Foundation Times Winter Issue 27

MAGAZINE

South Central Ambulance Service

NHS Foundation Trust

WIN TER WEL L N ESS How to keep warm and healthy during the winter months

MEET A G OV ERN O R

A behind-the-scenes look at the life of Governor, Loretta Light

EL EC TI O N UP DATES

All you need to know about the results of recent elections

N U MBER W I N T E R

27

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C ONTENTS WELCOME 3 MARK JONES

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COG

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LORETTA LIGHT

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GOVERNORS NEWS

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ELECTIONS 10 YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

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SUMMER OF SCAS

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RESTART A HEART

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CO RESPONDER CONFERENCE

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FACTS AND FIGURES

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PAEDIATRIC PILOT

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AMBIES 22 WINTER WELLNESS

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MEMBERSHIP 26

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OUR SERVICES HAVE BEEN

C HIE F EX E C UTIVE

UNDER INTENSE PRESSURE THIS WINTER. WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WHO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS

W E L C O ME

WILL HANCOCK

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e celebrated our staff and volunteers in this year’s recognition awards, the ‘AMBIES’, in November.

The quality of nominations we received this year from you and our staff was better than ever before and some of the stories shared by the public and our staff were incredibly emotional.

We always want to hear from you to help us to improve our services. Please join us at a new series of public talks – Your Health Matters – which we launched in September. You can learn about the latest at SCAS and ask staff questions. If you want to find out more about Your Health Matters or how you can get involved with SCAS please email getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk We held an election to our Council of Governors in November. Thank you for taking time to vote if the election was contested in your constituency.

Congratulations to our Governors who will be serving another term and we look forward to welcoming our new Governors. All new terms will commence on 1 March 2020 for a three-year period. If you would like to meet your local Governor or find out more about the role of our Governors, please email getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk Last but not least, please take care of yourself this winter. We have some top tips from the NHS in this issue on ways to stay healthy.

Thank you for your ongoing interest and support.

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MEET A MEMBE R MARK JONES BERKS H IRE

On June 10 2016, Mark suffered a cardiac arrest. He was playing in a Pro-Am golf competition and had just finished 17 of the 18 holes. On the 18th hole he collapsed without warning.

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friend recognised that Mark was unresponsive and remembered the first aid from training he had received in his work place many years ago. He began to give Mark CPR immediately. Another friend called Mark’s wife and the clubhouse desk to alert them The golf pro dialled 999. Fire and rescue coresponders arrived on the scene and took over CPR and administered a shock, followed by the ambulance crew who put Mark onto a Lucas machine to maintain CPR. He was escorted by Thames Valley Air Ambulance to the Royal Berkshire Hospital where he remained in an induced coma for four days. He resided in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a further two days and then onto the cardiac ward before he returned home. Mark now suffers with pos- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has not been able to return to work, but he wants to use his experience to help others.

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I WANT TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH WHAT I HAVE AND SHARE MY EXPERIENCE TO IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY Mark became a member of SCAS in December 2017 because he wants to learn more about the NHS and emergency services. In fact, Mark joined us at the first and second in a series of public talks “Your Health Matters” to find out more about the latest research at SCAS and how Major Trauma Centres save lives. He is interested in the care of seriously injured patients in a pre-hospital setting.

THE PUBLIC TALK WAS AN INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE INSIGHT INTO WHAT HAPPENS IN MAJOR TRAUMA CENTRES He wants to apply to become a community first responder in Berkshire and hopes to teach CPR. Mark explained that it’s not mandatory for golf clubs to have a defibrillator on site and would like to raise greater awareness of the difference a defibrillator can make.

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C OUN CI L OF G OV E R N O R S The Council of Governors meets four times a year and represents the interests of members and stakeholder organisations. Meetings are open to the public.

Berkshire Constituency Public Governors

For more information please visit our website at www.scas.nhs.uk/ft

Mark Davis

Frank Epstein

ColinGodbold

Public Governors

Hampshire Constituency

Andy Bartlett

Richard Coates Barry Lipscomb

David Luckett MBE

Charles McGill Tony Nicholson MBE CBE

Public Governors

Buckinghamshire Constituency

Bernadette Devine

Bob Duggan

Vacancy

Public Governors

Oxfordshire Constituency

Vacancy

Staff Governors

Loretta Light

Appointed Partner Governors

Emma Crozier

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Lynn Dove-Dixon Jim Dunderdale

Sabrina Chetcuti Dr Anne Crampton

David Drew

Kate Moss

David Palmer

Cllr. Keith House

Barry Wood

Vacancy

M EET A GOV E RN OR

LORETTA LIGHT PUBL IC G OVER N O R , OX FOR D S H IRE Loretta Light is a Public Governor for Oxfordshire. She was elected in 2017. Since then she has observed SCAS’s Charity Committee, Quality and Safety Committee, Membership and Engagement Committee and Audit Committee. In addition, she has thoroughly enjoyed the experience of two ride outs with the 999 crews and two visits to the 999 and 111 call takers in Otterbourne and Bicester.

