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Volume 39 No. 12<br />

<strong>December</strong> <strong>2024</strong><br />

DEDICATED TO THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AND ITS SUPPLIERS<br />

Celebrating teaching our<br />

1000th clinician for the East of England<br />

NHS <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service


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More information about the<br />

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Subject to printing errors and changes in construction and design.<br />

All names are registered trademarks of their respective owners.<br />

Product is compliant with the<br />

applicable EU regulations.<br />

Product is a medical device and compliant<br />

with the EU regulation 2017/745 - (MDR).


CONTENTS<br />

CONTENTS<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong><br />

4 EDITOR’S COMMENT<br />

6 FEATURE<br />

6 WHAT DO YOU SEE?<br />

10 NEWSLINE<br />

28 IN PERSON<br />

31 COMPANY NEWS<br />

This issue edited by:<br />

Matt House<br />

c/o Media Publishing Company<br />

Greenoaks, Lockhill<br />

Upper Sapey, Worcester, WR6 6XR<br />

ADVERTISING:<br />

Terry Gardner, Samantha Marsh<br />

CIRCULATION:<br />

Media Publishing Company<br />

Greenoaks, Lockhill<br />

Upper Sapey, Worcester, WR6 6XR<br />

Tel: 01886 853715<br />

E: info@mediapublishingcompany.com<br />

www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY:<br />

February, April, June, August,<br />

October, <strong>December</strong><br />

COVER STORY<br />

MediPro<br />

Since 2018, MediPro has taught over 1200 ambulance clinicians for the East of England<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service. The programmes that we design and deliver need to match their<br />

requirements without impacting their resources.<br />

“Apprentices benefit from tutors who are inspiring role models.”<br />

- MediPro Ofsted report, March <strong>2024</strong><br />

As the largest independent pre-hospital education centre in the <strong>UK</strong>, MediPro has<br />

the capacity, resources, tutors, and facilities to fully support learners across their<br />

whole journey.<br />

COPYRIGHT:<br />

Media Publishing Company<br />

Greenoaks<br />

Lockhill<br />

Upper Sapey, Worcester, WR6 6XR<br />

PUBLISHERS STATEMENT:<br />

The views and opinions expressed in<br />

this issue are not necessarily those of<br />

the Publisher, the Editors or Media<br />

Publishing Company<br />

Next Issue February 2025<br />

Designed in the <strong>UK</strong> by TGDH<br />

This ranges from teaching vital skills and setting coursework to arranging multidisciplinary<br />

visits and encouraging them to achieve their very best.<br />

Our tailored approach means we can easily work with learners in ways that suit them,<br />

such as adapting courses, creating support plans, supporting mental well-being,<br />

and catering for learning differences and students’ needs. We also have dedicated<br />

safeguarding support.<br />

What’s more, all the learning we provide is mapped not only to the qualifications but also<br />

to the Statutory Core Skills Training Framework and Care Certificate standards that are<br />

expected by the CQC.<br />

In 2022/2023, the national apprentice achievement rates for the health, public services<br />

and care industry were just 52.4%. MediPro achieved 85.9%.<br />

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

Please contact us and let us know.<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

3


EDITOR’S COMMENT<br />

EDITOR’S COMMENT<br />

Welcome to this issue of A<strong>UK</strong><br />

So here we are again, with the <strong>December</strong> edition of <strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong>. Sam and I write our editorials a month<br />

before the edition is due, so as I write this, it is November, and I have just been involved in Remembrance<br />

Sunday. As well as working for the ambulance service, I am in the Army Reserve. My Army Reserve unit has<br />

the pleasure and privilege to attend Westminster Abbey each year for remembrance.<br />

“My Army<br />

Reserve unit<br />

has the pleasure<br />

and privilege<br />

to attend<br />

Westminster<br />

Abbey each<br />

year for<br />

remembrance.”<br />

Although always a special occasion, this year had some particularly poignant moments. During the<br />

ceremony, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle KCVO MBE, spoke about<br />

remembering correctly. Amongst other things, he said how it was easy to remember events badly, and that<br />

we all had a duty to remember past events accurately. This struck a chord with me for some reason, though<br />

I couldn’t put my finger on why.<br />

After the remembrance ceremony, my Squadron, along with various veterans traditionally attend the<br />

Westminster Arms for a drink or two with like-minded people. While there I met a chap who I have heard<br />

about and spoken about for years. His name is Capt Robert Lawrence of the Scots Guards. Capt Lawrence<br />

was severely wounded during the Battle of Mount Tumbledown during the Falklands conflict. I have used<br />

Capt Lawrence’s story for some years when I teach Major Incident Medical Management and Support.<br />

In fact, I had spoken about him just two days before I met him. It was an absolute pleasure to meet Capt<br />

Lawrence and tell him what an inspiration he was.<br />

Following this meeting, one of the troops encouraged us to go to a pub frequented by the Rifles and their<br />

antecedent regiments. We were in uniform and as airborne troops were met with a cheer as we rounded the<br />

corner. In the pub, I met a veteran, who had worked with my dad in Berlin. He told me stories of my dad’s<br />

Army days that I had never heard.<br />

So, all in all, it was a good weekend that had some touching moments. I met some new people and created<br />

new memories. It’s strange how these chance encounters can impact you, but it’s certainly a weekend I<br />

won’t be forgetting any time soon.<br />

Matt House, Co-Editor <strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong><br />

Publishers Statement<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

4<br />

For nearly 40 years, thanks to trade support, we have been able to provide <strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong> FREE<br />

OF CHARGE in the knowledge that those receiving our dedicated bi monthly publication enjoy having<br />

something to read during their free time however, return on investment seems to be the buzz word<br />

amongst <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service Suppliers these days, therefore if you enquire about a product advertised,<br />

please mention <strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong> as it help us confirm to the trade that we are reaching the right<br />

people and providing advertisers with value for money. In respect of our current edition we would like<br />

to thank the following companies for their support as without their contribution towards our print and<br />

postal costs this issue would not have been published - Axnar GMBH, Bluelight <strong>UK</strong>, DS Medical,<br />

Ferno, Medipro, Med Learn Training, Proact, Ortus, WEL Medical.<br />

Terry Gardner<br />

Publisher<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com


Medipro celebrates teaching our 1000th clinician for the East of England NHS <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

ADVERTORIAL<br />

These Medipro activities celebrates help teaching to develop our 1000th the learners’ clinician understanding for the East of of England their subject NHS <strong>Ambulance</strong> areas, increase Servicetheir confidence in challenging<br />

scenarios, and prepare them for further study and work, such as a level six paramedic course.<br />

These activities help to develop the learners’ understanding of their subject areas, increase their confidence in challenging<br />

scenarios, and prepare them for further study and work, such as a level six paramedic course.<br />

TRANSFER OF APPRENTICESHIP LEARNERS<br />

During the summer of 2021, Medipro was approached by Health Education England and the ESFA to support a large<br />

group TRANSFER of apprentices OF from APPRENTICESHIP the East of England NHS <strong>Ambulance</strong> LEARNERS Service. These apprentices were unable to complete their<br />

apprenticeship after their previous provider lost its contract due to a poor Ofsted rating.<br />

During the summer of 2021, Medipro was approached by Health Education England and the ESFA to support a large<br />

Initially, group of it apprentices was estimated from that the 666 East apprentices of England needed NHS <strong>Ambulance</strong> assistance, Service. consisting These of a apprentices mix of Level were 3 Emergency unable to Support complete their<br />

Workers apprenticeship and Level after 4 their Associate previous <strong>Ambulance</strong> provider Practitioners. lost its contract The due apprentices to a poor were Ofsted at different rating. stages in their learning plans,<br />

with many already past their planned end dates.<br />

Initially, it was estimated that 666 apprentices needed assistance, consisting of a mix of Level 3 Emergency Support<br />

Despite Workers the and disruption, Level 4 Associate the apprentices <strong>Ambulance</strong> remained Practitioners. employed, The and apprentices their employer were at was different highly stages motivated in their to ensure learning they plans,<br />

could with many continue already their past apprenticeship. their planned The end apprentices dates. were seen as crucial to the ambulance service’s workforce plan and<br />

the safety and well-being of the East of England community.<br />

Despite the disruption, the apprentices remained employed, and their employer was highly motivated to ensure they<br />

The could main continue challenge their was apprenticeship. re-engaging The learners, apprentices as some were had become seen as crucial disconnected to the ambulance from the apprenticeship service’s workforce pathway. plan and<br />

Re-contacting the safety and them well-being and reassessing of the East their of England learning community. needs was urgent but complicated due to their wide geographical<br />

spread, their operational roles as clinical responders, and the use of a paper-based portfolio system for evidence<br />

collection. The main challenge was re-engaging learners, as some had become disconnected from the apprenticeship pathway.<br />

Through Re-contacting close them collaboration and reassessing with the their employer’s learning management needs was urgent teams but and complicated sustained effort, due to we their determined wide geographical that 465<br />

apprentices spread, their were operational eligible, roles suitable, as clinical and eager responders, to continue and their use apprenticeship, of a paper-based making portfolio them eligible system for transfer evidence to us.<br />

Learners collection. were transitioned to our online portfolio system, enabling us to track their progress and manage their data<br />

more Through efficiently. close collaboration An additional with benefit the was employer’s that learners management gained easier teams access and sustained to tutors effort, via the we LMS, determined allowing that tutors 465 to<br />

provide apprentices timely were feedback, eligible, which suitable, was and automatically eager continue recorded their within apprenticeship, the system. making them eligible for transfer to us.<br />

Learners were transitioned to our online portfolio system, enabling us to track their progress and manage their data<br />

Most more of efficiently. the apprentices An additional had already benefit completed was that learners the majority gained of easier their required access to “off-the-job” tutors via the hours LMS, and allowing only needed tutors to<br />

support provide timely to finish feedback, their coursework. which was Nonetheless, automatically we recorded established within a the facility system. with classrooms and study areas in the East of<br />

England to provide a stable base for learners who preferred a dedicated study space, especially when preparing for their<br />

End Most Point of the Assessment apprentices (EPA). had already completed the majority of their required “off-the-job” hours and only needed<br />

support to finish their coursework. Nonetheless, we established a facility with classrooms and study areas in the East of<br />

As England of this to writing, provide 400 a stable apprentices base for have learners successfully who preferred completed a dedicated their programs, study space, with the especially majority when doing preparing so within for a year their<br />

of End joining Point us. Assessment We achieved (EPA). an 88% retention rate, and 70% of learners earned a Distinction or Merit in their EPA. Ofsted<br />

recognised that many of our learners, including those in this group, went on to continue their education and applied for<br />

paramedic As of this writing, courses. 400 apprentices have successfully completed their programs, with the majority doing so within a year<br />

of joining us. We achieved an 88% retention rate, and 70% of learners earned a Distinction or Merit in their EPA. Ofsted<br />

This recognised project that presented many of an our unprecedented learners, including challenge, those requiring in this group, the fortitude went on and to continue dedication their of both education our staff and and applied the for<br />

learners. paramedic Ultimately, courses. it benefited the East of England region by ensuring a qualified and competent workforce of ambulance<br />

clinicians to serve the community.<br />

This project presented an unprecedented challenge, requiring the fortitude and dedication of both our staff and the<br />

‘She learners. really Ultimately, helped to push it benefited me through the my East apprenticeship of England region and get by everything ensuring a marked qualified as quickly and competent as possible. workforce I was really of feeling ambulance<br />

stressed clinicians prior to serve to having the her community. as a tutor as I had previously had multiple ones that weren’t very efficient… but when she became my<br />

tutor, I had my work marked within a matter of days and this really helped me to finish my apprenticeship as quickly as I could.’<br />

‘She really helped to push me through my apprenticeship and get everything marked as quickly as possible. I was really feeling<br />

‘I stressed found my prior tutor to having to be nice, her as kind a tutor and reassuring. I had previously Always there had to multiple help when ones it’s that needed. weren’t Think very she’s efficient… made but a massive when she difference. became She my<br />

worked tutor, I had extra my hours work to marked have my within work a completed. matter of days Always and very this quick really to helped respond’. me to finish my apprenticeship as quickly as I could.’<br />

‘I found my tutor to be nice, kind and reassuring. Always there to help when it’s needed. Think she’s made a massive difference. She<br />

worked extra hours to have my work completed. Always very quick to respond’.<br />

01325 609030<br />

T: 01325 609030<br />

E: contact@medipro.co.uk<br />

W: medipro.co.uk<br />

9


FEATURE<br />

WHAT DO YOU SEE?<br />

Jerry W. Jones, MD FACEP FAAEM<br />

What Do YOU See?<br />

Jerry W. Jones, MD FACEP FAAEM<br />

What do you think of each of these unrelated (i.e., from different patients) ECGs?<br />

What do you think of each of these unrelated (i.e., from different patients) ECGs?<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

6<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com


FEATURE<br />

For the NEWBIE ECG nerds among you…<br />

ECG #1<br />

You are never going to advance to the intermediate “ECG nerd” level if I keep giving you just<br />

the easy introductory stuff. Here is an ECG (#1) with findings to stimulate your interest and<br />

You are never going to advance to the intermediate “ECG nerd” level if that question for a moment. How would you know that an anterior<br />

advance your knowledge!<br />

I keep giving you just the easy introductory stuff. Here is an ECG (#1)<br />

with findings to stimulate your interest and advance your knowledge!<br />

To determine if a sinus rhythm is present, we look that at was the NOT P an waves anterior fascicular in Leads block I and – but II: looked if both just like are one<br />

To positive determine (upright), if a sinus rhythm then is present, sinus we rhythm look at the P is waves likely in present.<br />

– you could<br />

The<br />

possibly<br />

P wave<br />

see it<br />

in<br />

instead!<br />

Lead<br />

And<br />

V1<br />

that<br />

–<br />

is<br />

when<br />

exactly what<br />

POS/NEG<br />

has<br />

Leads I and II: if both are positive (upright), then sinus rhythm is likely happened here.<br />

present.<br />

biphasic<br />

The P<br />

–<br />

wave<br />

is also<br />

in Lead<br />

confirmatory,<br />

V1 – when POS/NEG<br />

and<br />

biphasic<br />

that’s<br />

– is also<br />

eactly what we see on this ECG. We can only<br />

confirmatory, assume, however, and that’s exactly that what sinus we see rhythm on this ECG. is We present can only because We know that an there ectopic is a cLBBB atrial present, focus which located means that near the the<br />

assume, however, that sinus rhythm is present because an ectopic supraventricular impulse can enter only the right ventricle because only<br />

sinus node and firing just slightly faster than the real sinus rate could look exactly the same.<br />

atrial focus located near the sinus node and firing just slightly faster the right bundle branch is functioning properly. So, the right ventricle<br />

than That the is real not sinus an rate issue could look you exactly need the worry same. That about! is not an is activated first and then the left ventricle is activated last. How does<br />

issue you need worry about!<br />

If you’ve ever read some of my other posts, you’ll the have interventricular learned septum. that OK… when after crossing I leave the the interventricular machine<br />

If you’ve ever read some of my other posts, you’ll have learned that septum, what happens? There are three possibilities:<br />

interpretation on the tracing it usually means that I see a problem with it. And that is the case<br />

when I leave the machine interpretation on the tracing it usually means that is exactly what has happened here.<br />

here.<br />

that I see a problem with it. And that is the case here.<br />

The machine says, “Nonspecific says, “Nonspecific intraventricular block.” intraventricular I think we can block.” a short I distance think through we can myocardium be a lot to the more distal end precise of the –<br />

be a lot more precise – there is a complete left bundle branch block anterior fascicle (yellow arrow) and then travels retrograde up the<br />

there is a complete left bundle branch (cLBBB) present. The QRS duration is 132 msec.<br />

(cLBBB) present. The QRS duration is 132 msec. The upper limit of anterior fascicle. There is no anterior fascicular block here, but the<br />

possibilities:<br />

normal The upper for the QRS limit duration of normal in an adult for is 100 the msec. QRS That’s duration right! in impulse an adult has followed is 100 exactly msec. the same That’s path right! as though The there were<br />

The upper limit of of normal normal for the QRS for duration the QRS is NOT duration 120 msec! One is NOT 120 msec! One<br />

an anterior<br />

hundred<br />

fascicular<br />

twenty<br />

block. The<br />

msec<br />

only thing<br />

is the<br />

hundred twenty msec is the duration at which we can diagnose a<br />

two phenomena have in common is the fact that<br />

complete<br />

duration<br />

bundle<br />

at<br />

branch<br />

which<br />

block<br />

we<br />

– either<br />

can<br />

right<br />

diagnose<br />

or left. The<br />

a<br />

reason<br />

complete<br />

for the<br />

bundle branch block the fascicles – either of left right ventricle or were left. activated The<br />

value reason of 120 for msec the is that value it is the of minimal 120 amount msec of is time that it will it take is an the minimal amount in succession of time instead it will of take simultaneously.<br />

impulse<br />

impulse that is activating only one ventricle to cross the interventricular<br />

Also, this would be the fastest method for that is only one ventricle to cross the interventricular septum and activate the other<br />

septum and activate the other ventricle. There are other factors not<br />

activation of the left ventricle during a cLBBB.<br />

involving ventricle. a block There that can are prolong other QRS factors interval from not the involving upper limit a block that can Therefore, prolong although the QRS the ventricles interval were from activated<br />

of normal at 100 msec to 119 msec. But at 120 msec, it’s usually safe<br />

in succession, the QRS duration would be only<br />

the upper limit of normal 100 msec to 119 msec. But at 120 msec, it’s usually safe to<br />

to assume that one ventricle has been activated before the other.<br />

slightly longer than 120 msec.<br />

assume that one ventricle has been activated before the other. only slightly longer than 120 msec.<br />

