

offering advice on not sharing 

equipment like toothbrushes, 

razors and pipes. 

“It’s a remarkable achievement 

and has taken a lot of hard work 

from everyone who works in the 

team. We know the virus is at its 

lowest levels in this country for 10 

years, but the discipline required 

to eliminate it from our service 

users for eight months is really 

exceptional.” 

Maintaining the elimination of 

Hep C has been a collaborative 

approach with Gilead Sciences, 

Hepatitis C U Later, the Hepatitis 

C Trust and Mersey Care’s 

Operational Delivery Network 

nurse, who is based at the 

Royal site of Liverpool University 

Hospital. The joined up approach 

has proved vital in providing the 

best standard of care to patients. 

According to the latest figures 

provided by the UK Health 

Security Agency (UKHSA) last 

year, Hepatitis C is most common 

among some of the most 

deprived areas in the country, 

so eliminating the virus helps 

towards Mersey Care’s aim of 

reducing health inequalities. 

This helps improve the service 

users’ physical health and 

increases positive outcomes, 

which also aids their recovery 

from substance abuse by 

becoming more in control of their 

health and care provided. 

The highly specialist team at 

Brook Place also provide a wide 

variety of services and are not, 

despite common belief, just 

a substitute prescriber. They 

provide a recovery focused 

service to people living in 

Liverpool who have problems 

using opiates and deliver 

clinics for Chronic Obstructive 

Pulmonary Disease (COPD), 

Spirometry testing, Hep C testing, 

sexual health and wound care. 

NHS apprenticeship 

‘truly changed 

my life’ 

A former greengrocer has 

described how an NHS 

apprenticeship “truly changed” 

his life and set him on the path 

to becoming a nurse. 

At the start of National 

Apprenticeship Week, Steven 

Jewell, aged 42, who left school 

at 15 with no qualifications, 

told how he recently completed 

the Registered Nursing Degree 

Apprenticeship and now works at 

Lancashire and South Cumbria 

NHS Foundation Trust. 

After a range of jobs, including 

owning a greengrocer shop, he 

changed careers and joined the 

NHS as a healthcare support 

worker, before starting his 

apprenticeship. 

The NHS is the nation’s biggest 

trainer of apprentices, with more 

than 20,000 starting last year. 

Apprentices are a crucial part of 

the NHS Long Term Workforce 

Plan and NHS England aims to 

triple the number being trained by 

2030, so they make up more than 

one in five new recruits. 

Steven said: “Without the 

apprenticeship, I would never 

have been able to go to university 

or be in the position I am today. 

At nearly 40, being afforded the 

opportunity to earn a salary while 

taking a degree level course with 

blended work-placed learning, 

truly changed my life. 

“The apprentice route has 

enabled me to go from 

greengrocer to registered 

mental health nurse in just over 

four years. I am now in a job I 

love, helping other people, as 

well as changing my life for the 

better. Don’t ever think you are 

too old or not smart enough. 

Apprenticeships provide all of us 

with equal opportunities to our 

peers, and enable us to change 

course in life - we just have to 

want it.” 

Apprenticeships offer routes into 

many of the more than 350 NHS 

careers, meaning people can 

“earn while they learn” - working 

for their local NHS, but without 

having to go to university first. 

This includes a range of higher 

or degree apprenticeships 

(equivalent to foundation, full 

Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees), 

including nursing. 

And the Medical Doctor Degree 

Apprenticeship pilot, due to 

be launched this year, is the 

first of its kind in the world and 

an important step forward in 

helping to attract a wider range 

of candidates to medicine. It will 

initially be delivered with three 

Higher Education Institutes. 

NHS apprenticeships also include 

a variety of entry-level roles 

including support staff – helping 

employers attract talent from 

local communities and ensuring 

people from all backgrounds 

get the chance to pursue a 

rewarding career. 

With the increased focus on data 

and move to electronic patient 

records there is also a focus on 

digital apprenticeships to attract 

new talent into tech roles in the 

NHS, with opportunities ranging 

from Data Technician to Artificial 

Intelligence Data Specialist. 

Professor Mark Radford, 

Director of Long Term 

Workforce Plan Delivery 

and Education, and Deputy 

Chief Nursing Officer at NHS 

England, said: 

“Apprentices are at the heart of 

our Long Term Workforce Plan, 

to put staffing on a sustainable 

footing and improve patient care. 

“Apprenticeships are a fantastic 

tool, not only to attract new talent 

to the NHS but also to develop the 

skills of the existing workforce. 

“Our ambition for apprenticeships 

is to continue to build on the 

fantastic success of the expansion 

to date and provide an alternative 

route to careers such as nursing 

and Allied Health Professions. 

Working with UCAS from 2025 

young people will also be able to 

apply for apprenticeships at the 

same time as traditional degree 

programmes.” 

Health Minister Andrew 

Stephenson said: 

“I am delighted to see the NHS 

has emerged as the country’s 

top trainer of apprentices – with 

over 20,000 starting last year - 

showing just how many people 

continue to value a career in the 

health service. 

“Apprentices are an integral part 

of the NHS’ Long Term Workforce 

Plan. We’re committed to 

boosting training for clinical staff 

through apprenticeships over the 

coming years, as we continue 

to deliver long term change for a 

brighter future. 

“The introduction of the 

groundbreaking Medical Doctor 

Degree Apprenticeship will further 

widen participation from underrepresented 

backgrounds — 

inspiring more people to pursue 

their dreams while allowing them 

to earn while they learn.” 

Minister for Skills, 

Apprenticeships and Higher 

Education Robert Halfon said: 

“The NHS serves the nation’s 

health needs every single day and 

apprenticeships are a crucial way 

for the health service to get the 

staff it vitally needs. NHS England 


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is one of our Top 100 apprentice 

employers, and embraces both 

apprenticeships and T Levels 

as great ways to get skilled 

healthcare workers. 