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oretta has spent time with our Head of Patient Experience, Amanda Painter. She is particularly interested in the patient stories fed back to the Board which she believes offers an opportunity for learning and service improvement. She has also spent time with Emma Crozier, Area Manager, so that she can learn about the organisation of NonEmergency Patient Transport Services.

Loretta has also found time to support SCAS’s public engagement and has attended events throughout the year including a visit to Henry Box School in Witney with SCAS on Restart a Heart Day. She knows that governors can make a big difference in engaging with the public through networking with local organisations and has given talks on SCAS to the Women’s Institute, amongst others, to raise awareness of our services and attract new members to the Trust.

33 years’ service in the NHS led Loretta to her post as Consultant Community Paediatrician in South Staffordshire and Lead Paediatrician for Child Protection, working in close co-operation with the police, social services and education. Loretta set up multidisciplinary training for the detection, management and treatment of children who had been victims of sexual abuse following a year’s secondment to Great Ormond Street Hospital for specialised training in this area, including family therapy training. She also set up a national training course for Paediatricians in understanding child sexual exploitation.

In addition, she became a member of her local child and adult mental health services (CAMHS).

She worked therapeutically with young people We are all likely to need high and set up a drug treatment centre for teenagers. quality healthcare some point As Chair of Governors at at a special school for 10 inyears, ourshe lives.

Wegreat are privilege proud of towatching deliver had the youngsters with learning blossom and safe, effective and difficulties responsive achieve remarkable successes and as services at South Central the Medical Advisor to an adoption agency for many years, Ambulance Service and we rely on she saw wonderful new families created. She is you, members, as anand essential also a our trained volunteer member frequently part ourfor future as chairsof panels school development admission appeals for Oxfordshire County Council.

She is interested an NHS Foundation Trust. in working with young people and supporting recruitment of young people into the NHS.

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COU NCI L OF G OV E R N O R S LATEST NEWS FROM THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS The Council of Governors (CoG) last met on 3 October 2019, with 15 of 23 governors currently in post attending.

The meeting was preceded by an informative presentation on Patient Transport Services from Paul Stevens, Director of Commercial Services and Emma Crozier, staff Governor and Area Manager for Commercial Services.

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uring the formal meeting, a number of items were discussed (and approved where necessary) including the reappointment of Lena Samuels as SCAS Chair for a second term of three years from 1 April 2020. Will Hancock, Chief Executive, provided an update around the Trust’s Organisational Development priorities including becoming a partner, provider and employer of choice.

For the past year, the governors have participated in a series of developmental workshops aimed at developing key skills over several areas, including communication, meeting efficiency and working relationships. The year-long programme concluded on 3 October with the final report and ‘next steps’ being presented at the meeting. The

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CoG agreed that the recommendations would help to continue to build a more cohesive and effective team and as a result, a developmental working group has been established to help drive the recommendations forward.

Since the last CoG meeting, the elections for seven governor positions has closed with all seven seats being filled. The newly elected governors will start their term of office with SCAS from 1 March 2020 and will be introduced in the next edition of the Foundation Times.

Inspired by Will Hancock, Chief Executive, and the success of last summer’s two cycling challenges, the CoG and Trust Board have embarked on a new challenge together whereby they aim to complete a virtual tour of the six counties served by SCAS (a total of 11,420 square miles), visiting each resource centre, station and PTS base. The challenge commenced on 17 October, and to date through a combination of walking, running, cycling and swimming, has clocked up an impressive 3,268 miles. The group have (virtually) visited 19 of our 49 locations where our staff work which, considering the wintery weather, is a testament to everyone’s determination and enthusiasm.

Formal Council of Governors meetings are open to Trust members and the public. The next meeting is being held on 13 January 2020 from 18:30-21:00 at Shaw House in Newbury.