The reason the ECG machine isn’t calling it a cLBBB is because of<br />

the morphology of the QRS complexes in Leads V4 – V6. The QRS<br />

complexes in Leads V4 – V6 should look more like the QRS complexes<br />

in Leads I and aVL. But in ECG #1, the QRS complexes have an rS<br />

morphology. Why is that? Is it an anterior fascicular block? Think about<br />

fascicular block is present when there is already a compete left bundle<br />

branch block? Answer: you wouldn’t. But… if there were a condition<br />

The reason the ECG machine isn’t calling it a cLBBB is because of the morphology of the QRS<br />

complexes in Leads V4 – V6. The QRS complexes in Leads V4 – V6 should look more like the<br />

QRS complexes in Leads I and aVL. But in ECG #1, the QRS complexes have an rS morphology.<br />

Why<br />

the impulse<br />

is that? Is<br />

travel<br />

it an anterior<br />

from the<br />

fascicular<br />

right ventricle<br />

block? Think<br />

to the<br />

about<br />

left ventricle?<br />

that question<br />

It crosses<br />

for a moment. How<br />

would you know that an anterior fascicular block is present when there is already a compete<br />

left bundle branch block? Answer: you wouldn’t. But… if there were a condition that was NOT<br />

an anterior fascicular block – but looked just like one – you could possibly see it instead! And<br />

We 1) know It can that immediately there is a cLBBB enter present, the posterior which means fascicle that (purple the supraventricular arrow) and impulse can<br />

enter travel only the to the right distal ventricle end because of the posterior only the right fascicle. bundle After branch that, is functioning it crosses properly. So,<br />

the right ventricle is activated first and then the left ventricle is activated last. How does the<br />

impulse travel from the right ventricle to the left ventricle? It crosses the interventricular<br />

septum. OK… after crossing the interventricular septum, what happens? There are three<br />

1) It can immediately enter the posterior fascicle (purple arrow) and travel to the distal<br />

end of the posterior fascicle. After that, it crosses a short distance<br />

through myocardium to the distal end of the anterior fascicle (yellow<br />

arrow) and then travels retrograde up the anterior fascicle. There is no<br />

anterior fascicular block here, but the impulse has followed exactly the<br />

same path as though there were an anterior fascicular block. The only<br />

thing the two phenomena have in common is the fact that the fascicles<br />

of the left ventricle were activated in succession instead of<br />

simultaneously. Also, this would be the fastest method for the<br />

activation of the left ventricle during a cLBBB. Therefore, although the<br />

ventricles were activated in succession, the QRS duration would be<br />

2) The impulse can enter the myocardium of the left ventricle initially<br />

2) with The slow impulse conduction, can enter the then myocardium connect with of the the left Purkinje ventricle system initially and with slow<br />

complete conduction, activation then connect of the with left the ventricle Purkinje more system rapidly. and complete The QRS activation of the left<br />

duration ventricle for more this rapidly. method The of QRS left duration ventricular for this activation method would of left be ventricular activation<br />

intermediate would be intermediate between the between first and the first third and methods. third methods.<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

3) The impulse could enter the left ventricular working myocardium and remain there,<br />

traveling cell-to-cell until the entire ventricle has been activated. This method would<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

obviously take the longest amount of time. QRS durations during a left bundle branch<br />

block greater than 160 msec are quite common.<br />

7


FEATURE<br />

3) The impulse could enter the left ventricular working myocardium and<br />

remain there, traveling cell-to-cell until the entire ventricle has been<br />

activated. This method would obviously take the longest amount of<br />

time. QRS durations during a left bundle branch block greater than<br />

160 msec are quite common.<br />

So, what looks like an anterior fascicular block during a complete<br />

left bundle branch block really isn’t a fascicular block after all – it is<br />

a phenomenon caused by nothing more than one ventricle being<br />

activated before the other. As a side note, you don’t typically see<br />

any posterior fascicular blocks during cLBBB. Do you see why? The<br />

impulse, after crossing the interventricular septum – would have to<br />

literally “jump across” the ventricle to activate the anterior fascicle first.<br />

That just isn’t going to happen!<br />

are extracellular and involve tissue rather than just individual cells.<br />

The QRS complexes within the white circles represent primary<br />

repolarization abnormalities. Primary repolarization changes are<br />

much more serious! They often suggest ischemia, acidosis, hypoxia<br />

or some form of toxicity. Primary repolarization changes indicate<br />

pathology within the myoyctes themselves. Although the problems<br />

I just mentioned originate outside the cells, they adversely alter the<br />

biochemical processes within the cells and can lead to the destruction<br />

of the myocyte without timely intervention. While secondary<br />

repolarization abnormalities are nothing to be excited about, that’s<br />

NOT the case with primary repolarization abnormalities. Primary<br />

repolarization abnormalities must be investigated immediately if you<br />

weren’t already aware of the problem.<br />

Now, I want you to look at the QRS complexes in the black circles and The secondary repolarization abnormalities result in deflections that<br />

compare them to the QRS compleses in the white circles. There is are 180° from the QRS. That means the QRS and ST-T are on opposite<br />

quite a difference that has major implications for this patient! What is<br />

the difference?<br />

The difference lies in the fact that the QRS complexes in Leads I<br />

and aVL (black circles) demonstrate a secondary repolarization<br />

abnormality. There are two kinds of repolarization abnormalities:<br />

primary and secondary – and the black circles are demonstrating a<br />

secondary repolarization abnormality. Again, what’s the difference?<br />

A secondary repolarization abnormality is abnormal secondary to an<br />

abnormal QRS complex.<br />

When depolarization (QRS) is abnormal, repolarization (ST<br />

segment, T wave) will also be abnormal. This is an expected<br />

result! It is nothing to be alarmed about! You will see secondary<br />

repolarization abnormalities in every case of bundle branch block (both<br />

right and left), PVCs, some cases of ventricular hypertrophy (usually left<br />

ventricular hypertrophy) and some cases of ventricular pre-excitation.<br />

In fact, if you think you are seeing a bundle branch block or a PVC and<br />

there is no secondary repolarization abnormality – you are mistaken!<br />

Because depolarization has taken an abnormal route, repolarization<br />

takes an abnormal route. Secondary repolarization abnormalities<br />

appear when there are problems outside the myocyte – problems that<br />

sides of the baseline. In the case of an abnormal depolarization, if the<br />

changes are most easily detected in those conditions<br />

ST-T is on<br />

with<br />

the same<br />

abnormal<br />

side of the<br />

depolarizations<br />

baseline – when you were<br />

because<br />

expecting<br />

them to be on opposite sides – THAT is a primary repolarization<br />

you are specifically expecting depolarization and abnormality. repolarization Such repolarization to be on changes opposite are most sides easily detected of the<br />

baseline. But such changes can also occur without in those abnormal conditions depolarizations, with abnormal depolarizations such because as with you are<br />

specifically expecting depolarization and repolarization to be on<br />

some forms of subendocardial ischemia.<br />

opposite sides of the baseline. But such changes can also occur<br />

without abnormal depolarizations, such as with some forms of<br />

Finally, you should note that the P waves in Lead<br />

subendocardial<br />

II are wide<br />

ischemia.<br />

with “double humps.” That is<br />

called P mitrale and is very characteristic of left atrial enlargement. But when we look at the P<br />

Finally, you should note that the P waves in Lead II are wide with<br />

waves in Lead V1, we do not see any enlargement of the negative portion (the P terminal<br />

“double humps.” That is called P mitrale and is very characteristic of<br />

force). What does this mean? When the P waves left in atrial Lead enlargement. V1 do not But when confirm we look left at the atrial P waves in Lead V1,<br />

we do not see any enlargement of the negative portion (the P terminal<br />

enlargement which is manifested in Lead II, what you are seeing is a significant conduction<br />

force). What does this mean? When the P waves in Lead V1 do not<br />

delay between the two atria. Remember that the confirm sinus left impulse atrial enlargement travels which from is manifested the right in Lead atrium II, what to<br />

the left atrium via Bachmann’s bundle – a group<br />

you<br />

of<br />

are<br />

atrial<br />

seeing<br />

conducting<br />

is a significant conduction<br />

fibers. A<br />

delay<br />

delay<br />

between<br />

in<br />

the<br />

that<br />

two atria.<br />

Remember that the sinus impulse travels from the right atrium to the<br />

transmission can result in the disconnect between left what atrium via appears Bachmann’s in bundle Lead – a II group and of what atrial conducting appears fibers. in<br />

Lead V1.<br />

For all you intermediate-level ECG nerds…<br />

A delay in that transmission can result in the disconnect between what<br />

appears in Lead II and what appears in Lead V1.<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

8<br />

The ECG machine says, “Possible left atrial enlargement.” Do you believe that? Good! Because<br />

I don’t, either. Right away For you further should recruitment have vacancies noted visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

that both Leads V1 and V2 have completely<br />

negative P waves. That is not normal in any circumstance. The P wave in Lead V1 should


FEATURE<br />

The ECG machine says, “Possible left atrial enlargement.” Do you This ECG (#3) is very similar to the previous one (#2) in that there<br />

believe that? Good! Because I don’t, either. Right away you should appears to be a malplacement of the electrodes for Leads V1 and<br />

have noted that both Leads V1 and V2 have completely negative P V2 – and possibly the rest of the precordial leads. But surely you<br />

waves. That is not normal in any circumstance. The P wave in Lead V1 didn’t think that was your challenge after having just read the previous<br />

should always be biphasic (POS/NEG or UP/DOWN) and the P wave discussion for the intermediate level nerds. You might even think that<br />

in Lead V2 should be totally upright. Placing the electrodes for Leads I am expecting you to miss the fact that there is a left arm/right arm<br />

V1 and V2 one or two interspaces too high will result in the loss of lead wire interchange. You probably already diagnosed that from the<br />

the septal r wave in those leads and often the appearance of a false morphologies of the P waves and QRS complexes in Lead I. Here is<br />

r’, as in Lead V2. This can have the unfortunate effect of giving the my question for you: other than the changes in Lead I, what else<br />

appearance of an anterior MI to an otherwise normal, healthy person. tells you – very specifically – that there has been an LA/RA lead<br />

wire interchange? Just looking at Lead I is not good enough for<br />

Many people have the mistaken impression that malplacement of the an advanced ECG nerd like you. There are three other phenomena<br />

electrodes people for Leads have V1 the and mistaken V2 affect impression only those leads. that That malplacement may not of that the can electrodes create exactly for Leads the same V1 changes in Lead I. Here are all<br />

Many people have the mistaken impression that malplacement of the electrodes for Leads V1<br />

always be the case: when the electrodes are placed on the chest, the possibilities:<br />

and V2 affect only those leads. That may not always be the case: when the electrodes are<br />

which and ones V2 affect are placed only first? those The ones leads. for Leads That V1 and may V2. Then not how always be the case: when the electrodes are<br />

placed on the chest, which ones are placed first? The ones for Leads V1 and V2. Then how is it<br />

is it determined where the rest of 1) LA/RA lead wire interchange (which happens, in this case, to be the<br />

placed on the chest, which determined ones are where placed the rest first? of the The electrodes ones should for Leads be V1 and V2. Then how is it<br />

the electrodes should be placed? correct answer)<br />

placed? Usually based on the electrodes for Leads V1<br />

Usually based determined on where the where the rest of the electrodes should be<br />

electrodes and V2 are for located. Leads V1 If and you V2 notice that both Leads V1 and V2<br />

placed? Usually based<br />

2) Dextrocardia<br />

on where the electrodes for Leads V1<br />

are have located. negative If you P notice waves, that it both is best to have all the electrodes on<br />

Leads the chest V1 and removed and V2 have V2 and negative are repositioned. located. If Then you repeat notice the ECG. that both Leads V1 and V2<br />

3) Left atrial pacemaker<br />

P waves, it is best to have all the<br />

If you look have at Lead negative aVL, you will P notice waves, a negative, it is best inverted to have P all the electrodes on<br />

electrodes on chest removed 4) Right arm/Left leg lead wire reversal<br />

wave. Why the is that? chest Note removed that the ÂP and (mean repositioned. P wave axis) is Then repeat the ECG.<br />

and repositioned. Then repeat<br />

+74°. Now refer to the hexaxial reference grid (left). Any mean<br />

the ECG.<br />

So, what finding on this ECG is proof that this represents a LA/RA<br />

axis (or vector) If you that look falls in at the Lead white aVL, area you will result will in notice a a negative, inverted P<br />

reversal and not one of the other two phenomena?<br />

positive, If you look upright at Lead deflection aVL, you will in notice Lead a aVL negative, because<br />

wave. inverted that P Why<br />

hemicircle wave. is that?<br />

is on<br />

Note<br />

the same<br />

that<br />

side<br />

the<br />

as the<br />

ÂP (mean P wave axis) is<br />

positive Why is that? pole Note of Lead that the aVL. ÂP If (mean the vector P wave is axis) located is in the refer dark blue area on the grid, it will appear<br />

as to the an inverted, hexaxial reference negative grid deflection (left). Any mean because<br />

+74°.<br />

axis it (or will vector) be<br />

Now<br />

in that the<br />

refer<br />

falls hemicircle<br />

to<br />

When<br />

the<br />

you<br />

facing<br />

hexaxial<br />

suspect a lead<br />

the negative<br />

reference<br />

wire reversal,<br />

pole<br />

grid<br />

always<br />

(left).<br />

check<br />

Any<br />

to see<br />

mean<br />

if Lead<br />

aVR is located in its correct position on the ECG tracing (using<br />

of in the Lead white aVL. area Positive will result 74° in is a located positive, upright within deflection the axis blue (or in area Lead vector) between aVL that the standard positive falls in I-II-III poles the | aVR-aVL-aVF of white Leads area II format). will On result this ECG, in Lead a aVR is<br />

(+60°) because and that aVF hemicircle (+90°). is Therefore, the same when side as the the mean positive P wave pole of<br />

positive, upright deflection in Lead aVL because axis (ÂP) that obviously is greater hemicircle located than in +60° the is place (which on where the same you would side expect as to the find Lead<br />

is Lead where aVL. the If the positive vector is pole located of Lead in the II dark is located blue area and on the which grid, also it happens aVL. So to Leads be exactly aVR and 90° aVL from have switched places. The electrode<br />

will positive appear as pole an inverted, of Lead negative aVL. deflection If the because vector it will is be located the in the dark blue area on the grid, it will appear<br />

the Lead aVL axis), the P wave in Lead aVL will be inverted. The same for aVR thing is normally applies on to the right mean arm (shoulder) and the electrode for<br />

hemicircle facing the pole of Lead aVL. Positive 74° is located<br />

QRS as an axis inverted, (ÂQRS); when negative the ÂQRS deflection is greater than because +60°, the QRS it will in Lead be aVL in is the will normally be hemicircle negative. on the left arm facing (shoulder). the But negative they have switched pole<br />

within the blue area between the positive poles of Leads II (+60°) and places! So now the wire for LA is attached to the electrode on the<br />

aVF of Lead (+90°). Therefore, aVL. Positive when the mean 74° is P wave located axis (ÂP) within is greater the than blue area between the positive poles of Leads II<br />

right shoulder and the wire for the RA is attached to the electrode on<br />

(+60°) (which and is where aVF the (+90°). positive pole Therefore, of Lead II is located when and the which mean the P left wave shoulder. axis That (ÂP) proves is the greater lead wire than interchange. +60° You (which won’t find<br />

Now also happens for you to be advanced exactly 90° from ECG the Lead nerds… aVL axis), the P wave in that on any ECG representing any of the other conditions.<br />

Lead<br />

is where<br />

aVL will be<br />

the<br />

inverted.<br />

positive<br />

The same<br />

pole<br />

thing<br />

of<br />

applies<br />

Lead<br />

to<br />

II<br />

the<br />

is<br />

mean<br />

located<br />

QRS<br />

and which also happens to be exactly 90° from<br />

axis the (ÂQRS); Lead when aVL the axis), ÂQRS the is greater P wave than +60°, in Lead the QRS aVL in Lead will be inverted. The same thing applies to the mean<br />

aVL will be negative.<br />

QRS axis (ÂQRS); when the ÂQRS is greater than +60°, the QRS in Lead aVL will be negative.<br />

Now for you advanced ECG nerds…<br />

This ECG (#3) is very similar to the previous one (#2) in that there appears to be a<br />

malplacement of the electrodes for Leads V1 and V2 – and possibly the rest of the precordial<br />

leads. But surely you didn’t think that was your challenge after having just read the previous<br />

discussion for the intermediate level nerds. You might even think that I am expecting you to<br />

miss the fact that there is a left arm/right arm lead wire interchange. You probably already<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

This ECG (#3) is very similar For further to the recruitment previous vacancies one visit: (#2) www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

in that there appears to be a<br />

malplacement of the electrodes for Leads V1 and V2 – and possibly the rest of the precordial<br />

