Ambulance UK April 2024

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AMBULANCE UK – APRIL
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)
AMBULANCE UK – APRIL
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For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com