For further details about the meeting, please contact the Company Secretary, company.secretary@scas.nhs.uk

UPDATE FROM NOVEMBER’S SCAS BOARD MEETING IN PUBLIC

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he SCAS Board of Directors held its latest Board meeting in public on Thursday 28 November, on this occasion at Shaw House in Newbury.

The meeting opened with reports from the Trust Chair, Lena Samuels, and the Chief Executive, Will Hancock.

This provided an overview of key current strategic issues for SCAS, including a focus on winter pressures and some of the activities being undertaken to further develop relationships with other health and social care partners in our various systems.

The Board considered a patient story, by video, which demonstrated the great work of call handling staff and crews in the Southampton area to treat and care for a seven-week old child who had been unresponsive and not breathing.

Following a comprehensive review of SCAS’s current performance, and update reports from each of the Trust’s Executive Directors, the Board considered a report from the Freedom to Speak-Up Guardian, Simon Holbrook, which provided an anonymised summary of recent cases and themes.

Full details about the members of the SCAS Board, and future meetings (including papers) can be found on the SCAS website, www.scas.nhs.uk. Anyone who is keen to attend a future meeting of the Board in public is welcome to do so and should contact the Company Secretary company.secretary@scas.nhs. uk for further information.

Steve Garside Company Secretary

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GOVERNOR ELECTIONS 2019 This year we held an election for members of the public to join the Trusts Council of Governors with two vacancies in in Berkshire, one in Buckinghamshire, one in Oxfordshire and three in Hampshire.

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overnors represent the interests of our public and staff members, general public and stakeholders in our local community to help us to provide the best care we can for our patients. Governors have important responsibilities such as appointing and holding to account the Chair and other Non-Executive Directors, contributing to the development of the Trust strategy, and engaging with the members who elect them to represent and reflect their views.

C ONG RATUAT I O N S. . . . ...to Governors who were successful in this year’s elections Constituency

Governor Elected

Berkshire

Mark Davis

Berkshire

Frank Epstein

Buckinghamshire

Ken Roberts

Hampshire

Laurence Chacksfield

Hampshire

Richard Coates

Hampshire

Hilary Foley

Oxfordshire

Helen Ramsay

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Mark Davis

Laurence Chacks field

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROLE OF A GOVERNOR, OR WOULD LIKE TO MEET YOUR LOCAL GOVERNOR OR ARRANGE FOR A GOVERNOR TO COME AND TALK TO AN ORGANISATION IN YOUR LOCAL AREA, PLEASE EMAIL GETINVOLVED@SCAS.NHS.UK

We promoted the elections in the summer issue of the Foundation Times, to our members, on social media and at events over the summer leading up to the elections. We held a workshop in September to give aspiring Governors the opportunity to learn more about the role and how to apply. Lena Samuels, SCAS Chair, Bob Duggan, Lead Governor, Steve Garside, Company Secretary and Margaret Eaglestone, Membership and Engagement Manager, presented on aspects of the Governor’s role to give the aspiring Governors as much information as possible.

Nominations opened on 30 September and closed on 21 October.

Oxfordshire and Berkshire were uncontested which means that we had enough nominations to fill the vacancies. Buckinghamshire and Hampshire were contested with nominations going into the elections which ran from 13 November until 3 December.

The elections were managed by an independent, external election company called Civica Election Services. Civica sent out voting packs via post and email to our members in Buckinghamshire and Hampshire.

The results of the elections were published in December 2019 with four new Governors in place and three Governors re-elected. All new terms will begin on March 1 2020.

Richard Coates

Frank Epstein

Ken Roberts

Hilary Foley Helen Ramsey

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YOUR HEALTH MATTERS! YOUR HEALTH MATTERS ARE A NEW SERIES OF FREE PUBLIC TALKS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING AT SCAS AND WILL BE HELD ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL REGION WHERE WE DELIVER SERVICES.

RE S TA RT M O R E HEARTS The talks launched in September, with the first one held in Newbury, Berkshire: Your Health Matters – Restart More Hearts. Helen Pocock, Senior Research Paramedic, talked about the latest research at SCAS. Each year in the UK, the ambulance services attempt to restart the hearts of 28,000 patients. Cardiac arrest research is difficult but essential if we are to improve outcomes for this patient group. The most recent of these is the PARAMEDIC-2 trial. This trial, led by the University of Warwick, aims to improve the outcome for patients suffering cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating) outside of the hospital environment.