“Apprenticeships are crucial 

to giving people from all 

backgrounds the chance to 

climb the ladder of opportunity 

and it’s fantastic news that they 

plan to recruit one in five of their 

employees as apprentices by 

2030. The NHS understand the 

apprenticeship levy and use it 

well, and I hope more employers 

follow their lead and experience 

the benefits of apprentices for 

themselves.” 

Jennifer Coupland, chief 

executive of the Institute for 

Apprenticeships and Technical 

Education (IfATE), said: 

“It’s brilliant to see that so many 

people are reaping the benefits 

of world class apprenticeships, 

designed by employers. They 

are popular across the country 

and with a really good variety of 

occupations.” 

NHS staff experience 

improving, according 

to world’s largest 

workforce survey 

The experiences of staff 

working in the NHS in England 

have improved across a range 

of important areas, including 

to new results from the world’s 

largest workforce survey. 

Compared to the previous 

survey in 2022, staff are 

markedly more likely to say 

that they would recommend 

their organisation as a place 

to work; that they would be 

happy with the standard of 

care provided if a friend or 

relative needed treatment; and 

that they have the right support 

and resources to do their jobs. 

However, results for many key 

measures of staff experience 

remain below pre-Covid levels. 

Results from the NHS Staff 

Survey, which was coordinated 

by the independent charity 

Picker on behalf of NHS 

England, included responses 

from more than 700,000 NHS 

staff working across more than 

200 organisations. The survey 

included all directly employed 

staff in secondary and tertiary 

care organisations, ranging from 

consultants to care assistants 

and from porters to paramedics. 

Questions in the survey cover 

all aspects of work experiences, 

with a particular focus on those 

described by NHS England’s 

People Promise. 

The survey showed large 

improvements in a range of 

important areas. Two headline 

measures that had fallen since 

2020 showed signs of recovery: 

the proportion of staff who would 

recommend their organisation 

as a place to work jumped 

3.7% points to 61.1%, whilst 

the 65.0% said that they would 

be happy with the standard 

of care provided by their 

organisation if a friend or relative 

needed treatment, a 2.0% point 

improvement on 2022. Results 

for both measures remain below 

the pre-Covid levels recorded 

in 2019, which were 63.4% and 

71.5% respectively – but NHS 

providers will be encouraged 

by the scale of improvements 

in 2023. 

Some of the most striking 

improvements in the survey 

were around workload and 

resources. After declines on 

most of these questions in 

2021 and 2022, results are now 

equal to or higher than they 

were before the pandemic in 

2019. For example, 46.7% of 

staff said that they are “able to 

meet all the conflicting demands 

on their time at work”; a 3.7% 

improvement from 2022, and 

0.7% higher than in 2019. There 

was an even bigger improvement 

in the proportion who said that 

there are enough staff in their 

organisation for them to do their 

job properly – up 6.0% points 

from 26.4% in 2022 to 32.4% in 

2023. The concern remains that 

only a minority of staff agreed 

with these statements – but the 

improvements are substantial 

and demonstrate good progress 

in an area that has long been 

challenging. 

The 2023 survey was conducted 

during September, October, and 

November 2023. This was several 

months after freshly agreed 

pay deals were implemented 

for most staff groups – but 

at a time when junior doctors 

and consultant remained in 

dispute. Overall, satisfaction with 

pay improved by 5.6% points 

compared to 2022 – but remains 

low at 31.2%. Perhaps reflecting 

ongoing disputes, trends differ 

for different staff groups: whilst 

most are now more satisfied with 

pay than in 2022, the proportion 

of medical and dental staff who 

were satisfied with their pay fell by 

4.5% points to 32.0% - continuing 

a steep decline from a high of 

56.9% in 2020. 

This year, the survey included 

a new question asking staff 

whether they had “been the 

target of unwanted behaviour of 

a sexual nature in the workplace”, 

either from patients and the 

public or from colleagues. 

The definition of “unwanted 

behaviour” is broad, including 

inappropriate conversations and 

‘jokes’ as well as touching and 

assault. Overall, 8.7% of staff – 

equivalent to more than 120,000 

people when scaled to the size 

of the workforce – reported 

being the target of unwanted 

sexual behaviour from patients 

and the public. Unsurprisingly, 

this figure was much higher for 

staff in roles that are frequently 

patient-facing (11.5%), and there 

was significant variation between 

different staff groups. The 

highest rates were reported by 

ambulance technicians (36.1%) 

and paramedics (32.2%). 

Commenting on the findings, 

Chris Graham, Chief Executive 

at Picker, said: “The results 

from the 2023 NHS Staff 

Survey provide welcome good 

news for providers, as they 

show frequently substantial 

improvements across many 

of the most important areas 

of workforce experience. This 

follows a period of time where 

staff experience had suffered in 

the wake of the pandemic, and 

– whilst in many cases results 

have not yet returned to the prepandemic 

level – it is encouraging 

to see these improvements in 

staff engagement and wellbeing. 

“With more than 700,000 

responses nationally, the 

survey is a goldmine of insight 

for organisations wishing to 

understand the experiences of 

their staff. Beneath the national 

level, it offers detailed evidence 

on the experiences of different 

staff and demographic groups 

within trusts – and we encourage 

all providers to delve deep into 

the data to understand how 

different parts of their workforce 

experience working life. There 

is much room for further 

improvement and an opportunity 

to build on progress over the 

last year to make the NHS the 

best possible place to work. 

This should be a top priority for 

organisations, both because 

better workforce experience 

is associated with a range of 

positive outcomes – including 

better patient experiences, 

lower sickness absence rates, 

and higher staff retention – and 

because the people working hard 

to deliver a person centred health 

service deserve to see that care 

reciprocated.” 

Critically ill 

grandmother thanks 

medics for ‘gift of 

life’ and chance 

to meet her first 

granddaughter 

A woman who survived a 

cardiac arrest has thanked 

paramedics for giving her 

the chance to meet the 

granddaughter born as she 

fought for her life. 

