Ambulance UK April 2024

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