You can find out more here www.scas.nhs.uk/ about-scas/research/ Another significant development is the set-up of a national Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes registry which SCAS contributes to. This is a global initiative which is based on the research around Bystander CPR and Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) use which demonstrates that anyone can be a lifesaver.

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Restart more hearts Find out about the latest research in how to restart a heart.

21 October Newbury 7 – 8 pm

Helen Pocock, Senior Research Paramedic will be talking about how initiatives such as the national Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes (OHCAO) project and international Restart a Heart Day can inform and improve our care for patients.

For more information https://www.scas.nhs.uk/get-involved/events/

Colin Godbold, Public Governor in Berkshire, joined us to meet members in his local area and answer any questions. You can find out more about Colin here www.scas.nhs.uk/about-scas/council-ofgovernors/meet-our-governors/colin-godbold/ Colin Godbold said: “The public talk was a great opportunity to meet members in my local area and hear what they have to say. I enjoyed learning about research at SCAS and finding out about the latest innovations in saving lives.”

We were also lucky to be joined by Maddy and John Radburn from Oxfordshire, SCAS members, who featured in the last issue of the Foundation Times.

Maddy and John Radburn said: “It was really interesting and encouraging to learn that the Ambulance Trust is active in reviewing procedures which are used regularly. We continue to be encouraged and inspired by the work of the Ambulance staff.”

If you weren’t able to make it to Newbury, you can watch and listen to Helen’s talk on-line here https://www.scas.nhs.uk/get-involved/yourhealth-matters/

MA JOR T R AU MA C EN TRES The second in the series of public talks was held in Southampton, Hampshire. Mark Ainsworth-Smith MBE, Consultant Practitioner in PreHospital Care, SCAS, talked about how SCAS manages seriously injured patients in a pre-hospital setting.

Jack Ansell, Operations Manager, SCAS, showed members how to save a life with CPR demonstrations and first aid. David Luckett, Public Governor, Hampshire, said: “I am pleased I attended this evening, I not only enjoyed it but learnt a lot.

The evening was well-organised and professionally presented with very good speakers passionate about their work.”

Tony Nicholson, Public Governor, Hampshire, said: “A great evening – two excellent speakers, taking us behind the scenes and building our confidence in areas of critical care, and a very attentive audience.”

Andy Hollebon, SCAS member, said “The talk on how major trauma is handled at the scene, the transfer to a Major Trauma Centre and what actually happens to the patient in the centre was really interesting and full of good advice. It was very clear that the trauma care now provided by SCAS at the scene and centralising trauma care in specialist centres ensures that patients receive the best possible care. The evidence shows that there is more chance of a better recovery for the patient than was the case just 10 years ago. Both Professor Crouch and Mark Ainsworth-Smith also gave clear warnings about the dangers we all face on our roads, around our homes and in some leisure pursuits.”

He said that trauma is the leading cause of death in the under forties with up to 20, 000 cases of major trauma year. He also explained how SCAS ambulance crews have been trained to assess trauma patients by treating them at the scene and getting them directly to a Major Trauma Centre (MTC) in time.

We were joined by Professor Robert Crouch OBE, Consultant Nurse & Honorary Professor of Emergency Care, Emergency Department, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust & Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Deputy Director of Major Trauma, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Wessex NIHR Injuries and Emergencies Specialty Lead, who gave us unique insight into what happens in a MTC.

If you weren’t able to make it to Southampton, you can watch and listen to the talk on-line here www. scas.nhs.uk/get-involved/your-health-matters/ If you want to receive information about our public talks, please email getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk

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THE SUMMER OF SCAS!

This summer was very busy with many events held each and every week across the South Central area with SCAS staff attending nurseries, schools and colleges, village fetes, targeted campaigns and bigger events including BBC Countryfile Live.

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hen possible, staff and community first responders (CFRs) took an ambulance or rapid response vehicle to show people what it’s like inside and learn about the equipment they use. Staff and CFRs gave CPR and first aid demonstrations and showed the public how to use a defibrillator, helping us to know what to do in an emergency and how to save a life.

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We also raised money for the Trust Charity as well as sharing information on how people can get involved as a volunteer or member and how to come and work with us. Often 999 Ted joined us too!

C OMIN G SO ON Blue Lights Day Beaulieu National Motor Museum 26 April 2020 Get up-close to the latest emergency services vehicles at Blue Light Day on Sunday 26th April and see fully kitted-out fire engines and ambulances, police, Coastguard, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and other vital services. You will be amazed by the sights and sounds of these machines which are used to save lives.