At an emotional reunion at 

Isleworth Ambulance Station, 

Sue Whitham, 62, who lives 

in Hanworth in west London, 

thanked the ambulance crews 

and 999 call handler who came 

to her rescue when she suffered 

a sudden cardiac arrest at home. 

Sue left work one night at St 

Mary’s University in Twickenham 

telling colleagues ‘I think my 

granddaughter will be born this 

weekend’. She promised to call 

with news, but that night her 

heart suddenly stopped beating. 

She said: “Thankfully my husband 

Julian knew how to do chest 

compressions and instinctively 

knew that I wasn’t breathing. 

Within seconds he saw I was 

turning blue. 

“Fortunately we had our phones 

nearby so my son Jordan and his 

partner Emma could call as we 

were expecting their daughter 

Sienna to be born at any moment 

and we were on standby to look 

after their little boys.” 

Julian dialled 999 and call handler 

Mattie Wright was there for him 

on the other end of the line to 

offer life-saving advice. She 

counted with him so he could 

perform chest compressions 

on Sue. 

Julian said: “Within seconds I 

JOIN THE TEAM 

knew Sue was gone and I could 

tell there was no sign of life. Mattie 

was brilliant and her calming voice 

encouraged me to keep going 

with chest compressions.” 

Isleworth, Hanwell and New 

Malden ambulance crews 

including Jade Bank, Jack 

Denham, George Simpson, 

Annie Davies and Nichaela Coyle 

arrived at the scene quickly. 

Advanced paramedic Andy 

Parker was also dispatched to 

assist in stabilising Sue. 

Julian added: “The crews took 

over resuscitation and a couple of 

them took me into another room 

and kept me away so I couldn’t 

see what was going on. I was in 

a terrible state of shock.” 

It took an hour to stabilise Sue 

before ambulance crew George 

and Annie took her to St George’s 

Hospital in Tooting. 

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Sue suffered another cardiac 

arrest on her way to St George’s 

and was immediately taken to the 

hospital’s heart centre. She had 

tiny tubes, called stents, inserted 

into the blood vessels around her 

heart to allow the blood to keep 

flowing through. 

Doctors on the intensive care unit 

put Sue into a medically-induced 

coma for several weeks so they 

could drop her body temperature 

down to allow her recover. 

Sue said: “When I was brought 

out of the coma I didn’t know 

what had happened to me and 

couldn’t believe I had a fourweek-old 

granddaughter. 

“I didn’t even know Sienna had 

been born as I thought I had 

woken up the next day. It’s an 

absolute miracle that I’m here. 

I’ve been told my heart failed 

several times and I’m so grateful 

the ambulance crews didn’t give 

up on me. 

“I was determined to get strong 

again so I could walk Sienna in 

the park and shop for baby things, 

which four months on, I can now 

do. The hospital medics at St 

George’s were also incredible.” 

Sue, who already has four little 

grandsons she adores, added: 

“I’ve been gifted another life. I had 

longed for a granddaughter and 

when we found out about her I 

was just so excited for a little girl.” 

Mattie Wright, 999 Emergency 

Call Handler at London 

Ambulance Service, said: “I was 

utterly overjoyed to hear of Sue’s 

incredible recovery, and it was an 

honour to be able to meet Sue 

and her family. I definitely cried 

when I met them. 

“I hope Sue, Julian and their 

newly expanded family enjoy 

every single moment they can 

squeeze from life.” 

Julian said: “It was wonderful to 

meet Mattie and the paramedics 

who helped saved Sue. As a 

family, we are eternally grateful 

to them.” 

Sam Wilcox, Community 

Defibrillation Manager at 

London Ambulance Service, 

said “Knowing what to do when 

someone is in cardiac arrest and 

having the confidence to act 

quickly will save lives. 

“The first few minutes before an 

ambulance arrives can make all 

the difference. Over 75 percent of 

cardiac arrests happen at home, 

so by learning these simple 

skills, you could save someone 

you love.” 

Dr Jonathan Aron, Consultant 

in Intensive Care Medicine at 

St George’s Hospital, said: “It’s 

wonderful to hear that Sue has 

continued to do so well since 

leaving our care, and it was a 

privilege to have played such 

a vital part in her treatment 

and recovery. 

“Patients who have suffered 

heart attacks and acute heart 

failure like Sue need immediate 

attention. This was an incredible 

response from everyone – from 

Sue’s family, to the call handler 

and paramedics, to the multiple 

teams of staff at St George’s 

and beyond.” 

Two ambulance 

medics a day kicked, 

punched, and spat at 

in London 

Physical violence against 

ambulance crews in London 

has soared by nearly 40% in 

the past year, shocking new 

figures can reveal. 

Fresh data released by London 

Ambulance Service in February 

has laid bare the appalling 

increase in abuse against 

ambulance staff, with cases 

surging from 523 in 2022 to 

728 in 2023. That’s a 39 per 

cent increase. 

The staggering figures show 

instances of kicking, punching, 

spitting or attacking with a 

weapon affect two ambulance 

medics a day. 

Pauline Cranmer, Chief 

Paramedic at London Ambulance 

Service, said: 

“These shocking figures reveal a 

very, very sad state of affairs. 

“Our ambulance crews and 

call handlers work tirelessly 

day in and day out to care for 

Londoners and treat each patient 

with respect. Abuse of any form 

can have a profound impact on 

our staff and won’t be tolerated. 

“On the whole, abusive patients 

are just a small number of the 

people our medics see every day, 

and sometimes violent behaviour 

arises as a consequence of a 

medical condition. However, I 

want to urge the public to treat 

our staff with kindness and 

respect while they go about their 

very busy shifts. 

“We have invested £3 million in 

fitting our ambulances with safety 

systems to protect our staff and 

created a dedicated violence 

reduction team to encourage 

reporting and ensure abusers are 

brought to justice. 