9


NEWSLINE<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

Colleagues praise<br />

holiday park heroes<br />

for their early CPR<br />

Colleagues at a holiday park in<br />

Romney Sands, Ashford, have<br />

been praised for their quick<br />

thinking after they were able<br />

to resuscitate a holidaymaker<br />

who was in cardiac arrest.<br />

The team of colleagues at the<br />

holiday park were working<br />

their normal shifts when they<br />

were alerted to a person in<br />

need of medical attention on<br />

20 August <strong>2024</strong>.<br />

General Manger, Julie Ainsworth,<br />

Sports and Leisure Manager,<br />

Rachael Knights and park<br />

colleagues Kieran Hall and<br />

Amelia Taylor responded to the<br />

medical alert.<br />

Amelia, who is a student<br />

paramedic with the South East<br />

Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

(SECAmb) said: “We were made<br />

aware of an incident in one of<br />

the caravans and made our way<br />

quickly to help. On arrival, we<br />

had no idea that the person had<br />

collapsed and was in cardiac<br />

arrest. So many things were<br />

going through my head, trying to<br />

understand what had happened,<br />

but my first thought was to get<br />

the patient on the floor, clear the<br />

area and start CPR.”<br />

The group immediately called<br />

999 and spoke with emergency<br />

medical advisor, Kelly Little, who<br />

coached them on how to perform<br />

effective CPR until crews arrived<br />

on scene. With the park’s rural<br />

setting, the run time for crews was<br />

approximately 20 minutes. With<br />

more than 30,000 out-of-hospital<br />

cardiac arrests every year in the<br />

<strong>UK</strong>, it was crucial that CPR was<br />

started as soon as possible.<br />

EMA Kelly said: “I was conscious<br />

that the group needed to start<br />

the process as quickly as<br />

possible to have the best chance<br />

of the patient surviving while<br />

crews were on route. They did a<br />

fantastic job, and I have no doubt<br />

that things would have been very<br />

different if they weren’t in control<br />

of the incident.”<br />

Bharat Patel said: “I want to say<br />

thank you so much for everything<br />

every single person did for me.<br />

Without the quick response, help,<br />

support, and knowledge of the<br />

staff, I would not have been alive<br />

right now. I will be forever grateful<br />

to all the staff and especially<br />

those involved directly with my<br />

care. Again, thank you all so<br />

much for saving my life and I wish<br />

you all the best.”<br />

Julie, Rachael, Kieran and Amelia<br />

alternated CPR on the patient<br />

every two minutes, as well as<br />

sending the park lifeguard,<br />

Gabriel Rose, to meet ambulance<br />

crews at the entrance of the park.<br />

Just three weeks prior, the park<br />

had invested in a defibrillator.<br />

Once at the side of the patient,<br />

four shocks were administered by<br />

Amelia, Julie and Rachael before<br />

achieving a return of spontaneous<br />

circulation (ROSC).<br />

Amazingly, by the time that<br />

paramedics, Jessica Conroy<br />

and Tim Grace, newly qualified<br />

paramedic, Lee Benham,<br />

community first responder,<br />

Georgia Hudson and student<br />

paramedic, Andrew Kilburn<br />

arrived on scene, the patient<br />

was conscious and responding<br />

and has gone on to make a<br />

good recovery.<br />

To thank them for their heroic<br />

actions and to cement the<br />

importance of early CPR and<br />

defibrillation, Kelly, Jessica and<br />

Lee recently reunited with the<br />

staff from Romney Sands holiday<br />

park following their life-saving<br />

intervention.<br />

General Manager, Julie said:<br />

“Having been a General Manager<br />

for over 20 years, I understand the<br />

importance of having sufficiently<br />

trained staff on shift at all times.<br />

But nothing can really prepare you<br />

for the reality of giving lifesaving<br />

first aid. I am so incredibly proud<br />

of the way my team responded<br />

on this occasion. Rachael was<br />

our lifeguard trainer assessor,<br />

Amelia a student paramedic. So, I<br />

could not have had a better team<br />

ready to respond on that day. I<br />

am also incredibly grateful that<br />

Parkdean Resorts understood the<br />

importance of having a defibrillator<br />

on site. As the end result<br />

could have been very different<br />

without it”.<br />

Paramedic Jessica said: “Amelia’s<br />

training and ability to stay calm<br />

under pressure were crucial in<br />

stabilising the patient until we<br />

arrived on scene. Every minute<br />

that goes past without CPR and<br />

defibrillation reduces the chance<br />

of survival by up to ten per<br />

cent. For that reason, we can’t<br />

thank them enough for starting<br />

compressions immediately.”<br />

Amelia shared her thoughts on<br />

the reunion: “It was a moment<br />

that truly tested everything<br />

I’ve learned so far, but I was<br />

incredibly proud to be able to<br />

help. This was my first cardiac<br />

arrest and so I’m hoping that my<br />

success rate continues from here<br />

on. I can’t thank Kelly enough for<br />

doing it with me and supporting<br />

me all the way through.”<br />

Lee said: “Having a defibrillator<br />

available and knowing how to<br />

use it made all the difference in<br />

this situation. This reunion is a<br />

testament to the importance of<br />

CPR and early defibrillation in<br />

saving lives.”<br />

Amelia’s mentor and SECAmb<br />

Paramedic, Adam Line said:<br />

“Amelia was a first-year student<br />

paramedic working with me last<br />

year. When she told me that she<br />

had helped resuscitate a patient<br />

while working on her summer<br />

holiday, I was really impressed<br />

with her quick thinking that meant<br />

this patient received early good<br />

quality chest compressions and<br />

early use of a defibrillator before<br />

the ambulance crew arrived.<br />

These actions were precisely<br />

what the patient needed to<br />

save his life with the help of the<br />

ambulance crew and the team at<br />

the hospital. Well done Amelia,<br />

good luck in year two.”<br />

Bust the taboo with<br />

the world’s first<br />

CPR Bra<br />

One in three are afraid to give<br />

CPR to a woman because<br />

they are worried about<br />

touching breasts<br />

Charity launches campaign to<br />

tackle gender disparity in CPR<br />

10<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com


NEWSLINE<br />

London, Wednesday 16th<br />

October <strong>2024</strong> – Restart a<br />

Heart Day<br />

St John <strong>Ambulance</strong> has today<br />

released alarming new research<br />

that shows that a third of Brits are<br />

afraid to give CPR to a woman<br />

because they are worried about<br />

touching breasts. And the same<br />

proportion, a third of men (33%)<br />

say they are concerned they will<br />

be accused of ‘inappropriate’<br />

touching when giving chest<br />

compressions to a woman in<br />

cardiac arrest in public - versus<br />

13% of women.<br />

To raise awareness of the<br />

issue facing women, St John<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> has launched a<br />

campaign that sees Chelsea FC<br />

Women’s Captain, Millie Bright,<br />

broadcaster and DJ, Ashley<br />

James, a social content creator<br />

and disability campaigner, Lucy<br />

Edwards, and activist, Sharon<br />

Gaffka, join forces to introduce<br />

the world’s first educational bra,<br />

The CPR Bra. The bra has been<br />

created by St John <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

to remind people of the steps<br />

they need to take when dealing<br />

with a cardiac emergency and<br />

includes the message ‘It’s OK to<br />

Save My Life’ to reassure people<br />

that taking action, fast, is the right<br />

thing to do.<br />

A defibrillator can make a critical<br />

difference, as when used within<br />

the first three minutes it can<br />

increase the chances of someone<br />

surviving a cardiac arrest by<br />

up to 70%. The defibrillator has<br />

pads that need to be placed on<br />

bare skin on the chest area. On<br />

hearing this information, 38% of<br />

people agreed that their levels of<br />

discomfort would rise. Nearly half<br />

of the male respondents (46%)<br />

stated they feel less comfortable<br />

using a defibrillator on a woman<br />

knowing that they might<br />

have to remove her clothing,<br />

including a bra, versus 31% of<br />

females surveyed.<br />

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perspective on the issues faced by frontline workers. I’ve lived through<br />

the demanding and often stressful environment that you navigate<br />

daily. I understand how these pressures can impact your mental<br />

health and well-being because I’ve experienced them firsthand:<br />

• I’ve felt overwhelmed by the intense demands of the job.<br />

• I’ve come home after exhausting shifts, unable to sleep despite<br />

being so tired.<br />

• I’ve replayed calls in my mind, constantly questioning what I<br />

could have done better.<br />

• I’ve faced burnout, feeling unsupported, demotivated, and<br />

trapped, especially after traumatic incidents.<br />

This lived experience enables me to offer counselling that is<br />

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provide the support you need to navigate these.<br />

My goal is to offer a safe, confidential online space where<br />

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Session charges are £50 per hour<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

11


NEWSLINE<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

Millie Bright comments, “I’ve<br />

had the experience of being<br />

on the pitch when someone<br />

suffered a suspected cardiac<br />

arrest, and it was terrifying. It’s<br />

so important that we all take<br />

the time to learn how to save a<br />

life, as we never know when we<br />

might need the help of strangers.<br />

To learn that as a woman I am<br />

more at risk because people are<br />

uncomfortable to provide help<br />

due to my gender is shocking.”<br />

The research confirms that<br />

training can make a huge<br />

difference when it comes to<br />

addressing the gender disparity,<br />

with 64% of all respondents<br />

agreeing that their comfort levels<br />

would increase if offered the<br />

right support and training. During<br />

Restart a Heart Day- when St<br />

John <strong>Ambulance</strong> and other health<br />

partners come together to teach<br />

CPR – St John will be focusing<br />

on ensuring that the public<br />

understands how to give vital<br />

first aid to a woman in cardiac<br />

arrest and address any concerns<br />

with doing so. With nearly a<br />

quarter (23%) of people surveyed<br />

agreeing that they are less likely<br />

to give CPR to a woman in<br />

public than a man, the campaign<br />

is a critical move in changing<br />

perceptions.<br />

Jordan Davison, community<br />

experience manager, at St<br />

John <strong>Ambulance</strong> comments,<br />

“Whilst this latest research<br />

flags some concerning issues<br />

around people’s comfort levels<br />

in performing CPR on women,<br />

it isn’t wholly surprising. These<br />

concerns are frequently raised in<br />

our training sessions.<br />

Jordan continues, “Our message<br />

to people is that it is always<br />

better to do something than<br />

nothing in these circumstances.<br />

Regardless of gender, when it<br />

comes to CPR, every ‘body’ is<br />

the same, the technique is the<br />

same and everyone deserves the<br />

best possible chance of survival.<br />

By supporting this campaign,<br />

signing up to a free first aid<br />

public demonstration, visiting<br />

our website for first aid advice or<br />

attending a training course - let’s<br />

bust this taboo together and<br />

close this unnecessary gender<br />

gap for good.”<br />

Visit: https://bit.ly/CPRbra<br />

College of Paramedics<br />

sign Armed Forces<br />

Covenant<br />

October 10, <strong>2024</strong><br />

The College of Paramedics<br />

has today signed the Armed<br />

Forces Covenant at the Military<br />

Paramedics Symposium, held at<br />

Defence Medical Services (DMS)<br />

Whittington, Staffordshire.<br />

The event was attended by<br />

guests including Lewis Andrews,<br />

Chief Operating Officer for the<br />

College of Paramedics, Sarah<br />

Hayward, Paramedic Defence<br />

Specialist Advisor on behalf of<br />

the Armed Forces and Ben Lyon<br />

who instigated the signing in his<br />

role as the College’s Member<br />

Representative for Military<br />

and Overseas.<br />

The Armed Forces Covenant<br />

embodies a promise to uphold<br />

fairness and respect for those<br />

who have served in the Armed<br />

Forces, as well as their families,<br />

in all aspects of society.<br />

It focuses on helping members<br />

of the Armed Forces community<br />

have the same support as any<br />

other citizen, spanning education,<br />

housing, careers, access to<br />

healthcare, financial assistance<br />

and more.<br />

By taking the significant step<br />

of signing the Covenant, the<br />

College of Paramedics has made<br />

a commitment to providing fair<br />

treatment for veterans, serving<br />

personnel, reservists and their<br />

families and to ensure that they<br />

are treated with fairness and<br />

respect in their communities,<br />

workplace and society for which<br />

they serve with their lives.<br />

The Covenant’s core principles<br />

recognise the unique obligations<br />

and sacrifices made by the<br />

Armed Forces.<br />

At today’s signing, the College<br />

made a number of pledges,<br />

including to:<br />

Prioritise the mental health<br />

and well-being of Armed Forces<br />

personnel, veterans, and<br />

their families.<br />

Support all members of the<br />

Armed Forces community and<br />

their families where appropriate<br />

with employment opportunities,<br />

signpost and offer advice to<br />

personnel who are transitioning<br />

from full time service into the<br />

civilian sector and collaborate<br />

with Reserve organisations to aid<br />

the employability of our members.<br />

Provide advice and advocate<br />

for Armed Forces personnel,<br />

veterans and their familiars<br />

on how to progress within the<br />

paramedic profession and assist<br />

with helping individuals reach<br />

their career goals.<br />

Lewis Andrews, Chief Operating<br />

Officer for the College of<br />

Paramedics said: “We are<br />

immensely proud to have signed<br />

the Armed Forces Covenant<br />

today. As an organisation, the<br />

College recognises the sacrifices<br />

made by those in the Armed<br />

Forces and the immeasurable<br />

value military personnel,<br />

reservists, veterans, and their<br />

families bring to the healthcare<br />

profession and to the wider<br />

country. It’s the reason we are<br />

committed to ensuring their<br />

needs are recognised and met<br />

when it comes to healthcare,<br />

mental health support,<br />

employment opportunities,<br />

education and representation. We<br />

will always strive to do everything<br />

we can for our Armed Forces<br />

community, knowing this is what<br />

they do for us.”<br />

Speaking on behalf of the<br />

Armed Forces, Sarah Hayward,<br />

Paramedic Defence Specialist<br />

Advisor said: “The aim of both<br />

the DMS and the College of<br />

Paramedics is to deliver the<br />

highest level of healthcare to our<br />

service users. Today’s pledge<br />

from the College allows us to<br />

feel valued and recognised in the<br />

unique working environments we<br />

find ourselves in. This enables<br />

our people to feel validated<br />

as paramedics, and nurtures<br />

interoperability, shared ways<br />

of working and inclusion in the<br />

progression and development<br />

of healthcare delivery. A shared<br />

mental model allows reassurance<br />

that we are seen and supported.<br />

It will only serve to strengthen the<br />

relationship between the DMS<br />

and the College of Paramedics<br />

and will have a positive impact on<br />

the delivery of care throughout<br />

Defence and beyond.”<br />

Ben Lyon, College of Paramedics’<br />

Member Representative for<br />

Military and Overseas said: “I’m<br />

delighted that the College has<br />

signed the Covenant because<br />

it shows to all serving members<br />

of the Armed Forces, paramedic<br />

or not, that the College, as an<br />

organisation proactively considers<br />

the military community in its dayto-day<br />

business. It is also a legally<br />

recognised commitment that we<br />

have to maintain.”<br />

Ben added: “From a personal<br />

point of view, I am really proud<br />

12<br />

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NEWSLINE<br />

of my involvement in helping to<br />

make this happen. As the first<br />

Royal Marine to hold the post<br />

of Military and Overseas Rep<br />

I wanted to do something that<br />

would make a significant and<br />

lasting difference, not only for the<br />

College but for all serving and<br />

future military paramedics, and I<br />

think this commitment does that.”<br />

Since 2011, when the concept<br />

was enshrined into law, the<br />

Covenant has reinforced the<br />

moral obligation between<br />

nation, government and the<br />

Armed Forces and seen more<br />

than 12,000 <strong>UK</strong> businesses<br />

and organisations commit to<br />

improving the lives of service<br />

personnel and their families.<br />

Commenting on<br />

behalf of the Stop<br />

the Heart Restart<br />

Campaign, David<br />

Stockdale, CEO of the<br />

British Healthcare<br />

Trades Association<br />

(BHTA) said:<br />

“It’s deeply disappointing<br />

that the Chancellor has<br />

chosen not to remove VAT<br />

on all defibrillator purchases.<br />

The budget includes tens of<br />

billions in tax increases and<br />

spending commitments, yet<br />

cutting VAT on defibrillators<br />

would have been a minimal<br />

cost for the Treasury. Our<br />

campaign’s Ambassador,<br />

Jack Hurley, along with a<br />

range of supporters, took our<br />

concerns to Parliament and<br />

No. 10. Over 65 MPs—nearly<br />

10% of Parliament—backed<br />

our call to remove VAT from all<br />

defibrillator purchases.<br />

While the outcome is<br />

disappointing, we will continue<br />

pushing for this vital, life-saving<br />

change. A small adjustment in<br />

VAT policy could mean having 6<br />

defibrillators in the community<br />

for every 5 currently available.<br />

Removing VAT on these devices<br />

is the right thing to do, and we’re<br />

committed to advocating for this<br />

change until it’s achieved.”<br />

EEAST to have 40<br />

new ambulances on<br />

the road for winter<br />

Dozens of new ambulances will<br />

be taking to the road to help<br />

patients in the east of England<br />

before Christmas.<br />

A total of 40 new Renault Master<br />

ambulances will be rolling<br />

out for the East of England<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service Trust (EEAST)<br />

by <strong>December</strong>.<br />

Twelve new Renault ambulances<br />

were bought last year. The<br />

Trust has now bought another<br />

40 vehicles to help replace<br />

older vehicles.<br />

The first 20 have been delivered<br />

and will be on the road soon.<br />

The others are planned to be in<br />

service by the end of <strong>December</strong>.<br />

The new ambulances will<br />

be around 10% of the total<br />

ambulance fleet. They include<br />

new technology to turn off idling<br />

engines, cutting fuel use and<br />

reducing emissions.<br />

Further vehicles will also be<br />

joining the fleet over the autumn,<br />

including Ford Transit and MAN<br />

OBI<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

WEL Medical Half Page - Dec <strong>2024</strong>.indd 1 15/11/<strong>2024</strong> 14:52<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