Countryfile Live was held over four days in the beautiful Blenheim Palace. Over 20 staff and CFRs volunteered to help people learn more about SCAS. We were busy with visitors every day who wanted to talk to us and climb in the ambulance and rapid response vehicle. We were lucky to have some amazing hot and sunny weather too!

Clamber inside the impressive machines used by the Fire and Rescue Service and South Central Ambulance Service, then see their vintage counterparts in the impressive display. You may even spot a 1950s Green Goddess fire engine or maybe a 1960s police ‘panda’ car.

There will be a discount on entry for SCAS members and staff.

If you want to find out more about up and coming events or if you want to run an event in your local community, please email getinolved@scas.nhs.uk

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RESTART A HE A RT The initiative, led by the Resuscitation Council (UK) in partnership with ambulance trusts across the UK, the British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross and St John Ambulance, aims to improve survival rates from out of hospital cardiac arrests.

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ccording to the latest figures from NHS England, only 8.5% of people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital environment survive.

A person’s chances of survival decrease by 10% with every minute that passes without the patient receiving CPR (chest compressions) or a shock from a defibrillator.

Nicola Dunbar, Head of Community Engagement & Training at SCAS, who is leading the Trust’s participation

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in World Restart a Heart Day, said: “Whilst here in the South Central region our cardiac arrest survival rate is the best in England at over 13%, there is still more we can do to match survival rates elsewhere in Europe which can be as high as 25%. Research undertaken by the Resuscitation Council (UK)1 has shown that less than 1 in 3 people who’ve not had any professional training on a CPR course are likely to help someone who has collapsed and stopped breathing. Put simply, the more people we can train in CPR then the more people will have a chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.”

On World Restart a Heart Day, SCAS staff and volunteer community first responders worked alongside medically trained personnel from local police, fire and military services, at 55 schools across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, to teach students how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator.

Other CPR training sessions will also be taking place at hospitals, in organisations and at public events in the South Central region, with the aim of teaching 10,000 people these lifesaving skills on World Restart a Heart Day. In fact, a record 10, 240 people were trained in 2019. Next year’s Restart a Heart Day will be on 16 October 2020. Watch this space!

SCAS RESPONDER C O N F ER E N C E 2019 SCAS’s second responder conference was held on Saturday the 2November at Wokefield Park in Mortimer, Berkshire. This included Community First Responders (CFRs), fire, police and military co-responders along with staff from the Community Engagement & Training (CE&T) Team.

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he day started with networking and a meet & greet which Mark Ainsworth (Director of Operations) and Paul Jefferies (Assistant Director of Operations) assisted with, alongside members of the CE&T team. There were stands in the “marketplace” for our SCA Charity, Stryker, Mangar Health & the CPR “race”. We were also pleased to be able to show our responders some possible options for the future in relation to kit bags and equipment.

Will Hancock, CEO, began the day with a warm welcome. This was followed by David Jeffery, CFR, who talked about his own experience as a cardiac arrest survivor. Other speakers included Jon Porter, Driving Standards Manager, who congratulated CFRs on their fantastic track record, and Mangar Health, who demonstrated the ELK inflatable lifting cushion and gave some advice around the ways to get the most

out of the equipment. Mark Ainsworth-Smith talked about the growing ageing population. He said a high percentage of ambulance calls are related to falls and that 40% of incidents reported at the major trauma centres in Southampton and Oxford are falls. Mark Ainsworth-Smith highlighted the hotspots across the SCAS area in Portsmouth, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury. He said that the CFRs are able to get to a patient within an hour which can make a big difference to a patient’s outcome.

This was followed by Suzie Knight, Lead nurse for paediatric emergency care at Southampton Children’s Emergency Department who gave responders information on how to properly assess a sick child and how they shouldn’t be afraid of properly assessing children.

Faye O’Keefe and Katy Phillips, SCAS Specialist Paramedics, talked about the urgent care desk and how our responders can help them and ultimately help themselves by providing good quality information when attending non injury falls.

They also explained their role and remit so responders were clear on what the urgent care desk is and is not responsible for. Vanessa Casey, SCA Charity CEO updated responders on the SCA Charity and Lena Samuels, SCAS Chair, thanked everyone for attending and speaking and closed the conference.