“Staff and volunteers feel 

increasingly confident to come 

forward and trust they will be 

supported through our own 

teams and the courts.” 

Last November, London 

Ambulance Service called for 

violence against ambulance 

staff to stop when it released 

video footage of a paramedic 

getting pushed out the back of an 

ambulance by an abusive patient. 

The paramedic was shown 

crashing to the ground and 

landing hard on his elbow as the 

patient walked straight past him, 

displaying no reaction. 

The patient was promptly 

arrested and has since been 

convicted and ordered to pay the 

paramedic compensation. 

The London Ambulance Service 

paramedic said: “I’m glad this 

went to court because it reminds 

people this is an unacceptable 

way to treat us and needs to 

be stopped. 

“We come to work to help 

people, not for this. I always wear 

a body-worn camera now and I 

make sure I’m never alone with 

some patients who I think might 

be a risk.” 

The Service has dedicated 

Violence Reduction Officers who 

encourage colleagues to report 

all incidents of abuse while also 

supporting them through the 

court process. Over 70% of staff 

who experience abuse currently 

report it and the Trust continues 

to improve its reporting culture. 

While many offenders never to 

go to court on medical grounds, 

there have been 38 successful 

prosecutions since April 2023. 

As part of the £3 million 

investment in safety measures, 

the Service fit its ambulances 

with panic buttons linked to 

a recording device and new 

monitors that can help staff see 

the outside of the vehicle, as well 

an electronic tracking to help 

police arrive even faster. 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

In recent years, LAS joined 

ambulance services across 

the country to launch a “Work 

Without Fear” campaign to 

promote a no-violence culture 

and help create a safer work 

environment for front-line staff 

and volunteers. The campaign 

encourages staff and volunteers 

to report all incidents of abuse 

and violence rather than accept it 

as ‘part of the job’. 

Celebrating 10 years 

of MERIT doctors 

in the ambulance 

service 

The beginning of March 

marked the 10th anniversary 

of North West Ambulance 

Service’s (NWAS) Medical 

Emergency Response Incident 

Team (MERIT). 

comprises a committed group 

of doctors who support incident 

commanders during major, mass 

casualty, and complex incidents 

across the region. 

MERIT doctors contribute to 

command and clinical decisionmaking 

processes. The team 

provides medical advice, 

coordinates on-scene medical 

assets, and helps us get the right 

care to patients involved in largescale 

incidents. 

Bringing together a diverse range 

of specialties, each team member 

offers expert knowledge and 

experience in their respective 

practice areas. Supporting NWAS’ 

response to incidents such as 

uncontrolled chemical releases, 

large-scale road traffic collisions, 

fires, or civil disorders, MERIT 

doctors work on an on-call basis 

to provide medical expertise 

The team, set Ambulance up in UK.pdf March 1 2014, 20/03/2024 10:25:56 across the region at any time. 

Save lives - 

spread the road 

safety message 

Reflecting on a decade of service, 

MERIT Manager Dr Craig Hooper 

remarked: “People may not 

necessarily be aware that there 

are doctors who work within 

the ambulance service. The 

past 10 years have showcased 

MERIT’s invaluable contribution in 

responding to complex, largescale 

incidents. The dedicated 

team work seamlessly with our 

command and clinical leadership 

colleagues. They provide 

essential advice and ensure 

medical resources are given to 

those in need.” 

NWAS was among the first 

ambulance services in the nation 

to establish a bespoke team of 

As ambulance crew with a professional driving or riding qualification, join our road safety 

community. Become an IAM RoadSmart member to access a range of benefits and influence 

road users with your skills, knowledge, and experience. 

JOIN TODAY 

Visit iamroadsmart.net/ambulanceuk 

or call us on 0300 303 1134. 

@IAMRoadSmart 

@iam_roadsmart 


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doctors of this nature. 

One of the longest-serving 

MERIT doctors, Dr Theo Weston, 

added: “Working within MERIT 

for ten years complements my 

other medical practices, offering 

valuable insights and allowing me 

to contribute meaningfully to the 

ambulance service. It has been 

a privilege to be part of such an 

important and national leading 

organisation - there are very 

few similar schemes like MERIT 

throughout the country and it 

has been great to be a part of 

that journey.” 

Each MERIT doctor possesses 

a certificate of completion of 

training in either general practice 

or specialties such as emergency 

medicine, anaesthesia, critical 

care, and surgery. 

Find further information 

about MERIT by visiting 

nwas.nhs.uk/careers. 

Pic caption - MERIT doctor 

(centre) getting involved in 

incident command training 

SECAmb NHS 

Staff Survey 

shows significant 

improvements 

South East Coast Ambulance 

Service NHS Foundation Trust, 

(SECAmb), is pleased to see 

significant improvements in its 

results in the yearly national 

NHS Staff Survey. 

The 2023 survey, published 

by NHS England today, 

(7 March), saw SECAmb record 

improvements across all nine 

themes explored by the survey’s 

questions and improved 

scores to almost all individual 

questions. The Trust’s scores 

have also improved more, 

year-on-year, than others in the 

ambulance sector. 

Close to 2,800 colleagues, (some 

60 per cent of staff), completed 

the voluntary survey – the fourth 

consecutive year more than 60 

per cent have participated. 

The results include: 

• 62 per cent said they were 

enthusiastic about their job – an 

increase of 5 per cent on 2022 

• 60 per cent of staff said that 

care of patients/service users is 

a top priority – an improvement 

of 8 per cent since 2022 

• 53 per cent said they felt safe 

to speak up about anything that 

concerns them – also an 8 per 

cent improvement on 2022 

• 62 per cent of staff said that, 

if a friend or relative needed 

treatment, they would be 

happy with the standard of 

care provided – a 10 per cent 

improvement on 2022 

While welcoming the marked 

improvements in results, 

SECAmb recognises the need 

for further work across all areas 

of the Trust and is committed 

to evaluating the results of 

the survey to drive further 

improvements. 