13


NEWSLINE<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

TGE- based vehicles.<br />

Wayne Lawlor, head of fleet for<br />

the Trust said:<br />

“Our fleet of vehicles are worked<br />

hard - seven days and week<br />

– covering more than 1 million<br />

miles a month, and our Mercedes<br />

ambulances are due to be retired<br />

this year.<br />

“The new Renaults will replace<br />

these and our crews and patients<br />

will have the benefit of newer<br />

ambulances as we go into the<br />

worst months of winter.<br />

“Our fleet team will be working<br />

to replace the aging Mercedes<br />

and early generation FIATS<br />

and replace them with the<br />

new vehicles.<br />

East of England<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

leads the way<br />

in supporting<br />

dyslexic staff<br />

The East of England<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service (EEAST)<br />

has become the first NHS<br />

organisation and emergency<br />

service to achieve the silver<br />

quality mark with The British<br />

Dyslexia Association.<br />

The award shows that the Trust<br />

is leading the way among NHS<br />

Trusts and emergency services in<br />

supporting staff with dyslexia and<br />

other specific learning difficulties.<br />

This includes all neurodivergent<br />

staff including autism, ADHD,<br />

dyspraxia and dyscalculia.<br />

Currently, more than 150<br />

neurodivergent staff are being<br />

supported across the Trust<br />

by two specialist lecturer<br />

practitioners.<br />

The silver quality mark is awarded<br />

to organisations that demonstrate<br />

they are developing a dyslexia<br />

friendly workplace.<br />

EEAST was awarded the bronze<br />

aware in October last year –<br />

again, the first NHS Trust or<br />

emergency service to achieve the<br />

bronze quality mark. And now the<br />

Trust has gone further to achieve<br />

the silver award.<br />

To achieve the silver quality mark<br />

organisation, EEAST has:<br />

• Employed two specialist<br />

lecturer practitioners to<br />

support staff with specific<br />

learning difficulties<br />

• Provided one-to-one advice<br />

to neurodivergent staff on<br />

overcoming any challenges,<br />

including advice on appropriate<br />

reasonable adjustments<br />

• Offered a screening service to<br />

identify any potential specific<br />

learning difficulties<br />

• Offered specialist advice to the<br />

training and education team<br />

and managers<br />

EEAST is now sharing its<br />

pioneering work with other<br />

ambulance services and other<br />

NHS Trusts.<br />

Justin Honey-Jones, specialist<br />

lecturer practitioner for wellbeing<br />

and inclusion and a registered<br />

paramedic, is the dyslexia<br />

champion at the Trust who has<br />

been leading the work and feels<br />

EEAST is close to achieving the<br />

gold standard.<br />

Justin was diagnosed as dyslexic<br />

at aged 34 when completing<br />

the paramedic academy at the<br />

London <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service. The<br />

diagnosis changed his career<br />

trajectory as he could finally start<br />

“piecing together a jigsaw that he<br />

could finally complete”.<br />

He is now determined to ensure<br />

that every person who joins<br />

EEAST feels supported and able<br />

to reach their full potential.<br />

Justin says:<br />

“Achieving the silver quality<br />

mark from the British Dyslexia<br />

Association is testament to<br />

the hard work from everyone<br />

involved.<br />

“This quality mark from the British<br />

Dyslexia Association identifies us<br />

as a dyslexia friendly workplace<br />

and an attractive place to work.<br />

“The work continues as I believe<br />

we are close to achieving the<br />

gold standard.”<br />

Hein Scheffer, Director<br />

of Strategy, Culture and<br />

Education at EEAST, said:<br />

“We are extremely proud<br />

that EEAST is recognised<br />

as a trailblazer among NHS<br />

organisations in supporting<br />

people with dyslexia.<br />

“This work is part of a wider<br />

inclusivity plan that is focused on<br />

making EEAST a great place to<br />

work for everyone.”<br />

Justin’s work as a dyslexia<br />

champion has been recognised<br />

at EEAST with four nominations<br />

for the Equality, Diversity and<br />

Inclusion (EDI) Champion at the<br />

annual Stars of EEAST awards,<br />

held in Norwich on Thursday 12<br />

September.<br />

Justin Honey-Jones, Specialist<br />

Lecturer Practitioner for Wellbeing<br />

and Inclusion and Dyslexia<br />

Champion at EEAST, and Chief<br />

of Clinical Operations Melissa<br />

Dowdeswell with the Silver<br />

Quality Mark awarded by the<br />

British Dyslexia Association.<br />

Photo: Nicky Bowbrick-<br />

Parry, Associate Reasonable<br />

Adjustment Advisor; Wayne<br />

McHugh, Lecturer Practitioner;<br />

Heather Morgan, Deputy<br />

Head of Clinical Development;<br />

Justin Honey-Jones; Melissa<br />

Dowdeswell; Emily Taylor,<br />

Specialist Lecturer Practitioner<br />

for Wellbeing and Inclusion; and<br />

Katie Burst, Head of Education<br />

and Learner Experience.<br />

Amateur cricketer<br />

thanks lifesavers for<br />

swift actions that<br />

restarted his heart<br />

Dave Turner [top row - fourth<br />

from left] on his visit to<br />

Chelmsford <strong>Ambulance</strong> Station<br />

with his wife Ali and son Toby to<br />

thank the lifesaving bystanders<br />

and emergency responders who<br />

helped save his life<br />

An avid amateur cricketer has<br />

thanked the bystanders and<br />

emergency services whose<br />

actions saved his life after he<br />

suffered three cardiac arrests<br />

and a heart attack.<br />

Dave Turner, 58, from Westcliffon-Sea,<br />

visited Chelmsford<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> with his wife Ali and<br />

son Toby to thank the bystanders<br />

and emergency responders who<br />

came to his aid when he fell<br />

gravely ill on Wednesday 17 July.<br />

Remarkably, Dave’s recovery has<br />

gone so well that he was able<br />

to play cricket just over a month<br />

after the cardiac arrests.<br />

Two months on, he met some of<br />

the bystanders and emergency<br />

14<br />

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NEWSLINE<br />

responders who were able to fill<br />

in the blanks of what happened<br />

when his heart stopped beating<br />

for 20 minutes.<br />

Dave is sharing his story to<br />

highlight the importance of<br />

bystander CPR as part of the<br />

Restart a Heart Day campaign.<br />

Fewer than one in 10 people<br />

survive an out of hospital cardiac<br />

arrest and clinicians have said<br />

that Dave’s life was saved by the<br />

good-quality CPR he received<br />

from bystanders.<br />

Restart a Heart Day, held each<br />

year on 16 October, aims to<br />

increase the number of people<br />

surviving out-of-hospital cardiac<br />

arrests by helping more people<br />

learn CPR.<br />

Dave, a carpenter, had been<br />

working at a job on a farm and<br />

was driving his van along Lower<br />

Burnham Road near Latchingdon<br />

when he began to feel unwell just<br />

after 4.40pm.<br />

He pulled over down a farm lane<br />

and called 999. Dave’s condition<br />

deteriorated and he clambered<br />

out of his car.<br />

At this point Paul Knight 26, was<br />

driving past with his friend Anna-<br />

Marie Brentnall, 27.<br />

Paul noticed the van on the farm<br />

lane and Dave on all fours. An<br />

initial thought was that he was<br />

looking for his keys, but Paul and<br />

Anna-Marie’s instincts was that<br />

something was not right. Paul<br />

turned around the car and as they<br />

approached Dave it was clear he<br />

seriously ill.<br />

Anna-Marie, a student midwife,<br />

took his pulse as Dave stated he<br />

was feeling pain in his chest and<br />

was struggling to breathe.<br />

Soon after, Reece Comer, 34, an<br />

emergency care attendant with<br />

a private ambulance firm, had<br />

stopped on his motorbike to see<br />

if he could help.<br />

Anna-Marie called 999 again<br />

to see if the ambulance was on<br />

the way or whether driving Dave<br />

would be quicker and were told to<br />

remain where they were.<br />

Paul and Reece assisted Dave<br />

onto the passenger seat of the<br />

car to wait for the emergency<br />

services. Shortly after, Dave<br />

suffered his first cardiac arrest.<br />

Paul, Anna-Marie and Reece<br />

removed him from the car to the<br />

ground and then took it in turns<br />

to perform CPR. Anna-Marie<br />

contacted the emergency services<br />

to update them of Dave’s condition.<br />

10 minutes after Anna-Marie<br />

had updated 999, paramedic<br />

Savannah Radford, emergency<br />

medical technician Anna<br />

Fitzgeorge and emergency care<br />

assistant Millie Hemley-Tucker<br />

arrived in a response vehicle.<br />

They took over the CPR from the<br />

trio of lifesavers and administered<br />

shocks with a defibrillator to<br />

attempt to restore a sustained<br />

heart rhythm.<br />

They were soon joined by an<br />

ambulance with emergency<br />

medical technicians Aimee<br />

Boatwright and Debra Willis and<br />

emergency care assistant Megan<br />

Downs and the Essex and Herts<br />

Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>, which had been<br />

dispatched to provide advanced<br />

critical care.<br />

After they performed a sixth shock<br />

on Dave with the defibrillator, the<br />

team achieved the resumption<br />

of a sustained heart rhythm that<br />

perfuses the body after a cardiac<br />

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AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

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15


NEWSLINE<br />

arrest – known in medical terms<br />

as a return of spontaneous<br />

circulation (ROSC).<br />

Once stabilised, Dave was<br />

transported by road ambulance<br />

to the Essex Cardiothoracic<br />

Centre at Basildon and Thurrock<br />

University Hospital, where he<br />

was fitted with a stent to open his<br />

blocked artery.<br />

Dave Turner said:<br />

“My family and I are extremely<br />

grateful to everyone involved in<br />

saving my life.<br />

“It’s impossible to put into words<br />

how humbled I am that so many<br />

people helped me that day - from<br />

Paul, Anna-Marie and Reece to<br />

the ambulance service, Essex<br />

and Herts Air <strong>Ambulance</strong> and<br />

Basildon Hospital.<br />

“I owe my life to all of them.”<br />

Paul Knight said:<br />

“To have played a part in saving<br />

Dave’s life feels quite surreal.<br />

“The fact that Reece and Anna-<br />

Marie had performed CPR before<br />

really helped and I had basic life<br />

support training so also knew<br />

what I was doing.<br />

“It’s is an amazing feeling playing<br />

a part in saving Dave’s life and we<br />

have stayed in touch after.”<br />

Anna-Marie Brentnall said:<br />

that everyone should know. You<br />

never know when a situation will<br />

arise when you need it and you<br />

could save a life.”<br />

Savannah Radford, a<br />

paramedic at EEAST, said:<br />

“It was great to meet Dave again<br />

and see he has done so well.<br />

“Every second counts with a<br />

cardiac arrest and the actions<br />

of Anna-Marie, Paul and Reece<br />

undoubtedly saved Dave’s life – I<br />

remember telling them that on<br />

the day when it looked likely we<br />

would get a good outcome!”<br />

September 23-27 was<br />

Falls Prevention Week,<br />

and East of England<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

NHS Trust (EEAST)<br />

had a network of<br />

community responders<br />

ready to help people<br />

who had fallen.<br />

Falls can account for up to<br />

20% of calls to the ambulance<br />

service and patients who have<br />

injured themselves may need<br />

to be taken to hospital quickly.<br />

Many volunteer Community First<br />

Responders now have specialist<br />

training and equipment, funded<br />

with the help of the East of<br />

England <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

Charity and NHS Charities<br />

Together. This allows them to<br />

help people who have fallen and<br />

been clinically assessed as not<br />

needing an ambulance response.<br />

First responders carry out an<br />

additional on-scene checks of<br />

the patient before using a special<br />

Raizer chair to help them up and<br />

leave them safely at home.<br />

Since <strong>December</strong> 2023, 138<br />

patients have been assessed by<br />

Community First Responders and<br />

discharged without the need for<br />

ambulance attendance.<br />

Fire and Rescue Collaboration<br />

Staff trained by EEAST in<br />

Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire<br />

and Essex are now acting as<br />

Community Wellbeing Officers<br />

(CWO). Often working in more<br />

remote, rural areas, they respond<br />

to urgent medical emergencies<br />

until ambulance crews arrive and<br />

also attend minor incidents such<br />

as falls.<br />

Since last November, Community<br />

Wellbeing Officers have helped<br />

443 people who had fallen. 40%<br />

of patients were discharged<br />

without further attendance<br />

by EEAST.<br />

Military Co-responders<br />

RAF Henlow, RAF Wyton, RAF<br />

Marham and RAF Honington.<br />

They operate from vehicles<br />

provided by EEAST and wear<br />

EEAST uniforms when on-call.<br />

Between September 2023<br />

– and August <strong>2024</strong> military<br />

co-responders attended 373<br />

people who had fallen, with 30%<br />

being discharged without further<br />

EEAST attendance.<br />

Tom Barker, Head of<br />

Collaborative Response for<br />

EEAST said:<br />

“In Falls Prevention Week, we’d<br />

like to thank all our community<br />

response teams for their help in<br />

dealing with falls, which make up<br />

a significant portion of our calls.<br />

“Where people have serious falls,<br />

we respond as quickly as we<br />

can, but less urgent cases often<br />

involve vulnerable people, who<br />

also need a timely response – but<br />

not necessarily from paramedics.<br />

“Our teams can check on these<br />

patients, help them to a chair and<br />

make sure they are safe to be<br />

left alone and given appropriate<br />

advice without the need to wait<br />

for an ambulance crew to attend.<br />

“This also means that more<br />

ambulance crews are free to<br />

attend our most urgent calls, so<br />

the contribution of our community<br />

response teams helps us respond<br />

to a wide range of patients.”<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

“I remember Dave telling me<br />

about his family and how much<br />

they meant to him before his<br />

first cardiac arrest and we<br />

started CPR.<br />

“I’m so grateful we were there to<br />

help and it’s an amazing feeling to<br />

play a part in saving Dave’s life so<br />

he is here for his family.<br />

“This shows how important it is to<br />

learn CPR and I believe it is skill<br />

However, many people that have<br />

fallen do not have injuries, and in<br />

many cases just need helping up<br />

and checked to ensure they’re<br />

safe to be left alone.<br />

Around the region volunteers<br />

and co-responders from other<br />

services are helping these people<br />

get help fast.<br />

Community First Responders<br />

Military co-responders are<br />

military personnel with medical<br />

training who volunteer their<br />

services when they are off-duty.<br />

They respond to 999 calls until<br />

ambulance crews arrive.<br />

Military co-responders also<br />

respond to minor falls.<br />

EEAST has 60 military coresponders<br />

operating from<br />

RAF bases across the region:<br />

BBC star shares<br />

experiences which<br />

drive him to care<br />

for others<br />

16<br />

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NEWSLINE<br />

The star of the gripping<br />

second episode of the<br />

BBC documentary series<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> has shared how<br />

childhood struggles inspired<br />

him to help others.<br />

Emergency Medical Technician<br />

Ellis Falco showcased his<br />

incredible compassion<br />

and kindness as he said:<br />

“Unfortunately addiction was part<br />

of my childhood because my mum<br />

struggled with alcohol misuse,<br />

however, I am fortunate as she<br />

took the brave steps towards<br />

recovery and has remained on<br />

that journey. I saw it all first-hand.”<br />

Viewers of the BBC One hit show<br />

watched an especially touching<br />

incident, Ellis, alongside his<br />

crewmate Jade, attended to a<br />

54-year-old woman suffering<br />

chest pain.<br />

When they arrived, they found<br />

the patient was struggling with<br />

alcohol dependency – having<br />

consumed up to five or six bottles<br />

of wine that day according to<br />

her son.<br />

During his interactions with the<br />

patient and her son, Ellis was<br />

moved to share insight from<br />

his own life and his own similar<br />

history, hoping to help motivate<br />

her in her road to recovery.<br />

The 32-year-old said: “Alcoholism<br />

and addiction are issues I feel<br />

very strongly about because I’ve<br />

seen the impact of first-hand. I’ve<br />

seen it in a relative who sadly lives<br />

on the streets after being coaxed<br />

into a heroin addiction from the<br />

age of 18. She didn’t choose this<br />

life for herself. She’s my family<br />

and so I will always be here for<br />

her - with open arms to help her<br />

whenever she needs me.<br />

“I look at it differently to many<br />

other people because I think it’s<br />

a very hard path to get off once<br />

you’re on it. Some people say it’s<br />

an active choice, but sometimes<br />

that’s really not the case.<br />

Sometimes it may feel impossible,<br />

and it takes real encouragement<br />

and an incredible amount of<br />

strength to change.<br />

“With the woman we attended<br />

to in episode two of BBC<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> who was facing<br />

addiction issues – you could<br />

really see she wanted to change<br />

but was struggling. The son really<br />

reminded me of myself to be fair,<br />

watching his mum almost fall<br />

apart. It was so sad to see.”<br />

Ellis’ own mother has battled with<br />

addiction and it impacted him<br />

during his childhood. Thankfully,<br />

he can proudly say his mum has<br />

been sober for the past 20 years.<br />

He said: “My mum managed<br />

to turn it around with support<br />

from her loved ones. Thankfully<br />

– and I’m so proud of her for<br />

it – my mum had the strength<br />

to go sober. On 10 <strong>December</strong><br />

each year I send her a message<br />

congratulating her on another<br />

year of sobriety passing and<br />

telling her how proud of her I am.<br />

I can only imagine how hard it<br />

is to give up an addiction and<br />

anyone who does it deserves so<br />

much credit!”<br />

This now informs his work in<br />

the field, Ellis revealed, and he<br />

said he is even more determined<br />

to offer help when he knows<br />

someone is in the right frame of<br />

mind to take up the challenging<br />

mantle and seek sobriety.<br />

Ellis said he is also acutely aware<br />

of how hard this journey can be<br />

– and that for many giving them<br />

something to fight for, whether<br />

that’s for themselves or a loved<br />

one – is very important and<br />

helps recovery.<br />

He said: “I’ve seen it first-hand.<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