Jacqui and Graham Reeve, CFRs in Lyndhurst said: “This is the second conference we have attended and we really enjoyed it. We found it very helpful and informative. It was well worth attending”

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HOW D I D W E DO? AMBULANCE RESPO NSE PROGRAMME WHAT DOES IT MEAN Category 1 – life-threatening calls. Responded to in an average (mean) of seven minutes and at least nine out of ten times within 15 minutes (90th percentile).

Category 2 – emergency calls. Responded to in an average (mean) of 18 minutes and at least nine out of ten times within 40 minutes (90th percentile).

Category 3 – urgent calls. Responded to at least nine out of ten times within 120 minutes. You may be treated by ambulance staff at the scene.

Category 4 – less urgent calls. Responded to at least nine out of ten times within 180 minutes. You may be given advice over the phone or referred to another service, such as a GP or pharmacist

FACTS AND FIGURES 18

KEY Target achieved Target missed

CATEGORY 1

CATEGORY 2

Incidents

20,787

Incidents

191,090

Mean

7:11

Mean

17:37

90th Per

13:00

90th Per

35:39

CATEGORY 3

CATEGORY 4

Incidents

118,982

Incidents

9,152

90th Per

2:06:34

90th Per

2:56:16

TOTAL 340,011

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PAE DI ATRI C D E S K PI L OT NEW PAEDIATRIC DESK PILOT IMPROVES ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE In February 2019 funding was secured to explore ways to improve remote assessment of children when they are unwell. The pilot launched on 13 April and completed on 29 June 2019.

clear information on common childhood illnesses, including advice on what “red-flag” signs to look out for, where to seek help if required, what you can do to keep your child comfortable and how long your child’s symptoms are likely to last.

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The pilot ran for twelve weeks and was based at Partnering Health Ltd. (PHL) in Whitely. Paediatric nurses and one nurse with a special interest in paediatrics were available to respond to calls. In total, 104 calls were managed by the desk.

he first phase of the pilot involved telephone assessment of children aged five years and younger with symptoms such as fever, sore throat, earache, coughs and colds. The objective was to make sure that they received the right care at the right time and also reduce unnecessary face-to-face assessments in primary, urgent and emergency care.

During the first six weeks of the pilot only four patients attended the emergency department (ED) after assessment via the desk. One patient was referred to the ED by the Paediatric desk and was subsequently admitted, two patients turned up in the ED after home management via the desk and was treated with antibiotics and one patient had been booked onto a GP appointment via the desk but was treated with antibiotics following a face to face assessment in ED.

Using the resources available on Healthier Together https://what0-18.nhs.uk/clinicians, parents and carers were able work together with digital support to improve assessment of under-fives. The resources on the Healthier Together website have been developed in partnership between parents and healthcare professionals from across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The website gives Percentage of assessed symptom groups of the 104 calls managed by the desk

1% Ear discharge or ear wax 1% Diarrhoea

4% Skin/ rash 14% Sore throat or hoarse voice 16% Fever

4% Vomiting 1% Abdominal, flank, groin or back pain or swelling

12% Earache

17% Cough

21% Breathing problems, breathlessness or wheeze 7% Cold or flu

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67% Appointement 4% 999/ED 28% Home care

Disposition after assessment for children managed by paediatric desk

Ralph Harding, Locality Manager, Integrated Urgent Care and 111 Services said “So far the service is safe to use and has been well received by both staff and clinicians.”

In a patient survey, all patients said that they would be extremely likely or likely to recommend the 111 service, followed the advice given and were satisfied with the service given. Most were better or had improved within seven days and few had to see another service within five days.

Clinicians were also surveyed on the pilot. They found that Healthier Together was a useful tool and made assessment easier. There were also challenges which included low call volume and limited symptoms which restricted the care pathways available. There were also some logistical problems in the manning of the desk and sometimes the PHL building was difficult to access.

An extra 239 calls would have been reviewed by the paediatric clinicians during the pilot if the age range had been increased to 0 – 16 years. A second phase of the pilot was launched on 26 October 2019 with an age range of up to 16 years of age and the capacity to assess more symptoms. It is manned exclusively by paediatric nurses working alongside a GP. Sabrina Bushell, Nurse Clinician (Paediatrics), said: “I have really enjoyed being part of this exciting venture. I find the Healthier Together website very user friendly. I am able to send the parents advice and links to the website via their mobile phones which is well received. I enjoy building a rapport with callers and providing education, reassurance and advice as needed, when home management is indicated. I am able to quickly identify children who would benefit from a face-to-face assessment. I feel that parents really value speaking to a specialist paediatric nurse and that it is an important service to continue.”