SECAmb Chief Executive, Simon 

Weldon, said: “I’d like to thank 

each and every colleague who 

took the time to complete the 

survey. While we want to hear 

everyone’s views throughout the 

year, the national staff survey is an 

extremely valuable tool where we 

can gain feedback, of any kind, to 

ensure we continue to improve, 

and respond to the things that are 

important to our staff. 

“There is much to be positive about 

in these results but I recognise that 

there is still a lot of work to be done 

to ensure we are where we need to 

be as an organisation for both our 

staff and patients. 

“I would like to take this 

opportunity to thank colleagues 

for everything they do, dayin, 

day-out, to respond to our 

patient’s needs. They should 

be very proud of the work they 

do and I am committed to 

ensuring their work environment 

is everything it should be so that 

they can thrive in their roles.” 

The SECAmb results in full can be 

found via the following link: NHS 

Staff Survey Benchmark report 

2023 (nhsstaffsurveys.com) 

Clinical hubs 

benefiting patients 

and reducing 

demand on A&E 

Two clinical co-ordination hubs 

set up as trials by South East 

Coast Ambulance Service NHS 

Foundation Trust, (SECAmb), 

in partnership with NHS Trusts 

in Kent, have been extended 

having delivered positive 

early results. 

The hubs, established in Autumn 

last year, in the Trust’s Paddock 

Wood and Ashford operational 

areas, involve multi-discipline 

teams from across the Kent 

healthcare system joining 

SECAmb Paramedic Practitioners 

to ensure 999 calls are receiving 

the most appropriate response. 

By reviewing appropriate 999 

calls, the hubs are helping 

to reduce pressure on A&E 

by guiding patients to the 

most appropriate service and 

supporting ambulance crews at 

the scene of an incident. 

Based at the Trust’s Ashford and 

Paddock Wood Make Ready 

Centres, SECAmb teams are 

joined by emergency department 

consultants and clinicians from 

East Kent Hospitals University 

NHS Foundation Trust, Maidstone 

and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 

and urgent care teams, including 

the Home Treatment Service at 

Kent Community Health NHS 

Foundation Trust. 

In the 15 weeks since the 

beginning of October last 

year, the West Kent Clinical 

Coordination Hub has made 

more than 1,400 contacts with 

crews and discharged more 

than 200 patients on scene. It 

has help avoid conveyance to 

an emergency department for 

more than 500 patients where 

the original plan was to convey; 

supported 79 medical Same 

Day Emergency Care (SDEC) 

referrals and 19 surgical SDEC 

referrals; arranged 90 GP in ED 

appointments; and referred 191 

patients directly into a home 

treatment team. 

The Ashford Integrated Care 

Hub has enjoyed similar success 

since its launch at the beginning 

of November 2023. Over the 

last three months it has made 

more than 1,500 contacts with 

ambulance crews and discharged 

more than 600 patients on 

scene. It has also arranged more 

appropriate care for more than 

800 patients who were due to 

attend an emergency department. 

The hub has supported more than 

100 medical SDEC referrals and 

more than 100 Urgent Community 

Response (UCR) referrals. Some 

180 GP in emergency department 

appointments have been arranged 

and the team has referred 

approximately 250 patients directly 

into a home treatment team. 

SECAmb Operations Manager 

for Ashford, Nakai Redman 

said: “The first three months the 

hub has been in operation have 

been extremely encouraging. 

The results have shown that 

by having a multi-discipline 

approach to reviewing 999 calls, 

we can improve the response and 

ultimately the care we provide the 

local community. 

“We have also seen a significant 

improvement in work satisfaction 

from colleagues as they finding 

they are more often being sent 

to emergencies where they can 

make a difference and help 

patients with the support of 

shared decision making.” 

SECAmb Practice Development 

Lead and the Trust’s lead at 

the Paddock Wood hub, Sean 

Edwards said: “Our clinical 

coordination hub is a true 

collaboration between acute 

and community services that 

is directly benefitting patients, 

ensuring they can be seen in 

the right place, first time for 

their condition, and reducing 

unnecessary ED attendances. 

Furthermore, Ambulance crews 

have access to senior clinicians 

to aid in complex decision 

making, ensuring patient safety 

and improving the quality of care 

we can provide our patients in 

West Kent.” 

New cards to help 

deliver instant 

patient feedback 

Patients will soon be able to 

instantly provide feedback on 

the care given to them with the 

introduction of new feedback 

cards on every South East 

Coast Ambulance Service 

(SECAmb) ambulance. 

The small business cards, which 

are expected to be on board 

ambulances in the coming 

weeks, feature a QR code 

allowing patients to scan it with 

a smart device, if they have one. 

The QR code will then take them 

to SECAmb’s Patient Experience 

Questionnaire which is also 

hosted on its website. 

Giving a card means that if a 

patient doesn’t have a smart 

device or they don’t feel well 

enough to provide their feedback 

at the time they are being cared 

for, they can take the card with 

them and provide their feedback 

at a later time. 

The cards provide an additional 

way of gathering patient 

feedback with the only previous 

way for people to officially 

provide feedback being through 

contacting the Trust’s patient 

experience team. 

Recognising that obtaining 

feedback via the questionnaire 

from patients is very reliant on 

them having a smart device or a 

computer, it is not the only way 

patients can share their views as 

we still welcome people’s letters, 

cards and calls to our patient 

experience team who ensure 

patient feedback is captured and 

shared appropriately. Details of 

how to get in touch can be found 

on the Trust’s website: Patient 

Advice & Liaison - PALS - NHS 

South East Coast Ambulance 

Service (secamb.nhs.uk) or by 

calling 0300 1239 242 

SECAmb Patient Engagement 

Lead, Vikki Baldock said: “Having 

this instant feedback will be really 

valuable and is just one approach 

we are taking to give patients to 

communicate with us about the 

service they receive. 