17


NEWSLINE<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

Change really is possible. I was<br />

a lot younger than I am now<br />

when my mum was in her active<br />

addiction, so I probably didn’t<br />

understand as much as I would<br />

now. But I still remember how it<br />

felt. If it happened now, I know I<br />

would do absolutely anything and<br />

everything I could to help her.<br />

“I appreciate there are relapses<br />

and people do U-turns, but it is<br />

always possible to get back on<br />

the right path. So to carers of<br />

those with addiction struggles, I<br />

say, just don’t give up on them.”<br />

Since the episode aired, Ellis has<br />

been inundated with amazing<br />

and very positive comments<br />

from viewers.<br />

Posting on X, one person wrote:<br />

“As always London <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service do themselves proud on<br />

another episode of #<strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

particularly Ellis, made me cry,<br />

made me think about my nanna.”<br />

Another wrote: “So many<br />

brilliant staff members in every<br />

series of <strong>Ambulance</strong>, Ellis,<br />

in this series, and tonight’s<br />

episode in particularly, is really<br />

outstanding though. His caring<br />

manner, rooted in his own family<br />

experiences, is exemplary and<br />

heartwarming.”<br />

Black cab driver<br />

brought back to life<br />

raises thousands<br />

for life-saving<br />

defibrillators<br />

Reunion at Wimbledon<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Station - from L to R<br />

- John Beer, Laura Smith, Lewis<br />

Hawkins, Paul and Paula White,<br />

Paul Hughes and Millie Hurst<br />

A black cab driver whose heart<br />

stopped for 20 minutes has<br />

thanked the paramedics at<br />

Wimbledon <strong>Ambulance</strong> Station<br />

who came to his rescue after<br />

he suffered a cardiac arrest at<br />

a martial arts class.<br />

Paramedics restarted Paul White’s<br />

heart using a defibrillator – a<br />

device that resets a person’s heart<br />

by sending it an electric shock<br />

when their heart suddenly stops.<br />

And following his recovery Paul,<br />

64, and his wife Paula, 68, raised<br />

over £1,000 with their neighbours<br />

by taking on the London<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Charity’s first ever<br />

fundraising walk – the London<br />

Life Hike. Funds raised by the<br />

hike will help install live-saving<br />

devices in the deprived areas of<br />

London that need them most.<br />

The walk has raised £33,000 and<br />

counting for the charity’s new<br />

London Heart Starters campaign,<br />

which aims to improve survival<br />

rates for people who experience<br />

a cardiac arrest by purchasing<br />

additional defibrillators where<br />

they are most needed.<br />

Paul, who lives in Croydon with<br />

Paula, collapsed at a church<br />

hall and his class instructor Paul<br />

Hughes immediately dialled<br />

999 and performed chest<br />

compressions. Paramedics<br />

arrived in minutes and used a<br />

defibrillator from their kit.<br />

Paul said: “If it wasn’t for their<br />

help and the use of a defibrillator,<br />

it would have been a very<br />

different outcome. I’m really<br />

fortunate that I’m still alive and<br />

didn’t suffer brain damage.”<br />

Paul, a black cab driver for 25<br />

years, added: “Sadly, I won’t<br />

be able to drive a cab again but<br />

have retained the Knowledge that<br />

cabbies need, so I’ll always be a<br />

cab driver at heart.”<br />

His wife Paula said: “It was such<br />

a shock. He went off to work<br />

at 2 o’clock and at 10 o’clock<br />

at night I had the police at my<br />

door telling me that they were<br />

blue lighting Paul to St George’s<br />

Hospital where he was in a critical<br />

condition.<br />

“At first I thought the police were<br />

informing me of his death.”<br />

She continued: “Defibrillators<br />

and chest compression do<br />

work and he is living proof of<br />

it. If you perform CPR and use<br />

a defibrillator in time and do it<br />

correctly, people can still be here.<br />

“I cannot thank the ambulance<br />

crews enough. They persevered,<br />

shocked him eight times and now<br />

I have my husband back.”<br />

After two weeks in St George’s<br />

intensive care unit Paul was<br />

transferred to the Royal<br />

Brompton Hospital in Chelsea<br />

where surgeons replaced<br />

his heart valves and inserted<br />

an implantable cardioverterdefibrillator<br />

(ICD) into his heart to<br />

keep it at a normal rhythm.<br />

Paramedic Laura Smith, who was<br />

the first to arrive on scene with<br />

her crewmates John Beer and<br />

Millie Hurst, said: “I’m so please<br />

that Paul is doing so well and<br />

has made an excellent recovery.<br />

I joined the ambulance service<br />

in hope of stories like Paul, to be<br />

able to save someone’s life not<br />

only for themselves but also for<br />

their loved ones like Paula.<br />

“With every patient we do<br />

our absolute best to make<br />

that happen.”<br />

Recent analysis by the London<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service has revealed<br />

that dozens of neighbourhoods<br />

are ‘defibrillator deserts’ – where<br />

there is little or no access to a<br />

life-saving device.<br />

The data has revealed large<br />

discrepancies between<br />

communities in outcomes for<br />

cardiac arrest and the availability<br />

of life-saving devices. Households<br />

in more deprived areas are more<br />

likely to be in an area in greater<br />

need of additional defibrillators.<br />

London <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service crews<br />

honoured for<br />

“unselfish act of<br />

bravery” at awards<br />

Crews from London<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service who risked<br />

their lives to save others were<br />

among those recognised at a<br />

special awards ceremony to<br />

honouring bravery, teamwork<br />

and exceptional individuals.<br />

“Our LAS Awards”, celebrated<br />

the incredible dedication and<br />

care of hundreds of members of<br />

staff including a paramedic who<br />

pulled people from the wreckage<br />

of a burning car moments before<br />

it exploded and clinicians who<br />

fought through flames to save a<br />

woman trapped in a house fire.<br />

And in an extraordinary<br />

coincidence, Scott Ogles and<br />

Emma Redman Way later learned<br />

that the woman they saved from<br />

the house fire is the mother of a<br />

fellow clinician at the Service.<br />

In February 2023, Scott entered<br />

the woman’s home, which was<br />

engulfed in black smoke, and<br />

18<br />

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NEWSLINE<br />

pulled her out with the help<br />

of Emma.<br />

The Emergency Medical<br />

Technician said: “It was quite a<br />

surreal experience. I won’t ever<br />

forget that day.”<br />

Emma, also an Emergency<br />

Medical Technician, called<br />

London Fire Brigade, while Scott<br />

donned a mask and decided to<br />

face the fire to find the patient<br />

they could hear calling for help.<br />

She said: “If Scott had not gone<br />

in – I really don’t know if she would<br />

have survived. She was blackened<br />

due to the smoke, struggling to<br />

breathe and no longer talking.<br />

She was showing the signs of<br />

impending cardiac arrest.<br />

“When the firefighters arrived they<br />

asked if anyone was left inside.<br />

But Scott said he had gone in<br />

and gotten her out already.”<br />

The dynamic duo did not discover<br />

the patient was the mother<br />

of their colleague paramedic<br />

Matt Searles until they were at<br />

Croydon Hospital.<br />

Matt said: “What has impressed<br />

me so much about Scott and<br />

Emma, aside from the sheer<br />

bravery, is the quick-thinking and<br />

rapid problem-solving and how it<br />

can make a huge difference – in<br />

this case, a life and death impact.<br />

“They worked amazingly as a<br />

team to call for back-up and the<br />

resources they needed, while<br />

Scott used a respirator mask –<br />

designed for Covid and infections<br />

– to put his own safety at risk and<br />

pull my mother out.”<br />

He added: “There’s a lot of<br />

rhetoric about heroism in our<br />

roles, but this act speaks for itself<br />

– they unequivocally saved my<br />

mum’s life.”<br />

Emma, who has been a clinician<br />

for 23 years, said she will never<br />

forget this incident or patient –<br />

and that it is the most memorable<br />

incident across her whole career.<br />

It was Matt who reached out to<br />

the pair’s manager to suggest<br />

they be nominated for a Chief<br />

Executive Commendation.<br />

Clinical Team Manager (CTM)<br />

Scott Mutter who attended the<br />

incident said: “Both Scott and<br />

Emma’s actions were some of<br />

the most unselfish acts of bravery<br />

I have ever seen in 23 years’<br />

of service. The quick actions<br />

without a doubt saved the life of<br />

Mrs Searles.”<br />

Other commendations were<br />

awarded to Dean Hawkins, a<br />

paramedic who jumped onto<br />

Tube tracks to restrain a violent<br />

passenger armed with a weapon<br />

and paramedic Natalia Croney,<br />

who came across a collision on<br />

the M4 while off duty and used<br />

her training and skills to rescue<br />

two people trapped in a car<br />

before it exploded.<br />

Other recipients of CEO<br />

commendations included:<br />

• Jonathan Merefield: For<br />

intervening when two men<br />

assaulted a woman and man,<br />

stabbing one of them.<br />

• Stephanie Baisden and Lachlan<br />

Allan: For using quick-thinking<br />

to prevent the assailant at the<br />

Hainault sword attack from<br />

entering their ambulance.<br />

• James Foster: For confronting<br />

two men who were fighting<br />

and retrieved a machete after<br />

witnessing an assault.<br />

• Christina Wright: For effective<br />

leadership and commitment to<br />

inclusivity and teamwork on the<br />

Public Education team.<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

19


NEWSLINE<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles<br />

said: “Our staff and volunteers<br />

are incredibly hard-working,<br />

dedicated and committed<br />

caregivers who strive to deliver<br />

the best patient care to all<br />

Londoners. Their amazing zeal<br />

continues to make London<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service a great place<br />

to work.<br />

“I am immensely proud to be<br />

part of this organisation and in<br />

awe of the wide-ranging acts of<br />

bravery, courage and care which<br />

are showcased by our winners.<br />

It’s been a wonderful year and<br />

so much has been achieved.<br />

I would like to wholeheartedly<br />

congratulate everyone who has<br />

won or been nominated for one of<br />

these awards.”<br />

Other winners include:<br />

• Team of the Year – North<br />

West Sector: Hillingdon<br />

Management team<br />

• Team of the Year – North<br />

Central Sector: Edmonton<br />

Admin team<br />

• Team of the Year – North<br />

East Sector: Romford<br />

Management team<br />

• Team of the Year – South East<br />

Sector: Greenwich – Team H<br />

• Team of the Year – South West<br />

Sector: Wimbledon – Team A<br />

• Team of the Year – 999<br />

Operations: EOC Rota<br />

implementation team<br />

• Team of the Year – Integrated<br />

and Urgent Care: Barking<br />

and Croydon<br />

• Team of the Year – Centralised<br />

Operations – non-operational:<br />

Clinical HUB/Clinical<br />

Team Navigators<br />

• Team of the Year – Corporatepatient<br />

supporting: Bernard<br />

Weatherill House Project<br />

• Team of the Year - Corporate:<br />

Procurement<br />

• Team of the Year – Quality<br />

Improvement: St Helier<br />

– Start of Shift Rapid<br />

Improvement Team<br />

• The Rising Star Award:<br />

Joe Tucker<br />

• LAS Patient’s Award: Joshua<br />

Neumann, Christopher Avery,<br />

Thomas Baldwin, Olivia St-<br />

Claire and Katie Vaughan<br />

More than 1,300 LAS team<br />

members were nominated<br />

by their colleagues for ‘Our<br />

LAS Awards’, and judged<br />

by the leadership team in<br />

partnership with our Patients and<br />

Public Council.<br />

Brighton fan has<br />

his partner and<br />

ambulance crews<br />

to thank for saving<br />

his life<br />

A former 999 call taker put her<br />

previous knowledge to good<br />

use and called for help when<br />

she sensed her partner of<br />

more than 30 years became<br />

seriously unwell.<br />

The calls proved to be lifesaving<br />

when avid Brighton & Hove<br />

Albion fan Chris Geddes then<br />

went into cardiac arrest in front of<br />

SECAmb paramedic Kathryn Fox,<br />

who along with her colleagues,<br />

emergency care support worker<br />

Sheenagh Hughes and trainee<br />

associate ambulance practitioner<br />

Laura Mimms, were called to<br />

attend the emergency at his<br />

home in Worthing on 22 January<br />

last year.<br />

Chris’ partner Lesley, 58, who<br />

was a 999-call handler for Sussex<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service in the mid-<br />

90s, called NHS 111 as she was<br />

concerned about Chris after he<br />

woke up feeling unwell.<br />

With his only symptoms at the<br />

time being nausea, pain in his<br />

wrist and jaw and looking pale<br />

and grey, Chris, also 58, put it<br />

down to a sickness bug and his<br />

wrist hurting from their cat, Piglet,<br />

sleeping on his arm.<br />

But Lesley, knew something was<br />

wrong and called for help.<br />

“She was right this time,” laughed<br />

Chris, a self-employed planning<br />

consultant.<br />

“I don’t remember what<br />

happened before or after, but I<br />

have no doubt I would have died<br />

without Lesley’s quick-thinking<br />

the crews’ mammoth efforts.”<br />

Lesley, now a scheme housing<br />

officer, said: “He apologised to<br />

the call handler for wasting their<br />

time, then he suddenly didn’t feel<br />

at all well.”<br />

At the time, paramedic Kathryn<br />

was undertaking some basic<br />

observations when Chris said he<br />

didn’t feel well and then collapsed<br />

in front of them all.<br />

Kathryn said: “We were all<br />

taken a bit by surprised when<br />

he collapsed. It is the first time<br />

in my career that I’ve witnessed<br />

something like this.”<br />

With Lesley pinned in the corner<br />

of the bedroom at the time, the<br />

team worked to get Chris back<br />

and with the support of others<br />

including critical care paramedics<br />

and the air ambulance they<br />

managed to restore a heart<br />

rhythm and get him to the<br />

Royal Sussex County Hospital,<br />

in Brighton.<br />

With a stent fitted and a complete<br />

blockage of one of his main<br />

arteries removed, Chris was back<br />

home within 10 days.<br />

Apart from some short-term<br />

memory loss, Chris has been<br />

“pretty good”, Lesley said, and<br />

was back to work a week after<br />

leaving hospital and straight<br />

down to the Amex to watch<br />

Brighton’s next game.<br />

Lesley said: “When the<br />

paramedics got here, they were<br />

just amazing. Something like this<br />

makes you realise how fragile life<br />

is, it has made me much more<br />

aware of the people around me.”<br />

The pair were delighted to meet<br />

members of the team who<br />

helped save Chris’ life, Kathryn,<br />

Sheenagh and Laura at Worthing<br />

Make Ready Centre on 22 August<br />

this year.<br />

Chris added: “It feels good to be<br />

here today, I would start welling<br />

up if I started to say what I felt.”<br />

Dad thanks lifesavers<br />

after recovering from<br />

heart attack<br />

SECAmb colleagues were over<br />

the moon to meet a father of<br />

three who suffered a heart<br />

attack while taking part in a<br />

charity football match.<br />

20<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com


NEWSLINE<br />

Craig Minnican aged 33 from<br />

Cliffe in Kent, met with his<br />

lifesavers, Emergency Medical<br />

Advisor, Chelsea Williams,<br />

Resource Dispatcher, Simon<br />

Field, Trainee Associate<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Practitioner, Olivia<br />

Godman and Newly Qualified<br />

Paramedic, Harry Topsfield at<br />

Thameside <strong>Ambulance</strong> Station on<br />

Friday, 6 September.<br />

Craig was keen to say thank<br />

you after he became unwell<br />

while participating in a fivea-side<br />

charity football match<br />

on Saturday, 13 July <strong>2024</strong> at<br />

Corinthian Football Club in<br />

Sevenoaks to raise funds for<br />

Ellenor Hospice charity; the<br />

only charity in the county that<br />

provides hospice care for people<br />

of all ages.<br />

Craig arrived at the pitch, raring<br />

to go and feeling his normal self.<br />

After being on the pitch for 20<br />

minutes, he was substituted and<br />

went to sit on the bench to rest.<br />

Craig said: “I went to sit down<br />

and rest my arms as they started<br />

hurting me, little did I know within<br />

10 minutes of this my chest felt<br />

like it was ready to pop. I was<br />

having a heart attack, 33 years<br />

old having a heart attack, safe to<br />

say I don’t really remember much<br />

else after this.”<br />

His boss, who was playing<br />

alongside him at the match,<br />

alerted a medic at the pitch who<br />

quickly rang 999.<br />

NQP Harry said: “This is the first<br />

time any of us had the pleasure<br />

of meeting a survivor, and so<br />

we can’t thank Craig enough for<br />

taking the time to reach out. Our<br />

roles can be very challenging,<br />

and so the fact that Craig took<br />

the time to come and meet us in<br />

person really made our day.”<br />

Simon said: “When I got the email<br />

to notify me that Craig wanted<br />

to meet, I was over the moon. I<br />

had a heart attack in 2011, and<br />

so I was able to sympathise<br />

with Craig and what he’s<br />

going through.”<br />

Emergency medical advisor,<br />

Chelsea Williams said: “When I<br />

took the 999 call for a 33-year-old<br />

healthy male, you don’t instantly<br />

think he’s having a heart attack.”<br />

Simon was quick to dispatch both<br />

Olivia and Harry to the scene,<br />

who arrived within 12 minutes of<br />

the 999 call.<br />

Olivia said: “We arrived on<br />

scene and immediately did an<br />

Electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess<br />

Craig’s heart. Harry and I are often<br />

crewed together and so we could<br />

immediately tell what the other was<br />

thinking and that we needed to get<br />

Craig to hospital urgently.”<br />

Together they stabilised Craig<br />

and kept him conscious before<br />

transporting him to William<br />

Harvey Hospital in Ashford where<br />

he spent five days.<br />

Whilst in William Harvey, it was<br />

discovered that the cause of<br />

Craig’s heart attack was a<br />

blocked artery. He has since had<br />

three stents fitted which widen<br />

the artery, allowing blood to flow<br />

through more freely. Various tests<br />

have also now confirmed that<br />

Craig is a type 1 diabetic.<br />

Since the incident, Craig has<br />

suffered several side effects,<br />

including angina which is when<br />

a person experiences attacks of<br />

chest pain caused by reduced<br />

blood flow to the heart. This<br />

has meant he hasn’t been able<br />

to return to his job working at a<br />

removals company.<br />

Craig said: “I absolutely love<br />

football but I’m so worried to<br />

play again because of my health.<br />

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21


NEWSLINE<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

The heart attack has completely<br />

changed my life and made me<br />

think about things very differently.<br />

I can’t thank Harry, Olivia, Simon,<br />

and Chelsea enough, it was<br />

amazing to meet them.”<br />

Honouring<br />

the academic<br />

achievements of<br />

our people<br />

More than a hundred people<br />

came together to mark the<br />

outstanding achievements of<br />

some of our SECAmb Stars,<br />

who have recently completed<br />

their learning.<br />

The Celebrating Success<br />

Ceremony, held on 1 October,<br />

recognised the achievements<br />

of 60 of our learners including<br />

Emergency Care Support<br />

Workers (ECSWs), Associate<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Practitioners<br />

