Ambulance UK April 2024

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