“We understand that this 

approach may exclude some 

groups of people so we 

absolutely continue to welcome 

the more traditional approach of 

getting in touch with our patient 

experience team. 

“The questionnaire offers an 

informal approach to providing 

feedback as people are not 

required to provide personal 

information about themselves 

unless they wish to, and for which 

there is a free-text field to allow 

for this.” 

SECAmb recently introduced its 

community forums which have 

allowed patients to share their 

experiences about our services 

as well has learn more about 

what we’re doing to improve the 

care we provide. 

Anyone who would like to learn 

more about SECAmb’s patient 

engagement work or would 

like to get involved, is asked to 

email engagementteam@ 

secamb.nhs.uk 

Volunteer film 

highlights 

importance of 

bystander CPR 

A short film highlighting the 

importance of bystander 

CPR and the use of public 

access defibrillators has been 

produced by Tonbridge and 

Tunbridge Wells Community 

First Responder, (CFR), team. 

The volunteer team is one of 

close to 60 teams which is 

trained by and works with South 

East Coast Ambulance Service, 

with responders attending certain 

emergencies and providing vital, 

often life-saving care to patients. 

The awareness film was 

produced in partnership with 

local video production company, 

Digitom, based in Tunbridge 

Wells, after the CFR team 

successfully applied to be the 

company’s Charity of the Year – 

part of which includes benefiting 

from a free video production 

package to promote their cause. 

The film sees a reconstruction 

where a man collapses in a 

shopping centre and requires 

cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 

(CPR), and a shock from a public 

access defibrillator to save his life. 

The film concludes with a twist, 

when it’s revealed its narrator 

is 27-year-old cardiac-arrest 

survivor and local Maidstone 

resident Frankie Turner. 

Frankie’s life was saved by the 

quick-thinking of husband, 

Nathan, who commenced 

CPR and the attending 

ambulance clinicians. 

Data shows that sadly fewer than 

10 per cent of patients survive 

to 30 days after experiencing an 

out-of-hospital arrest. 

Prompt bystander CPR and early 

defibrillation is key to increasing 

out-of-hospital cardiac arrest 

survival rates. 

Tonbridge and Tonbridge Wells 

CFR Team Leader, Fergus 

Chalmers, features in the film. He 

is passionate about increasing 

awareness of the importance 

of bystander CPR and breaking 

down anxiousness around using 

a public defibrillator. 

Fergus said: “We were delighted 

to be selected as Digitom’s 

Charity of the Year and be given 

the opportunity to work with 

them to create this awareness 

film of what people should do 

should they discover someone in 

cardiac arrest. 

“As a team we teach many 

members of the public how to 

save a life and it is a skill everyone 

should possess and we hope this 

film helps others learn and have 

the confidence to act. 

“In the event of someone not 

breathing, it is vital that chest 

compressions are commenced 

as quickly as possible, someone 

calls 999 and, if directed to do so, 

collects a defibrillator and follows 

the instructions of the 999 call 

operator and the machine itself. 

“Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests 

are a community issue, and 


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NEWSLINE 


anyone could be called upon in 

their lives to play a key role in an 

attempt to save a person’s life.” 

Frankie added: “It was an honour 

to be involved in this awareness 

video, the message is so 

important and something I have 

become passionate about in the 

last year following my cardiac 

arrest. You genuinely never know 

when you’ll need to perform CPR, 

and this video is great for helping 

people understand how straight 

forward and vital CPR and the 

use of a public defibrillator is. 

“The current survival rates of 

out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are 

shocking, I hope this video gives 

people the confidence to help 

should they ever be faced with a 

similar situation.” 

To watch the follow this link: 

https://youtu.be/oywaqEXre4c 

‘Is going home in one 

piece too much to 

ask?’ – Paramedic 

steps down after 

assault 

A PARAMEDIC who was 

verbally abused and spat at as 

she tried to help a patient has 

decided to leave her job. 

Julie Owen, a Welsh Ambulance 

Service Paramedic in Colwyn 

Bay, said the attack by a patient’s 

daughter has left her ‘hyper 

aware’ of threats. 

While Julie has undergone 

counselling, she says she is no 

longer interested in the job she 

once loved. 

The 56-year-old said: “I’ve 

suffered violence and aggression 

of many kinds over my 20-year 

career, and I guess this is the last 

one I’m prepared to deal with. 

“They build up and up, and one 

day just become too much. 

“I feared for my life that night, and 

the impact on me was something 

I didn’t expect. 

“Is going home in one piece too 

much to ask?” 

Julie and her colleague Emma 

Griffiths, an Emergency Medical 

Technician, were responding to 

a medical emergency in Shotton 

when the patient’s daughter 

became aggressive. 

Emma, 49, who also has 20 years’ 

service, said: “We could hear 

shouting and screaming before 

we’d even entered the property. 

“As we tried to treat the patient, 

her daughter took exception 

to the fact we’d asked her 

not to light a cigarette around 

the oxygen cylinder, which 

is flammable. 

“At one point she tried to block 

the doorway with her hand, and 

when I asked her to move it, 

she started shouting about how 

useless we were and called me a 

fat, blonde bimbo. 

“She was jumping up and 

down like a lunatic and 

was unstoppable. 

“I’ve been verbally abused many 

times over my career, but this 

was my first physical assault. 

“It shook me up because we 

were there to help. 

“Assault should never be part of 

the job.” 

Julie said: “She was verbally 

abusive throughout, and when 

we went to get pain relief for her 

mum, she became physically 

aggressive too. 

“She threw glass at us, spat at us 

and came right up to our faces 

trying to punch us.” 

Julie and Emma called for 

police back-up and the patient’s 

daughter was arrested. 

Julie said: “Thank goodness the 

police responded so quickly and 

came to our aid. 