Amanda Painter, Patient Experience Lead, SCAS, said: “We are pleased to see that all respondents to our patient survey told us they would recommend this service, they followed the advice given and were satisfied with their experience.“

WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHASE TWO OF THIS PROJECT FOR THE ENHANCED TELEPHONE ASSESSMENT OF A WIDER GROUP OF PATIENTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN WESSEX

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STAFF AW ARD S

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n Friday 29 November we celebrated our amazing staff at our recognition awards, The AMBIES 2019. This year we received around 280 nominations for colleagues and volunteers.

Nominations came from SCAS employees and members of the public who want to recognise members of our team who go above and beyond to care for our patients.

Our shortlisted nominees were then invited along to The AMBIES, held at Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes, to celebrate their nominations. The night was compered by Mark Ainsworth and Paul Jefferies, and we were joined by our Chief Executive and the original Stig – Perry McCarthy – to announce the awards with our sponsors who this year were Hexagon, Team Prevent, Liaison One Call, Terrafix, Zoll and J.Tomlinson.

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AMBIES This was a tough year for our dedicated panel of judges who reviewed each and every nomination with the difficult task of deciding this year’s winners.

The quality of nominations we received this year was better than ever before and some of the stories shared by colleagues were very moving.

Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees, our shortlisted colleagues and a big thank you to this year’s team of judges for helping to decide on this year’s winners.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Volunteer of the Year 4th place Paul Reis & Phil Simmonds 3rd place Timothy Ellison Runner up Andrew Bamford Winner Claire Hill

Claire Hill Team of the Year – Operations 3rd place Oxfordshire Leadership Team Runner up North North Management Team Winner Incident Response Team – Operations and Clinical Coordination Centre – Tony Aylmer, Richard Toes, Mark Pringle, Abigail Buckland, Luke Froggatt & Jessica Atkinson Commercial Services Operational Person of the Year 5th place Charlotte Micallef 4th place Sandra Trollope 3rd place Neil Rixon Runner up Rebecca Reeves Winner Lara Cove Educator of the Year 5th place John Poynter 4th place Nick Mowbray 3rd place Specialist Operations Response Team (SORT) Instructors Runner up Chloe Lofthouse-Jones Winner Jade Mason

Jade Mason

Support Person of the Year Joint 5th place Jennifer Saunders & Lynn Dove-Dixon 4th place Victoria Dooley 3rd place Lisa Pickard Runner up Sue McGreevy Winner Stuart Clack Team of the Year – Support 3rd place Business Intelligence Team – Vivienne Parsons, Michelle Sullivan & Philip King Runner up Patient Experience Team Winner South Education Team (Nursling) 999 Person of the Year Joint 5th place Phil Brown, Lucy Hawthorne & Josh Wood 4th place Justin Hurst 3rd place Michael Little Runner up Ross Cornett Winner Amelia Turner People’s Pride Award 5th place John Ayling 4th place Dave Baker 3rd place Robert Gilley Runner up Steve Acton Winner Stephen Tobutt

Special Recognition for a Healthier Lifestyle Award 5th place Glenn Hirst 4th place Jackie Lindsey 3rd place Will Hancock Joint Runner up Nicola Booton & Lisa Pickard Winner Flu Vaccination Group 2018

Flu Vaccination Group 2018 Governors’ Ambassador Award 5th place Chas McGill 4th place Mark Ainsworth-Smith 3rd place David Griffiths Runner up Hazardous Area Response Team Winner Robert Woodward CCC 999 Person of the Year 4th place Lucy Stratford 3rd place Russel Farrant Runner up Kirsty Wright Winner Dave Edwards Commercial Services Contact Centre Person of the Year 4th place Ryan Streeter 3rd place Sandra Payne Runner up Chantelle Williams Winner Paulina Plichta

Stephen Tobutt SCAS Award for Innovation Joint 4th place U&E Rota Group & Project Team 3rd place Urgent Care Pathways Runner up Point of Care Testing Vehicle Winner Pre-Hospital Obstetric and Neonatal Emergencies Course

NHS 111 Person of the Year 3rd place Sara Addison Runner up Susan Pittuck Winner Lesley Holloway

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WINTER WELLNESS IT MAY BE COLD OUTSIDE, BUT WINTER NEEDN’T BE THE UNHEALTHIEST TIME OF YEAR FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY Banish winter tiredness Many people feel tired and sluggish during winter. This is due to the lack of sunlight, which disrupts our sleep and waking cycles.