(AAPs), Advanced Paramedic<br />

Practitioners (APPs) and<br />

Student Paramedics who<br />

completed the in-house degree<br />

programme provided by<br />

University of Cumbria.<br />

We were delighted to be joined<br />

at the event by our education<br />

partners from Crawley College,<br />

the University of Cumbria and St<br />

George’s University London who<br />

deliver courses for our people.<br />

Alongside the academic<br />

achievements of all of our learners<br />

being celebrated, special awards<br />

were also presented to a number<br />

of our learners, recognising the<br />

effort that is needed to learn while<br />

continuing to serve our patients;<br />

winners included:<br />

• Michele Neep for<br />

Crawley College’s ECSW<br />

Outstanding Learner<br />

• Mandy Nash for University of<br />

Cumbria’s Paramedic Degree<br />

Most Improved Learner<br />

• Philip Taylor for University of<br />

Cumbria’s Paramedic Degree<br />

Outstanding Learner<br />

• Michelle Skillington for<br />

St George’s MSc APP<br />

Outstanding Learner<br />

• Jay Spink for St George’s MSC<br />

APP Outstanding Commitment<br />

In closing the event, Chief<br />

Executive Simon Weldon who<br />

helped present certificates<br />

to colleagues, said: “It is so<br />

important we mark these<br />

moments and take time to truly<br />

reflect on the journey they have<br />

been on.<br />

“It was very much an honour<br />

and a privilege to celebrate the<br />

achievements of our people and<br />

recognise the support of loved<br />

ones, families and friends who<br />

were able to join us and celebrate<br />

their accomplishments too.”<br />

Mother of two<br />

overjoyed to be<br />

reunited with<br />

ambulance<br />

colleagues<br />

A mother of two young children<br />

from Ramsgate in Kent who<br />

suffered a decline in her<br />

mental health recently had<br />

the opportunity to thank her<br />

lifesavers as she continues<br />

her recovery.<br />

Coral Kirklaldie, 41, was<br />

overjoyed to be reunited with the<br />

South East Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service (SECAmb) team.<br />

With one in four people<br />

experiencing a mental health<br />

problem of some kind each year<br />

in England, Coral, found herself<br />

needing the care and support<br />

of SECAmb colleagues on<br />

24 June <strong>2024</strong>.<br />

Since that day, Coral has been on<br />

a positive journey to improve her<br />

mental health and wellbeing, and<br />

in doing so, she visited the Trust’s<br />

Make Ready Centre in Thanet<br />

where she reconnected with<br />

Emergency Care Support Worker,<br />

Kelly Tucker, Paramedic, Shailabh<br />

Rai, Resource Dispatcher, Mason<br />

Geary and Operations Manager,<br />

Rob Goss.<br />

Coral said: “Being reunited with<br />

the team was emotional for me<br />

as I can’t thank them enough for<br />

everything they did for me that<br />

day. They were such friendly,<br />

comforting, and awesome<br />

people. Without them, I wouldn’t<br />

have had the courage to get<br />

better. My heroes.”<br />

Kelly said: “It made me so happy<br />

to hear that Coral wanted to come<br />

in and meet us. It was emotional<br />

for me seeing her looking so well<br />

and getting back to her bubbly<br />

self. We are all so proud of her.”<br />

Recently Coral has been focusing<br />

on putting her mental health<br />

and wellbeing first and has been<br />

enjoying spending time with her<br />

two children and getting back<br />

into some of her hobbies, such as<br />

glass painting.<br />

Dispatcher, Mason, said: “It was a<br />

pleasure to be reunited with Coral<br />

and to hear about the journey<br />

she has been on. She is an<br />

inspiring woman.”<br />

New clinical hub<br />

initiative shortlisted<br />

for national award<br />

A Kent health project, which<br />

is helping to keep patients<br />

safe, well and out of hospital<br />

has been shortlisted for a<br />

prestigious national award.<br />

The East Kent integrated clinical<br />

hub, involving South East<br />

Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service NHS<br />

Foundation Trust’s (SECAmb),<br />

East Kent Hospitals University<br />

NHS Foundation Trust and<br />

Kent Community Health NHS<br />

Foundation Trust, has been<br />

shortlisted for a <strong>2024</strong> Health<br />

Service Journal (HSJ) Award.<br />

The hub, which was first set up as<br />

a trial in November 2023, has been<br />

shortlisted in the HSJ Performance<br />

Recovery Award category for<br />

improving responses to patients<br />

who are waiting for an ambulance<br />

and helping people who are not<br />

critically ill or injured to get help<br />

from other services, avoiding the<br />

need for admission to A&E.<br />

From November 2023 to mid-<br />

January <strong>2024</strong> alone, nearly 800<br />

patients avoided admission to the<br />

emergency department thanks to<br />

the project, which saw 180 sameday<br />

GP appointments arranged<br />

plus referrals to alternative support<br />

from community teams and sameday<br />

emergency care – where<br />

patients who would otherwise<br />

be admitted to hospital can be<br />

assessed and treated on the same<br />

day, sometimes at home.<br />

SECAmb Operations Manager,<br />

Nakai Redman from the East Kent<br />

22<br />

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NEWSLINE<br />

Operating Unit said: “The hub has<br />

grown from strength to strength<br />

and as a team it is incredibly<br />

rewarding to know that we<br />

have improved our response to<br />

patients. This success is all credit<br />

to the fantastic team of multidisciplinary<br />

clinicians from across<br />

the Kent healthcare system.”<br />

Alexandra Baxter, Head of Urgent<br />

Care for Kent Community Health<br />

Foundation Trust, said: “The hub<br />

is so much more than the sum of<br />

its parts. This is true integrated<br />

working happening in real time for<br />

the benefit of our communities,<br />

as well as saving time and money<br />

for the health service. I feel very<br />

privileged to be part of such a<br />

transformational initiative.”<br />

Diwakar Sharma, Consultant<br />

and Clinical Network Lead for<br />

Emergency Departments for<br />

East Kent Hospitals University<br />

NHS Foundation Trust said: “For<br />

some of our patients, particularly<br />

our frail and vulnerable ones, a<br />

prolonged stay in hospital can be<br />

highly distressing and detrimental<br />

to their long-term recovery.<br />

Through integrated working,<br />

we have a real opportunity<br />

to give people alternatives to<br />

hospital admission, allowing<br />

our emergency department<br />

colleagues to concentrate on<br />

providing emergency care to<br />

those who need it the most.<br />

This is in line with the wider NHS<br />

strategy to optimise existing<br />

resources, helping to improve<br />

productivity, patient experience<br />

and staff satisfaction.”<br />

The winner will be<br />

announced at the awards<br />

ceremony on Thursday, 21<br />

November, in London.<br />

West Kent clinical<br />

hub avoids more than<br />

1,200 emergency<br />

department<br />

admissions<br />

A clinical coordination hub in<br />

west Kent has recently marked<br />

its one-year anniversary,<br />

helping avoid more than<br />

1,200 emergency department<br />

admissions.<br />

The hub, which was organised<br />

and implemented by South East<br />

Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service NHS<br />

Foundation Trust, (SECAmb),<br />

in partnership with Maidstone<br />

and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust<br />

(MTW), and Kent Community<br />

Health NHS Foundation Trust<br />

(KCHFT), has now become an<br />

essential service that ensures<br />

patients are seen and assessed<br />

in the right place, at the right time.<br />

The hub, based at SECAmb’s<br />

Paddock Wood Make Ready<br />

Centre in Kent, aims to prevent<br />

unnecessary emergency<br />

department visits by redirecting<br />

patients to more appropriate<br />

settings, such as same day<br />

emergency care (SDEC), urgent<br />

treatment centres (UTC), and<br />

frailty units.<br />

In the hub’s first year, it has<br />

handled more than 3,600 clinical<br />

consultations which has resulted<br />

in supporting approximately 200<br />

medical and surgical same day<br />

emergency care appointments<br />

and arranged approximately 200<br />

GP in emergency department<br />

appointments on behalf of<br />

patients within this community.<br />

One success of the hub has been<br />

its collaboration with the home<br />

treatment service, which in a<br />

12-month period has received<br />

480 referrals: more than ever<br />

before. This critical pathway<br />

allows frail patients or those with<br />

multiple comorbidities to avoid<br />

ED visits and long hospital stays.<br />

With the hub’s ongoing efforts,<br />

patients are increasingly being<br />

treated safely at home, often by<br />

a team member already familiar<br />

with their care.<br />

Building on the hub’s success,<br />

its operating hours have now<br />

been extended, now in operation<br />

from 08:00 – 18:00, seven days<br />

a week, to better serve patients<br />

and staff. This expansion aligns<br />

with the Trust’s newly launched<br />

five-year strategy, which includes<br />

the establishment of five<br />

additional clinical hubs across our<br />

three regions.<br />

Practice Development Lead,<br />

Sean Edwards said: “This has<br />

been an exciting and educational<br />

collaboration with our partners<br />

in MTW and KCHFT, which has<br />

demonstrated real and important<br />

patient benefits, and national<br />

recognition.<br />

“As a direct result of the clinical<br />

hub, we know a much higher<br />

proportion of our patients are<br />

now being seen in the most<br />

appropriate place for their<br />

condition, which allows the ED to<br />

be for the most sick and injured.<br />

We have learned so much from<br />

each other and look forward to<br />

continuing this close collaboration<br />

during extended hours.”<br />

Consultant in Emergency<br />

Medicine and Deputy Medical<br />

Director at MTW, Dr James<br />

MacDonald, said: “The hub is<br />

helping patients get the right<br />

care, in the right place, first<br />

time. Working in partnership<br />

with SECAmb and community<br />

teams means patients can get<br />

a community referral with the<br />

urgent care team or an urgent<br />

treatment centre if it is more<br />

appropriate for them, easing<br />

pressure on our busy emergency<br />

departments. This helps make<br />

sure that A&E is there for those<br />

who really need it.”<br />

Students turned<br />

teachers to make an<br />

impact on Restart a<br />

Heart Day<br />

Five teenagers from E-ACT<br />

Parkwood Academy in<br />

Sheffield, who have been<br />

equipped with life-saving skills,<br />

became the first Yorkshire<br />

students to teach CPR to fellow<br />

pupils on Restart a Heart Day.<br />

The school is leading the way<br />

by signing up for the Yorkshire<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service Ambassador<br />

Programme to enable students to<br />

run their own life-saving lessons.<br />

The team of Year 9 and 10<br />

students completed their<br />

ambassador training and<br />

delivered the CPR training on<br />

Wednesday 16 October with<br />

mentor support from Yorkshire<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service.<br />

The initiative builds on the<br />

success of the Trust’s Restart<br />

a Heart campaign which has<br />

provided CPR training to more<br />

than 265,000 students since<br />

it was launched in Yorkshire in<br />

2014. A cardiac arrest patient’s<br />

chance of survival can double if<br />

CPR is started promptly after they<br />

have collapsed.<br />

Shada Aleed, who aspires to be a<br />

surgeon, was one of the students<br />

who delivered the training. She<br />

said: “Learning CPR is such a<br />

valuable life skill, and you never<br />

know when you may need to use<br />

it to help someone. It’s great to<br />

be an ambassador so that I can<br />

train students at my school and it<br />

aligns well with my aspiration to<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

23


NEWSLINE<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

follow a medical career.”<br />

Meheka Kabir, who ran the first<br />

training session of the day, said:<br />

“It was a great experience being<br />

trained to be a trainer and I feel<br />

really confident about performing<br />

CPR. It’s a privilege to be one<br />

of the first students to become<br />

an ambassador and I hope the<br />

scheme goes from strength<br />

to strength.”<br />

Jason Carlyon, Community<br />

Engagement Manager for<br />

Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service,<br />

said: “Development of an<br />

ambassador programme will<br />

create a network of engaged<br />

young people and empowers<br />

them to deliver CPR coaching<br />

in their own schools and<br />

communities with benefits for all.<br />

It’s an exciting step forward for us.<br />

“Our Restart a Heart campaign<br />

has reached more people than<br />

we could have imagined over the<br />

last 11 years and relies on a team<br />

of over 750 volunteers, mostly offduty<br />

ambulance staff, to deliver<br />

the training but we need to think<br />

about future sustainability, how<br />

we can increase the numbers<br />

taught and ultimately save even<br />

more lives.”<br />

Gregg Henderson, Deputy<br />

Headteacher at E-ACT Parkwood<br />

Academy, said the school was<br />

proud of the students who were<br />

determined to make a difference<br />

this Restart a Heart Day.<br />

He said: “We are thrilled to be<br />

the first school to take part in<br />

Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service’s<br />

Ambassador Programme. We<br />

take part in Restart a Heart<br />

Day annually and have on-site<br />

defibrillators so it was a case<br />

of looking at how we could<br />

take that one step further and<br />

give the students ownership<br />

and responsibility to be able to<br />

teach an important life-skill to<br />

their peers.<br />

“It’s vital that our students know<br />

how to confidently respond if<br />

ever they came across someone<br />

in cardiac arrest so they could<br />

give that person the best chance<br />

of survival. We want to use this<br />

programme to create a legacy<br />

of first aid ambassadors at<br />

E-ACT Parkwood Academy, so<br />

they can support anyone in the<br />

academy or within the community<br />

if needed.”<br />

Teen Trio Sing Out To<br />

Pay Musical Tribute<br />

to <strong>Ambulance</strong> Staff<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service Provider<br />