“It’s unacceptable to assault any 

emergency worker – they’re there 

to help. 

“I love my job as a paramedic 

but since the incident have lost 

interest in it and am hyper aware 

of what I could be facing in the 

community. 

“To that end, I’ve decided to hang 

up my boots and secure another 

role in the service which means I’ll 

have less patient-facing contact. 

“It’s a very sad way for me to end 

my career as a road paramedic.” 

On 29 February 2024 at Mold 

Magistrates’ Court, a 33 year old 

female was jailed for 20 weeks 

having previously admitted 

three offences of assaulting an 

emergency worker and one of 

using threatening or abusive 

words or behaviour. 

She was also ordered to pay 

£50 in compensation to each of 

the victims. 

To her colleagues in the 

ambulance service, Julie had 

this message. 

“Violence and aggression 

should never be part of the job,” 

she said. 

“Don’t just put up with it because 

one day it’ll come back and bite 

you, just like it did me. 

“Staff should report any form 

of violence, even if it’s just a 

verbal threat, because if it goes 

unreported and no action is 

taken, your colleagues could find 

themselves in the same situation 

days later – or worse.” 

Jason Killens, Chief Executive of 

the Welsh Ambulance Service, 

said: “It’s heartbreaking to hear 

that Julie, who will have helped 

thousands of patients during 

her 20-year career, has decided 

to step down from her patientfacing 

role. 

“What’s also frustrating is that 

Julie and Emma were there to 

help this person’s mother, so to 

obstruct them in the course of 

that and exhibit such obnoxious 

behaviour just beggars belief. 

“Violence and aggression 

against emergency workers is 

unacceptable and we will always 

seek prosecution for those that 

choose to harm our people. 

“Ambulance workers are there 

to help people, but they can’t 

fight for someone’s life if they’re 

fighting for their own.” 

Wesley Williams, a District 

Inspector at North Wales Police, 

added: “Every single day, 

emergency service workers are 

often dealing with challenging 

situations and putting themselves 

in harm’s way to keep the public 

safe and to save lives. 

“Being assaulted is not and 

should never be regarded as ‘part 

of the job’. 

“Assault is a traumatic offence that 

causes great distress to anyone, 

and it is no different when the 

victim is an emergency worker. 

“It is wholly unacceptable for 

them to be threatened, attacked, 

verbally abused or spat at – and 

those responsible should face the 

full force of the law.” 

The Welsh Ambulance Service 

is a member of the NHS Wales 

Anti-Violence Collaborative, 

which was set up to improve the 

reporting of incidents and better 

support victims through the 

prosecution process. 

Jonathan Webb, Chair of the 

Collaborative, which includes 

NHS Wales, Welsh police forces, 

the Crown Prosecution Service, 

Welsh Government and staff 

support organisations, said: 

“Any form of abuse or violence 

against emergency workers is 

unacceptable. 

“The partners of the Anti-Violence 

Collaborative are actively working 

on initiatives to reduce violence 

and aggression encountered 

by colleagues.” 

The Welsh Ambulance Service 

is also running a campaign to 

reduce the number of assaults on 

emergency workers in Wales. 

Pledge your support on social 

media using the hashtag 

#WithUsNotAgainstUs or 

#GydaNiNidYnEinHerbyn. 

ParOARmedics 

Atlantic Challenge 

2024 

In December 2024 team 

parOARmedics is taking on a 

3000 mile unsupported row 

across the Atlantic Ocean. 

The team, comprised of newly 

qualified Yorkshire paramedics 

Ethan Chapman, Tom Dowdy, 

and Ken Bordt are hoping to 

raise awareness and money 

for three incredible charities: 

The Ambulance Staff Charity 

(TASC), MacMillan Cancer 

and The Stroke Association, 

highlighting the incredible work 

they do in the community and 

supporting staffing to continue 

to allow these charities to 

support local communities 

and ambulance staff on a 

daily basis. 

The team will set off from La 

Gomera (Canary Islands) and 

finish in English Harbour, Antigua. 

This gruelling challenge dubbed 

“The Worlds toughest Row” 

will see the team battle various 

mental and physical challenges 

during this arduous crossing 

that could see the team rowing 

continuously for up to 40 days. 

The team will have to battle 

through sleep deprivation, 25 ft 

waves, whilst rowing 3hrs on and 

3hrs off maintaining a watch night 

and day for passing cargo ships, 

rogue waves that could capsize 

them and random marlin strikes. 

The team will also have to carry 

all their equipment and provisions 

for the entire journey as they are 

not allowed any reprovisioning 

along the way, a mighty task 

as the gents will be consuming 

between 5500 and 6500 calories 

daily to maintain the energy 

levels required to row up to 12 

hours daily. 

The team have now completed 

all their mandatory classroom 

training covering topics such as 

essential seamanship, navigation 

and sea survival training. Their 

sights are now set firmly on 

completing the required open 

water rowing hours and over the 

next few months their focus will be 

taking to open water to row, row, 

row and then row some more. 

They will be practicing various 

drills from cooking on board, 

navigating, radio communications 

and maintaining the ship to vital 

skills such as deploying their paraanchor, 

man overboard drills and 

other potentially life saving skills 

in order to ensure an efficient and 

safe as crossing come December. 

Alongside this physical 

preparation, the team are 

continuing to fundraise for the 

campaign and are always on 

the lookout for any individuals 

or companies that would like 

to help them to get to the start 

line and be part of this amazing 

campaign. The team have various 

sponsorship and support options 

available for all levels of support 

and they are keen to hear from 

anyone who would like to be 

part of their campaign to discuss 

how we can work together on 

this amazing project. The team 

have a website dedicated to the 

challenge as well as an active 

presence on social media where 

you can follow their preparations 

leading up to the race and 

eventually follow their progress 

across the Atlantic during the 

actual race. 

To find out more, support the 

team or get in touch, follow 

them on SM and check out 

their website. 