Try these tips: • get outdoors in natural daylight as much as possible • g et a good night’s sleep – go to bed and wake up at the same time every day • d e-stress with exercise or meditation – stress has been shown to make you feel tired Eat more fruit and veg When it’s cold and dark outside, it can be tempting to fill up on unhealthy comfort food. However, it’s important to ensure you still have a healthy diet and include five portions of fruit and veg a day.

If you find yourself craving a sugary treat, try a juicy clementine or satsuma instead.

Winter vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, swede and turnips can be roasted, mashed or made into soup for a comforting winter meal for the whole family. Explore varieties of fruit and veg that you may not normally eat.

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Try new activities for the whole family Don’t use the cold winter months as an excuse to stay in and lounge around. Instead, get out with the whole family to try out a new activity –maybe ice skating, or taking a bracing winter walk on the beach or through the park.

Regular exercise helps control your weight, boost your immune system, and is a good way to break the tension that can build if the family is constantly cooped up inside the house.

Have a hearty breakfast Winter is the perfect season for porridge. Eating a warm bowlful on a cold morning isn’t just a delicious way to start your day, it also helps boost your intake of starchy foods and fibre.

These foods give you energy and help you feel fuller for longer, stopping the temptation to snack mid-morning. Oats also contain lots of vital vitamins and minerals.

Make your porridge with milk or water, and don’t add sugar or salt. Add a sliced banana, berries or other fruit for extra flavour and to help you hit your five-a-day target.

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ME M BE RS HI P GET YOUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND FAMILY TO JOIN! BENEFITS Membership is FREE • You can have your say on how services are delivered • You can choose your level of involvement, from simply receiving our free e-member magazine to getting involved with surveys or attending events and meetings • You can vote for a representative or put yourself forward to sit on the Council of Governors • You can enjoy NHS discounts on high street prodcuts and services Do encourage your friends and family to become members. They can become a member of SCAS as long as they are aged 14 or over and live in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire or Oxfordshire.

They can also join if they, whilst not residing in one of the four counties listed above, have a connection with the Trust. For instance, they may be somebody who receives services from SCAS, works in one of our four counties or has friends or family who work for the Trust or live in the South Central area.

Update your details We would appreciate it if you could let us know of any future changes to your contact details so that we can keep in touch. Please help us save on communication costs by providing your email.

Contact You can contact the membership office with any queries about membership or this newsletter.

Please email getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk

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OFFERS We would like to remind all our FT members that as a member of South Central Ambulance Service you can take advantage of fantastic offers usually only available to NHS staff, via Health Service Discounts.It is a website where you can access exclusive offers and reductions when shopping online. You can also print out vouchers, get advice from confidential, free helplines, book holiday and activities; all in the knowledge that you’ll be saving money.To take advantage of the discounts on offer you will need to register and you can do this for free.

Registration is straightforward – just fill in the online form as directed. Simply go to www.health servicediscounts.com, click on ‘Join’ and fill in the online form, select ‘Foundation Member.’

OUT AND ABOUT We are always keen to engage with our members and the public.Our list of events is published on our website at www.scas.nhs.uk/get-involved/events/and is always being updated so don’t forget to keep checking back for more. You can see upcoming Board Meetings, Community Engagement Forums, Engagement or Recruitment events. See you there!

Want to know more about what goes on in the Trust?

This newsletter is a very important method for us to keep our Members up to date but so much happens across our services every day that it is hard to fit it all in! If you want to know more about what goes on in your ambulance service or want more details on what you have read in this newsletter, there are a number of ways for you to do this:

WE ALWAYS WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Please get in touch with the membership office if you: • want more information about what we do • have a story you want to share with other members • want us to come along to an event in your local area • need to change your contact details • want to get more involved and update your involvement choices • want membership forms or other literature to distribute • want to raise an issue with a governor Email getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk

Visit our website www.scas.nhs.uk/ Watch our videos on SCAS999 YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UC58tlgillDAUA2gV

Follow us on Twitter @SCAS999 Like us on Facebook https://en-gb.facebook.com/SCAS999/

MAGAZINE

Produced by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Units 7 and 8 Talisman Business Centre Talisman Road Bicester Oxfordshire OX26 6HR 01869 365000 getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk www.scas.nhs.u

N UMBER W I N T E R

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