Helps Students Release<br />

Uplifting Music Video in Praise<br />

of <strong>UK</strong> <strong>Ambulance</strong> Workers –<br />

the Teams in Green<br />

In a heartwarming tribute<br />

to those who’ve have been<br />

called the “unsung heroes of<br />

healthcare”, three talented<br />

teens from Cheshire have come<br />

together to sing out and release<br />

a heartwarming and poignant<br />

music video and cover of the Bill<br />

Withers classic, Lean On Me.<br />

The video, produced with<br />

support from ambulance services<br />

supplier the Tricorder Care<br />

Group, celebrates the vital work<br />

of all ambulance staff across<br />

the country.<br />

The teen trio—Marco Dennis,<br />

Ava Walsh, and Tom Murphy, all<br />

17-year-old A Level students from<br />

Macclesfield— wanted to shine a<br />

light on the incredible work done<br />

by ambulance crews, patient<br />

transport, ambulance support<br />

staff, and emergency responders.<br />

“When we learned about how<br />

hard ambulance staff work,<br />

especially during recent times, we<br />

wanted to do something to show<br />

our appreciation,” says Marco.<br />

“<strong>Ambulance</strong> staff care for us<br />

every day, but they don’t always<br />

get the recognition they deserve.”<br />

Tricorder Steps in to Support<br />

the Cause<br />

The project caught the attention<br />

of the Tricorder Care Group –<br />

with bases in Thame, Kettering,<br />

Slough, Horsham and across<br />

the Southeast - which provides<br />

specialised ambulance services<br />

to the NHS and medical support<br />

to the film and TV industries<br />

across the <strong>UK</strong>.<br />

When they heard about the idea,<br />

Tricorder offered to help produce<br />

a professional music video, which<br />

includes footage of uniformed<br />

staff in action.<br />

“Supporting the next generation<br />

of talent while showcasing the<br />

dedication of ambulance staff<br />

was an easy decision for us,”<br />

says Dr Johan du Plessis, CEO of<br />

Tricorder Care Group. “This video<br />

is a powerful reminder of the<br />

critical role ambulance services<br />

play, and we’re honoured to help<br />

bring this project to life.”<br />

A Timely Tribute<br />

The video launch is especially<br />

timely; with NHS ambulance<br />

services still experiencing<br />

pressure and calls up 22%<br />

year-on-year, according to<br />

NHS England*, this tribute to<br />

emergency services could not<br />

come at a more relevant moment.<br />

Watch the Video and Share the<br />

Message<br />

To watch the video and share<br />

your support for all ambulance<br />

and support staff visit [Link<br />

to Video]. Help us spread the<br />

word and show gratitude to the<br />

incredible Teams in Green who<br />

work tirelessly to care for us.<br />

Video link: https://www.youtube.<br />

com/watch?v=nfOfXs_oTX8<br />

Stills Photography<br />

Attached:Group 1 Teen Trio (Left<br />

to Right) Ava, Marco, Tom. Group<br />

2 Team Tricorder<br />

The technology<br />

enabling the<br />

ambulance service<br />

to deliver care closer<br />

to home<br />

THE Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

is using new technology<br />

to deliver care closer to a<br />

patient’s home.<br />

The ‘Luscii’ app captures a<br />

patient’s vital signs, including<br />

heart rate and blood oxygen<br />

levels, and data is sent in<br />

real-time to the ambulance<br />

control room, where remote<br />

care clinicians determine the<br />

appropriate next steps in<br />

care planning.<br />

That could be a referral to the<br />

patient’s GP, self-care advice<br />

or dispatching an ambulance<br />

resource, if necessary.<br />

It is hoped the technology will<br />

help fulfil the Trust’s ambition of<br />

providing the right care or advice,<br />

in the right place, every time.<br />

Liam Williams, Executive Director<br />

of Quality and Nursing at the<br />

Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service, said:<br />

“At a time of unprecedented<br />

demand on the urgent and<br />

emergency care system, we need<br />

to think differently about the way<br />

we deliver ambulance services.<br />

“Patients are waiting far<br />

longer than they should for an<br />

ambulance, and once at hospital,<br />

can spend a considerable<br />

amount of time in the ambulance<br />

before handover to the<br />

emergency department.<br />

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NEWSLINE<br />

“We want to transform the way<br />

emergency care is delivered by<br />

caring for more patients in their<br />

own home where it’s possible to<br />

do so, in turn safely reducing the<br />

number of patients we take to<br />

emergency department.<br />

“To enable our people to deliver<br />

the right care or advice, in the<br />

right place, every time, we need<br />

to equip them with the right tools.<br />

“This technology puts us firmly on<br />

that path.”<br />

The Trust is working with the<br />

Small Business Research Initiative<br />

(SBRI) Centre of Excellence<br />

and Betsi Cadwaladr University<br />

Health Board to pilot the Luscii<br />

technology in a small number of<br />

care homes in north Wales.<br />

In the coming months, the Trust<br />

will expand the pilot to other<br />

parts of Wales and seek to train<br />

its volunteer Community Welfare<br />

Responders to support patients<br />

and service users in using the<br />

app when responding to calls in<br />

their community.<br />

Liam said: “Community Welfare<br />

Responders are key to supporting<br />

their local communities, assisting<br />

patients at their time of need and<br />

ensuring connection with our<br />

remote clinicians.<br />

“The use of this technology,<br />

coupled with the contributions of<br />

Community Welfare Responders,<br />

allows us to care for patients<br />

in the community over longer<br />

periods of time, which will allow<br />

our clinicians to arrange the<br />

most appropriate care from the<br />

right service.”<br />

Chris Lynes, Betsi Cadwaladr<br />

University Health Board’s Deputy<br />

Executive Director of Nursing,<br />

added: “Luscii fits in with the<br />

future of healthcare and we are<br />

excited to be involved.<br />

“We believe this app and the<br />

support from Community Welfare<br />

Responders will lead to better<br />

outcomes and fewer people<br />

needing to go to hospital.<br />

“It’s about us working together,<br />

smarter.<br />

“The majority of healthcare<br />

is already delivered within<br />

communities, and we know being<br />

at home, or near to home is<br />

where people want to be.”<br />

The Trust partnered with the<br />

Welsh Government-funded SBRI<br />

Centre of Excellence to invite<br />

industry and academic partners<br />

to develop a remote patient<br />

monitoring solution.<br />

Welsh Government’s Minister<br />

for Mental Health and Wellbeing<br />

Sarah Murphy MS, who has<br />

responsibility for innovation,<br />

technology and digital<br />

transformation, said: “I am<br />

pleased to see the progress<br />

being made by this innovative<br />

project that uses cutting-edge<br />

technology to help deliver care for<br />

patients closer to home.<br />

“By reducing the need for<br />

hospital visits, we are alleviating<br />

the strain on our healthcare<br />

services and staff and minimising<br />

the stress and inconvenience<br />

for patients and their families,<br />

ultimately leading to better health<br />

outcomes and a more sustainable<br />

healthcare system for all.”<br />

Jonny Sammut, Director of Digital<br />

at the Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service,<br />

added: “Digital systems are the<br />

backbone of healthcare delivery,<br />

and as technology develops<br />

apace, here lies an exciting<br />

opportunity to harness the power<br />

of data to enhance the service we<br />

provide to the people of Wales.<br />

“Our digital capability as an<br />

ambulance service is pivotal if we<br />

want to realise our ambition of<br />

providing the right care or advice,<br />

in the right place, every time.<br />

“Through data, we can<br />

identify trends, predict needs<br />

and allocate resources<br />

more efficiently.<br />

“By doing so, we ensure that<br />

our services are not only more<br />

efficient but also more closely<br />

aligned with the specific needs of<br />

the communities we serve.<br />

“This data-driven approach, as<br />

set out in our new Digital Plan,<br />

allows us to continuously improve<br />

our services and deliver higher<br />

quality care to all patients.”<br />

In April, the Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service was awarded University<br />

Trust status by Welsh Government<br />

in recognition of its commitment to<br />

drive innovation and research.<br />

Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service joins<br />

forces with St John<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Cymru<br />

on life-saving new<br />

initiative<br />

THE Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service<br />

and St John <strong>Ambulance</strong> Cymru<br />

have joined forces on a new<br />

life-saving initiative.<br />

Volunteer Alternative Responders<br />

are trained by St John <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Cymru to respond to medical<br />

emergencies in their community.<br />

Calls are triaged by the Welsh<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service to on-call<br />

volunteers nearby who draw<br />

upon their skillset to provide lifesaving<br />

care in the minutes before<br />

an ambulance arrives.<br />

Rhayader in Powys was the<br />

first community to adopt the<br />

new scheme, with schemes<br />

in Caerphilly, Haverfordwest,<br />

Knighton and Ruthin going live<br />

last month.<br />

Judith Bryce, Assistant<br />

Director of Operations (National<br />

Operations and Support) at the<br />

Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service, said:<br />

“We’re delighted to be working<br />

with St John <strong>Ambulance</strong> Cymru<br />

once again on another initiative<br />

with the potential to save lives.<br />

“Volunteering at the Welsh<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service has come a<br />

long way in the last two decades,<br />

and the Volunteer Alternative<br />

Responder scheme is the latest in<br />

a series of new and exciting plans<br />

to further embrace our volunteers<br />

and make communities across<br />

Wales safer for all.<br />

“Our volunteers come from<br />

all walks of life, but one thing<br />

they have in common is the<br />

commitment to put others<br />

before themselves and ensure<br />

the communities of Wales have<br />

someone they can depend on in<br />

times of need.<br />

“The need for that community<br />

resilience has never been<br />

more important.”<br />

St John <strong>Ambulance</strong> Cymru<br />

already runs similar schemes in<br />

communities across Wales.<br />

Darren Murray, Head of<br />

Community Operations at St<br />

John <strong>Ambulance</strong> Cymru, said:<br />

“St John <strong>Ambulance</strong> Cymru<br />

volunteers have been stepping up<br />

to provide first aid and life-saving<br />

support in communities across<br />

Wales for over a century, and this<br />

new scheme is the latest way<br />

their dedication and skills are<br />

helping people get the help they<br />

need as quickly as possible.<br />

“Our community of volunteers<br />

regularly give up their time to<br />

hone their skills so they are<br />

prepared just in case someone<br />

needs their help, whether at<br />

home or at one of hundreds of<br />

events they provide first aid cover<br />

for each year.”<br />

Beyond the partnership with<br />

St John <strong>Ambulance</strong> Cymru,<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

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25


NEWSLINE<br />

there are a number of other<br />

volunteering opportunities at the<br />

Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service which<br />

more than 600 members of the<br />

public across Wales give up their<br />

time to support.<br />

They include –<br />

Community Welfare Responders<br />

Community Welfare Responders<br />

(CWRs) are trained to attend<br />

appropriate 999 calls in their local<br />

community.<br />

They take an initial set of<br />

observations, including blood<br />

pressure and oxygen levels,<br />

and report back to clinicians in<br />

the ambulance control room,<br />

who determine the appropriate<br />

next steps.<br />

That might be a referral to the<br />

patient’s GP, self-care advice,<br />

sending an ambulance resource<br />

or something else.<br />

Among them is Chloe Hobbs,<br />

20, of Dinas Powys, an aircraft<br />

dispatcher at Cardiff Airport,<br />

who completed her CWR training<br />

in June.<br />

Last month, she attended an<br />

elderly man in Bridgend and<br />

worked with colleagues in the<br />

ambulance service and primary<br />

care to support the patient to<br />

remain at home.<br />

“Together, we liaised with the<br />

patient’s GP to create a plan<br />

to keep him at home and get<br />

him the support he needed to<br />

continue to live independently.<br />

“Everybody worked together to<br />

find a solution.”<br />

Chloe was supported on scene<br />

by Support Officer (Volunteering)<br />

Nik Dart.<br />

Nik said: “Our initial ‘eyes on’<br />

observations, coupled with a<br />

remote assessment by a control<br />

room clinician, an in-person<br />

assessment by an Advanced<br />

Paramedic Practitioner and a<br />

consultation with the gentleman’s<br />

GP meant he got the most<br />

appropriate care for him.<br />

“Safely supporting more patients<br />

to remain at home is what the<br />

CWR initiative is all about.”<br />

To aspiring CWRs, Chloe said:<br />

“Coming into this role, I was really<br />

quite scared about whether I’d be<br />

able to help and support patients.<br />

“Even though I’m a civilian and<br />

my medical knowledge is very<br />

basic, we still have an important<br />

role to play in helping patients to<br />

get the right care or advice, in the<br />

right place, every time.<br />

“We’re there for people in their<br />

hour of need, in turn bolstering<br />

that community resilience.”<br />

patients have been paired with a<br />

specific volunteer to improve their<br />

experience.<br />

Gareth Parry, Operations<br />

Manager (Volunteer Car Service),<br />

said: “Volunteer Car Service<br />

Drivers transport thousands of<br />

patients every year to and from<br />

hospital appointments.<br />

“A good number of those are<br />

cancer patients whose treatment<br />

can be intensive, often daily<br />

chemotherapy, radiotherapy or<br />

immunotherapy over several<br />

weeks, for example.<br />

“Patients told us about the<br />

importance of getting to these<br />

appointments on time and<br />

about the need for continuity<br />

of transport, which is how our<br />

oncology initiative was created.<br />

“Patients are ‘buddied’ up<br />

exclusively to one volunteer,<br />

which gives them that continuity,<br />

builds rapport and takes the<br />

anxiety out of transport at an<br />

already anxious time.<br />

“Everyone’s on the same page<br />

and knows what’s happening for<br />

any given journey.<br />

“We’ve made more than 2,500<br />

oncology journeys since the<br />

pilot began in March, and<br />

the feedback from patients<br />

– and volunteers – has been<br />

overwhelmingly positive.”<br />

resuscitation, as well as the use<br />

of a defibrillator.<br />

Last year, in a <strong>UK</strong> ambulance<br />

service first, they were<br />

also trained to administer<br />

Methoxyflurane, or Penthrox, a<br />

fast-acting drug used to reduce<br />

pain in patients with a traumatic<br />

injury like a fracture, dislocation,<br />

severe laceration or burns.<br />

The Trust also collaborates<br />

with partner organisations on<br />

a number of other volunteering<br />

initiatives, including –<br />

Mid and West Wales Fire and<br />

Rescue Service<br />

Mid and West Wales Fire and<br />

Rescue Service provides<br />

support on behalf of the Welsh<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service to patients<br />

who have fallen, and for those<br />

patients suffering an out-ofhospital<br />

cardiac arrest.<br />

For these patients, uniformed<br />

first responders can make a<br />

difference to patient outcomes<br />

and the patient experience<br />

prior to the arrival of the<br />

ambulance service.<br />

Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service successfully<br />

renews Investing<br />

in Volunteers<br />

accreditation<br />

“When we arrived, it was clear<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

the gentleman was unwell,”<br />

said Chloe.<br />

“What complicated things was<br />

that he was the sole carer for<br />

his wife, and if he had to go to<br />

hospital, so would she – he was<br />

adamant he didn’t want that.<br />

“I took a set of observations<br />

which I shared with the control<br />

room clinician, who decided<br />

the patient needed a fuller<br />

assessment by an Advanced<br />

Paramedic Practitioner.<br />

Volunteer Car Service Drivers<br />

Volunteer Car Service Drivers use<br />

their own vehicles to transport<br />

people to and from routine<br />

hospital appointments, including<br />

dialysis, oncology and outpatient<br />

appointments.<br />

Last year, they made 41,599<br />

journeys across Wales and<br />

covered almost one and a half<br />

million miles in their own vehicles.<br />

As part of a new initiative, cancer<br />

The initiative is now being rolled<br />

out pan-Wales.<br />

Community First Responders<br />

Community First Responders<br />

attend 999 calls in their<br />

community and administer first<br />

aid in the precious first minutes<br />

before an ambulance arrives.<br />

They are trained by the Welsh<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Service to administer<br />

first aid, including oxygen<br />

therapy and cardiopulmonary<br />

Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service NHS Trust (YAS) has<br />

successfully renewed its<br />

Investing in Volunteers (IiV)<br />

accreditation - the <strong>UK</strong> quality<br />

standard for good practice in<br />

volunteer management.<br />

26<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com


NEWSLINE<br />

Assessed in six quality areas, the<br />

Trust had to demonstrate: vision<br />

for volunteering; planning for<br />

volunteers; volunteer inclusion;<br />

recruiting and welcoming<br />

volunteers; supporting volunteers;<br />

and valuing and developing<br />

volunteers.<br />

After completing this quality<br />

assurance process, YAS has been<br />

added to the list of Investing in<br />

Volunteers achievers, illustrating<br />

how much the organisation values<br />

its volunteers and the incredible<br />

contribution they make. Achieving<br />

this standard gives volunteers, and<br />

potential volunteers, confidence<br />

in the Trust’s ability to provide an<br />

outstanding volunteer experience.<br />

Amy Ingham, Volunteer<br />

Development Manager at YAS,<br />

said: “This assessment has<br />

recognised the great work of<br />

many colleagues who support<br />

our highly valued volunteers.<br />

Some of the comments received<br />

during the process highlight the<br />

progress we’re making.”<br />

Some of the feedback received<br />

from YAS volunteers as part of<br />

the assessment included:<br />

• “The main benefits to me are it<br />

gives me a sense of purpose,<br />

we are making a difference and<br />

giving people reassurance, and<br />

it gives me great pleasure to be<br />

helping people.”<br />

and beyond for our patients, who<br />

represent YAS so wonderfully,<br />

and ultimately make us a better<br />

organisation.”<br />

You can find out more about the<br />

accreditation on the Investing in<br />

Volunteers website, and learn<br />

more about volunteering at<br />

YAS here.<br />

Some of the developments that<br />

have taken place at YAS since<br />

its previous IiV assessment in<br />

2020 include:<br />

• “For me, volunteering has<br />

given me an insight into other<br />

people’s lives, how they live,<br />

and just how lucky I am.”<br />

• The Trust has developed its<br />

first Volunteer Development<br />

Framework (2023-2026) which<br />

sets out the Trust commitment<br />

to supporting and enhancing<br />

volunteering, recognising the<br />

significant benefits volunteering<br />

brings to our patients, staff,<br />

communities and to volunteers<br />

themselves.<br />

• The Patient Transport Service<br />

(PTS) volunteering team has<br />

expanded with two full-time<br />

PTS Volunteer Administrators.<br />

• New smartphones and<br />

software were rolled out to<br />

Community First Responders<br />

(CFRs) in 2022 - the software<br />

includes safety features and<br />

has received positive feedback<br />

from volunteers.<br />

YAS is supported by almost 1,000<br />

volunteers who offer their time<br />

to support patients, staff and<br />

communities. These include our<br />

CFR volunteers, Critical Friends<br />

Network (CFN) volunteers, and<br />

Patient Transport Service (PTS)<br />

volunteers.<br />

• “I feel very valued by YAS, it’s<br />

great knowing you can speak<br />

your mind, that your opinion<br />

counts.”<br />

Peter Reading, Chief Executive<br />

at Yorkshire <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service,<br />

said: “I am really proud of our<br />

volunteers and volunteering<br />

services, and this accreditation<br />

is well-deserved and recognises<br />

the great volunteering support we<br />

have in YAS.<br />

“Huge thanks go to all those<br />

involved, not only in this most<br />

recent IiV reaccreditation<br />

process, but in the day-to-day<br />

support for our volunteering<br />

programmes and our volunteers.<br />

The dedication from our staff to<br />

enable successful, impactful and<br />

enjoyable volunteering services<br />

has rightly been recognised and<br />

the result is enhanced patient<br />

care, a better connection to our<br />

communities, and happy and<br />

healthy volunteers across our<br />

communities.<br />

“And, of course, huge thanks to<br />

our volunteers who go above<br />

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AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

27


IN PERSON<br />

Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> CEO<br />

Simmy Akhtar announces<br />

departure to join the Royal<br />

Life Saving Society <strong>UK</strong><br />

Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> regrets to announce<br />

that Simmy Akhtar, our Chief Executive<br />

Officer since March 2021, will leave the<br />

charity in <strong>December</strong> to take on the role of<br />

Chief Executive Officer at the Royal Life<br />

Saving Society <strong>UK</strong>. Simmy leaves behind<br />

a legacy of supportive and innovative<br />

leadership together with a wide range of<br />

achievements, having led the organisation<br />

through a period of significant growth<br />

and development.<br />

During her time at Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong>, Simmy<br />

has consistently demonstrated her ability<br />

to lead with vision and impact, achieving<br />

significant milestones for the organisation.<br />

Under her leadership, Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s<br />

<strong>UK</strong> advanced its five strategic goals, from<br />

increasing income generation to enhancing<br />

awareness of our cause with a variety<br />

of stakeholders, with the ultimate aim of<br />

saving more lives across the <strong>UK</strong>. Simmy’s<br />

commitment to excellence has ensured the<br />

charity’s continued growth and influence on a<br />

national scale.<br />

Reflecting on her time at Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong>,<br />