28 

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IN PERSON 

COMPANY NEWS 

oversaw the merger of the college with the 

then University of Glamorgan. 

He was also Director of Finance and 

Corporate Services at Sport Wales, Director 

of Finance at Aberystwyth University and 

Assistant Director of Finance at Cardiff 

Metropolitan University. 

(Health and Social Care), focusing on 

managing a range of key relationships related 

to the health and social care portfolio. 

Since 2019, he has been acting as Nominated 

Advisor to Welsh Government for Respiratory 

Innovation Wales. 


30 

Welsh Ambulance Service 

appoints new Non-Executive 

Directors 

THE Welsh Ambulance Service has 

appointed two new Non-Executive 

Directors to its Board. 

Welsh Government’s Minister for Health and 

Social Services has appointed Peter Curran 

as a Non-Executive Director (Finance) and 

Ian Mathieson as a Non-Executive Director 

(Academic). 

Peter began his four-year term on 01 

February, while Ian will take up post on 

01 April. 

Colin Dennis, the Chair of the Welsh 

Ambulance Service, said: “Congratulations 

to Peter and Ian on their respective 

appointments. 

“Overseeing the work of the only all-Wales 

emergency service comes with a unique set 

of challenges, but Peter and Ian come with a 

wealth of experience and expertise to help us 

navigate these. 

“I speak for the whole Board when I say we 

are looking forward to working with Peter and 

Ian to realise our strategic ambitions.” 

Peter Curran is a Fellow of the Chartered 

Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, 

with an Economics degree from 

Aberystwyth University. 

He has acted as a Chief Finance Officer for 

more than 20 years in a number of sectors. 

He was the Vice Principal (Resources) at the 

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, 

where he led the development of awardwinning 

new performance spaces and 

Peter holds a number of non-executive roles, 

including at Taff Housing Association, and is 

Trustee at Action for Children and National 

Youth Arts Wales. 

He is also an independent member of Y Coleg 

Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s Audit and Risk 

Committee and an Honorary Fellow of the 

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. 

Peter took semi-retirement in July 2023, 

having previously served as the Chief Finance 

Officer for the Office of the South Wales 

Police and Crime Commissioner for five years. 

He said: “It is a privilege to be appointed to 

the Board of Welsh Ambulance Service. 

“Whilst there are undoubtedly challenges 

ahead, I am looking forward to applying 

my experience to add value to the Trust’s 

activities and help it achieve its strategic 

objectives in what is a critical public service 

in Wales.” 

Meanwhile, Ian Mathieson trained as a 

podiatrist in Edinburgh and was appointed to 

his first academic post at Cardiff Metropolitan 

University in 1996. 

He undertook a PhD focusing on lower 

limb biomechanics, and helped to develop 

various Master’s courses, including in 

advanced practice. 

Ian became Director of Learning and Teaching 

and Deputy Dean for Health Sciences at 

Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2013, 

assuming responsibility for a wide range 

of disciplines. 

He moved to the University of South Wales in 

2020 and helped the Faculty of Life Sciences 

and Education extend its health portfolio to 

include physiotherapy, occupational therapy 

and operating department practice. 

In 2022, he became Associate Dean, 

Partnerships and Business Development 


And since 2020, he has been Convenor of the 

Council of Deans of Health Wales. 

Ian said: “I am delighted to have this 

opportunity to serve on WAST’s Board and 

to support it to realise its ambitious but 

achievable strategic plans. 

“WAST is making a central contribution to the 

transformation of the way our health and care 

services are delivered and I look forward to 

being a part of its ongoing work.” 

The Trust’s Board is comprised of a Chair, 

Vice Chair, six Non-Executive Directors, the 

Chief Executive and five Executive Directors. 

A further four Directors and two Trade Union 

partners also attend the Board. 

The tenure of current Non-Executive Director 

(Finance) Martin Turner will draw to a close as 

Peter takes up post next month. 

Meanwhile, the term of current Non-Executive 

Director (Academic) Paul Hollard will end as 

Ian takes up post in April. 

Colin said: “We are extremely lucky to have 

secured the services of Paul and Martin. 

“Paul joined the Board in 2016 and Martin 

in 2018. 

“Both have chaired Committees of the Board, 

including latterly the People and Culture 

Committee and Audit Committee respectively, 

and have made sterling contributions to the 

Board over the recent years, including through 

the most difficult period in our history – the 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

“While Paul will remain with us for a little while 

longer, we would like to wish both of them all 

the very best for the future and thank them for 

their support and service.” 

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ACCREDITED CONTENT 

31

Seamless Synchronisation 

Hands Free Resuscitation with the 

corpuls3 and corpulscpr. 

In the Ambulance 

Emergency transport carries risk 

for the patient and the responding 

team. With synchronised therapy, 

the emergency team can remain 

seated whilst in transit. Rhythm 

control and shock delivery can be 

performed on the corpuls 3 while 

the medic is seated. 

In Tight Spaces 

Whether in a lift, a stairwell, or 

on tricky terrain, synchronised 

resuscitation means that therapy 

can continue where it wouldn’t 

have been possible before. Once 

in place, a medic can control the 

corpuls 3 monitor, defibrillator and 

CPR parameters of the corpuls cpr. 

In the Air 

Patient access is extremely limited 

in air rescue. Thanks to the perfect 

interaction of the corpuls 3 with 

the corpuls cpr, movement within 

the cabin is reduced. Synchronised 

mechanical chest compressions 

can be given, without having to 

accept long hands-off times. 

• Shorter hands-off time 

• Automated pre-shock compressions 

• Can be used in manual and AED mode 

• Increased safety & minimised interruptions 

• Less resources required 

• Easier operation 

• Data transmission 

• Post mission analysis 

Learn more: 

Scan the QR code 

with your phone 

camera and click 

the link. 

Or visit: 

uqr.to/sync-cpr 

www.theortusgroup.com

Ambulance UK April 2024

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