Simmy said:<br />

will continue to excel in her new role at the<br />

Royal Life Saving Society <strong>UK</strong>. We will miss<br />

her and wish her all the very best in this next<br />

chapter of her career.”<br />

Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> is committed to<br />

continuing its work of supporting air<br />

ambulance charities across the <strong>UK</strong>, as a<br />

trusted and valued partner. Plans to find<br />

Simmy’s successor will be announced shortly.<br />

Inaugural Alice Clark Award<br />

presented at SECAmb’s<br />

Surrey Awards Ceremony<br />

A Chertsey paramedic is the inaugural<br />

winner of South East Coast <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service’s Alice Clark Award.<br />

The award was introduced in celebration and<br />

honour of newly-qualified Paddock Wood<br />

Paramedic, Alice Clark, who sadly died in<br />

service at the age of 21 in January 2022.<br />

performance and outcomes for patients in our<br />

Chertsey operational area.<br />

In nominating her, Operations Manager, Sam<br />

Garman outlined the significant hurdles Nicola<br />

has overcome to deliver such an outstanding<br />

achievement.<br />

Sam said: “Nicola lost her long-term partner,<br />

Andy, a former Emergency Care Support<br />

Worker at SECAmb, during the pandemic.<br />

Despite this personal tragedy she has<br />

continued to show remarkable resilience and<br />

unwavering commitment to her work.<br />

“She is a shining example of SECAmb’s<br />

values of kindness, courage, and integrity,<br />

and is committed to providing exceptional<br />

care for her patients and unwavering support<br />

to her colleagues.”<br />

Nicola said: “I am really proud to have<br />

received this special award which celebrates<br />

and honours Alice’s life. I know that there<br />

will be many worthy winners in future<br />

years and I was delighted to join so many<br />

of my colleagues receiving recognition for<br />

their achievements and service over so<br />

many years.”<br />

SECAmb was pleased to welcome Alice’s<br />

family to the ceremony to witness Nicola<br />

receive the award in their daughter’s name.<br />

Her parents, Gill and Graeme said:<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

“Leading Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> has been a<br />

privilege and I have been fortunate to have<br />

worked with a talented and dedicated team<br />

who are all committed to saving lives. I<br />

am immensely proud of our achievements<br />

together and know the team will continue to<br />

deliver ever-growing value for its members.<br />

I would like to thank the Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong><br />

team, our partners, and supporters who have<br />

been with us on this journey. I am excited to<br />

be joining the Royal Life Saving Society <strong>UK</strong><br />

and look forward to continuing to work in a<br />

role that makes a meaningful impact.”<br />

Patrick Peal MBE DL, Chair of Trustees at Air<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong>, said:<br />

“On behalf of the Trustees and the entire<br />

organisation, I would like to express our<br />

sincere thanks to Simmy for her outstanding<br />

leadership and dedication. Simmy’s passion<br />

and vision have taken Air <strong>Ambulance</strong>s <strong>UK</strong> to<br />

new heights, and we have no doubt that she<br />

Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) Nicola<br />

Buchan picked up the award at the second<br />

of SECAmb’s three annual award ceremonies<br />

held at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking,<br />

Surrey on 14 November.<br />

The new award will be presented each year<br />

to an NQP who has demonstrated significant<br />

effort in transitioning from a newly-qualified<br />

paramedic, as Alice was, to an experienced<br />

practitioner.<br />

Nicola was nominated and chosen as the<br />

inaugural winner for the work she has done to<br />

improve the care SECAmb delivers to certain<br />

patients in cardiac arrest.<br />

Through the Trust’s Quality Improvement<br />

team, she instigated a project that resulted<br />

in colleagues getting detailed feedback and<br />

training on the management of certain heart<br />

attack patients. This has resulted improved<br />

“We’re extremely proud and moved to see<br />

Alice celebrated and remembered in this way.<br />

She loved her work and always gave her all<br />

to those in need. We know she would be<br />

so proud of Nicola and all those who will be<br />

presented with this special award in the years<br />

to come.”<br />

The ceremony brought together more than<br />

170 colleagues, volunteers, members of the<br />

public and their supporters to recognise long<br />

service and outstanding achievements in<br />

going above and beyond in their work and<br />

everyday lives.<br />

King’s Medals for Long Service and Good<br />

Conduct were presented by the King’s<br />

representative for the county, Deputy<br />

Lieutenant of Surrey, Andrew Canale.<br />

Colleagues were also recognised for 20, 30<br />

and 40 years’ NHS service with recipients<br />

including Kevin Burchett, a paramedic from<br />

28<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com


IN PERSON<br />

Tangmere, West Sussex, celebrating an<br />

incredible 40 years’ service.<br />

In addition to the long service awards,<br />

the evening celebrated the launch of new<br />

categories within the Chief Executive’s<br />

Commendations, aligned to SECAmb’s<br />

values, including Demonstrating Kindness and<br />

Acting with Courage.<br />

A team of Tadworth Leisure Centre received<br />

a Chief Executive’s Commendation for their<br />

swift and courageous actions when they<br />

saved the life of a man who collapsed in<br />

cardiac arrest. 65-year-old Carlshalton man,<br />

David Frost was able to attend to see the<br />

team of John Bennett, Stephanie Wallace, Cai<br />

Oudijk and Leo Gamble pick up their award.<br />

The Colleague of the Year award was<br />

presented to Michelle Lam, a Resource<br />

Dispatcher based at SECAmb’s West<br />

Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in<br />

Crawley. Michelle was recognised for her<br />

exceptional professionalism and dedication in<br />

her day-to-day work, as well as her proactive<br />

approach to improving EOC processes.<br />

Peter was formally co-opted as Chair of<br />

Trustees by the Board of Trustees on 18<br />

September and took up his voluntary role<br />

in November.<br />

Peter is an experienced CEO and Chair with<br />

a wealth of experience across the private,<br />

commercial, charity and government sectors.<br />

Peter spent a significant part of his career<br />

with the BBC, ultimately becoming Managing<br />

Director of all the BBC’s commercial activities<br />

in the <strong>UK</strong> and then CEO of all the BBC’s<br />

activities in North and South America. For the<br />

past 12 years he has bridged the commercial<br />

media, education, public and charity sectors,<br />

with key appointments including being Deputy<br />

Chairman of ‘Immediate Media Co.’ Chair for<br />

Texere Ltd, and Chair for one of the largest<br />

privately owned English language businesses,<br />

Bell, based in Cambridge.<br />

In the charity and public sector, Peter<br />

has been a Trustee of The British Heart<br />

Foundation, a Board Member at The<br />

National Archives and an Independent Board<br />

Advisor on the commercial board of the<br />

British Council.<br />

member charities so we can go even further<br />

for NHS staff, patients and communities. The<br />

not-for-profit sector has a crucial part to play<br />

in this, particularly NHS Charities Together<br />

and our network of over 200 NHS charities<br />

who collectively support the work of the<br />

health service and its workforce.”<br />

Remembering Ryan O’Bray<br />

by transforming grief into a<br />

force for good<br />

SECAmb Chief Executive, Simon Weldon<br />

said: “The ceremony was a powerful<br />

reminder of the dedication and resilience of<br />

our colleagues, volunteers and members of<br />

the public. Every award winner should be<br />

extremely proud and we should remember<br />

that the award represent just a small<br />

percentage of the incredible work which goes<br />

on day-in, day-out across our service.<br />

“The Alice Clark Award honours the incredible<br />

commitment Alice brought to her work and<br />

recognises those who share and demonstrate<br />

our values of kindness, courage, and integrity.<br />

“It was a privilege to see Nicola become the<br />

first recipient of this award in front of Alice’s<br />

family and I am proud that Alice’s name will,<br />

through this award, continue to serve as a<br />

reminder of her dedication and commitment<br />

to her work.”<br />

NHS Charities Together<br />

announce new Chair of<br />

Trustees<br />

NHS Charities Together, the national<br />

charity caring for the NHS, announced<br />

its new Chair of Trustees, Peter Phippen.<br />

Peter Phippen, Chair of Trustees at NHS<br />

Charities Together, said:<br />

“I’m excited to be taking on this role at such<br />

an interesting time for NHS Charities Together.<br />

It’s a huge pleasure and privilege to be<br />

working with Ellie, such a visionary CEO, the<br />

outstanding Board of Trustees, staff and NHS<br />

charities. NHS Charities Together has already<br />

achieved so much -especially during and<br />

since the pandemic. The COVID appeal funds<br />

are still making a difference to thousands<br />

of patients, staff and communities. We all<br />

know that the NHS is treasured by the public,<br />

arguably more than any other institution in<br />

the <strong>UK</strong>, but we also know there is work to<br />

be done to ensure it fulfils the public’s high<br />

expectations which NHS Charities Together<br />

plays a huge role in supporting.”<br />

Ellie Orton OBE, CEO of NHS Charities<br />

Together, said:<br />

“We are thrilled to welcome Peter on board as<br />

our new Chair of Trustees. Peter’s impressive<br />

track record and wealth of experience across<br />

a range of sectors - including in various<br />

voluntary roles within not-for-profits - puts<br />

him in a strong position to help us deliver our<br />

strategic objectives working with staff and<br />

The death of a highly respected and loved<br />

ambulance clinician, Ryan O’Bray in July<br />

<strong>2024</strong> has left a hole in the hearts of those<br />

who knew and loved him, but his memory<br />

is now inspiring a campaign that aims to<br />

save lives.<br />

The 28-year-old Associate <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Practitioner, known for his kindness and<br />

selflessness, worked at the Trust’s Sheppey<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Station for seven years.<br />

Ryan’s death has spurred a powerful<br />

community response, as his parents, Lisa<br />

and Rob O’Bray, alongside his Sheppey<br />

colleagues and friends, rally to raise funds for<br />

vital defibrillators and first aid training in the<br />

local community.<br />

This initiative, named ‘Ryan’s Legacy’,<br />

aims to raise funds to purchase life-saving<br />

defibrillators and deliver essential first aid<br />

training for the local Sheppey community,<br />

empowering residents to act confidently and<br />

effectively during emergencies. Already, the<br />

GoFundMe campaign has raised more than<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

29


IN PERSON<br />

£5,000, with donations continuing to come in.<br />

The initiative reflects the compassion and<br />

kindness that Ryan was known for, always the<br />

first to lend a hand and support others.<br />

This campaign, which arrives during Men’s<br />

Health Month, is a timely reminder of the<br />

importance of breaking the silence around<br />

health issues, particularly for men. Ryan’s<br />

memory is now sparking crucial conversations<br />

about the importance of support networks<br />

and the courage to speak up about health<br />

and well-being.<br />

“Although we were unable to save him, we<br />

hope to equip our community with the tools<br />

and knowledge to respond in emergencies,<br />

sparing other families from experiencing the<br />

same heartbreak,” Lisa and Rob shared.<br />

“Our goal is to transform our grief into a<br />

force for good, creating a lasting impact in<br />

Ryan’s memory.”<br />

Ryan’s family attended the Trust’s Kent<br />

awards ceremony on Thursday, 7 November.<br />

During the ceremony, they presented<br />

Operations Manager, Alex Brownlow and<br />

his team with the “Demonstrating Kindness”<br />

award in honour of Ryan, recognising their<br />

compassion and empathy in supporting the<br />

family through this difficult time.<br />

The family expressed immense gratitude<br />

to Alex, saying, “The support for us was<br />

overwhelming. You could feel the empathy for<br />

our whole family. Alex and his team remained<br />

totally professional from the day we lost Ryan<br />

up to this very moment.”<br />

The Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong><br />

Service has appointed its<br />

first Head of Charity.<br />

David Hopkins, from Cardiff, joins<br />

the service from National Youth Arts<br />

Wales, where he was Fundraising and<br />

Development Manager.<br />

David will be responsible for the day-to-day<br />

management of the Trust’s charity, including<br />

the generation of income and compliance with<br />

its regulatory and governance obligations.<br />

He will be the organisation’s expert on<br />

charity matters and will also be charged with<br />

recruiting and developing a small team to<br />

support the charity’s fundraising activities.<br />

David’s past roles include Sustainability<br />

and Growth Manager at Newport Mind and<br />

Marketing and Communications Executive at<br />

the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.<br />

He has a BMus in Music and an MA in Arts<br />

Management from the Royal Welsh College of<br />

Music & Drama and is also a Chair of Trustees<br />

for the independent Welsh dance company,<br />

Jones the Dance/Y Ddawns.<br />

health, wellbeing and safety of its people,<br />

patients and communities.<br />

The charity is a legally separate entity from<br />

the NHS Trust and is completely reliant upon<br />

donations from the public, businesses and<br />

grant funders, as well as support from staff<br />

and volunteers.<br />

Estelle Hitchon, the Trust’s Director of<br />

Partnerships and Engagement, said: “This is<br />

a unique opportunity to shape the future of<br />

the Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Services Charity at a<br />

critical time in its development.<br />

“Our charity has been ‘ticking along’ nicely<br />

for many years, receiving gifts when people<br />

want to thank the service for the help they<br />

were given.<br />

“But now, the Trustees have set an ambitious<br />

course for the charity; one which fulfils its<br />

potential to grow its fundraising capacity in<br />

line with a more strategic purpose, and to use<br />

these funds to have a positive impact for staff,<br />

volunteers and the communities across Wales<br />

that we serve.<br />

“The Head of Charity role – the first of its kind<br />

for our organisation – is about driving that<br />

strategic ambition as we enter this new and<br />

exciting phase in our development.<br />

“David comes with a wealth of experience in<br />

the charity and arts sectors, and I’m delighted<br />

we’ve been able to secure his services in this<br />

crucial role.”<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

Through fundraising, they hope to secure vital<br />

defibrillators for Sheppey and organise first<br />

aid training sessions that empower residents<br />

to act swiftly and confidently when every<br />

second counts. Each training session, every<br />

defibrillator, and all future lives saved will stand<br />

as a testament to Ryan’s caring spirit and the<br />

legacy of kindness he left behind.<br />

The Trust stands with Ryan’s family and<br />

colleagues in turning his legacy into positive<br />

change, breaking the silence around men’s<br />

health and creating a brighter future in<br />

his memory.<br />

Of his appointment, David said: “I’m delighted<br />

to be joining the Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service as<br />

Head of Charity.<br />

“Thanks to donations from the public,<br />

the Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service Charity is<br />

already benefiting patients, staff and local<br />

communities through innovative projects.<br />

“In this new post, I believe there is huge<br />

potential to expand upon this – and I can’t<br />

wait to get started.”<br />

The Welsh <strong>Ambulance</strong> Services Charity raises<br />

money to fund initiatives which promote the<br />

30<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com


COMPANY NEWS<br />

Medipro now<br />

offering funded<br />

ambulance courses<br />

through Gov Student<br />

Finance- Advanced<br />

Learner Loans<br />

Medipro has become the only<br />

ambulance training provider<br />

in England offering students<br />

the opportunity to fund their<br />

courses through Advanced<br />

Learner Loans (ALL). This<br />

government-backed loan<br />

scheme enables individuals<br />

to advance their careers with<br />

regulated qualifications without<br />

the need for credit checks.<br />

Applicants must simply be <strong>UK</strong><br />

residents aged 19 or older at<br />

the start of their program.<br />

The loan covers the full cost of<br />

the course and is only repaid<br />

once the borrower earns above<br />

the set income threshold. If<br />

earnings fall below this level,<br />

repayments are paused.<br />

Additionally, bursaries are<br />

available to assist with childcare,<br />

travel, and accommodation<br />

costs, making education even<br />

more accessible.<br />

Medipro’s courses funded by<br />

ALL are blended, offering the<br />

flexibility needed for learners<br />

balancing work and family<br />

commitments. The upcoming<br />

Futurequals Level 4 Associate<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> Practitioner course<br />

(accelerated route) is a prime<br />

example. Designed to upskill<br />

Level 3 ambulance clinicians, it<br />

combines practical skills training<br />

with foundational knowledge to<br />

prepare learners for potential<br />

paramedic programs.<br />

As Ofsted noted in <strong>2024</strong>: “The<br />

majority of Level 4 learners move<br />

onto higher level programs.”<br />

For more information on<br />

Advanced Learner Loans, visit<br />

gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.<br />

To explore this funding<br />

opportunity or sign up for<br />

Medipro’s courses, contact us at<br />

contact@medipro.co.uk or visit<br />

www.medipro.co.uk.<br />

Publishers<br />

Statement<br />

On behalf of everyone at<br />

Media Publishing, I would<br />

like to thank our advertisers<br />

for their ongoing support,<br />

which has enabled us<br />

to mail FREE copies of<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong> throughout<br />

<strong>2024</strong> to key frontline staff in<br />

both the public and private<br />

Sectors. We would also<br />

like to pass on our best<br />

wishes to our contributors<br />

for their submissions,<br />

and our editors for their<br />

valued input.<br />

Terry Gardner<br />

Publisher<br />

WHY NOT WRITE FOR US?<br />

<strong>Ambulance</strong> <strong>UK</strong> welcomes the submission of<br />

clinical papers and case reports or news that<br />

you feel will be of interest to your colleagues.<br />

Material submitted will be seen by those working within the public and private<br />

sector of the <strong>Ambulance</strong> Service, Air <strong>Ambulance</strong> Operators, BASICS Doctors etc.<br />

All submissions should be forwarded to info@mediapublishingcompany.com<br />

If you have any queries please contact the publisher Terry Gardner via:<br />

info@mediapublishingcompany.com<br />

AMBULANCE <strong>UK</strong> – DECEMBER<br />

For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com<br />

31


Do more<br />

Monitor<br />

from your<br />

seat.<br />

Care for your<br />

patients whilst<br />

in transit, all<br />

from your seat.<br />

Patient Box<br />

Defbrillator<br />

The Corpuls3 defib/monitor splits<br />

into three modules to enable seamless<br />

patient care while you’re seated.<br />

SafeInTheBack Compliant<br />

www.theortusgroup.com

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