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South Central Ambulance Service
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FIT FOR FELIX
AUGUST TWENTY SIXTEEN
Working Together // August 2016
FIT FOR FELIX 8
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCAS 24
PARAMEDICS, A POEM 32
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CFR NEWS 44
LAUNCH OF TWO NEW WEBSITES 52
Working Together // August 2016
WHEEZE
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Hi – it’s Wheeze here. I’m a 12-year-old Shih-Tzu, Chihuahua cross and I work as a volunteer mascot for the indirect resources department of SCAS. I have been doing this for about seven years and I love my job.
I have been all over the SCAS region; Portsmouth, Thame, Reading, and many other places. I get to meet all sorts of other animals. I got to play with a ferret at the Swallowfield fete one year and made friends with a police horse at the police open day.
I visit all sorts of places such as village fetes, schools, shops and streets where public access defibrillators are installed. I also help the community first responders by going to their public relations events and looking cute. Once the kids start cuddling me, the parents start putting money in the collection pots; it works a treat!
My guardian, Steve Cartwright gets quite upset sometimes because people request me to come to their events and if he says he’s busy, people say, but can the dog still come? I look forward to coming to some of your events this summer and autumn. I’m sure together we can raise even more funds; if you want me to visit just contact stephen.cartwright@scas.nhs.uk
Working Together // August 2016
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VOLUNTEER CAR DRIVERS Community First Responders (CFRs) are volunteers who provide a life-saving service to their local communities. Another group of SCAS supporters also provide another valuable service: the Volunteer Car Service.
This is a programme where people use their own cars to transport lowdependency patients from their homes to their hospital appointments and back. All expenses are covered and it’s an incredibly rewarding way to spend your time. The Volunteer Car Service is part of SCAS’ Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service which annually undertakes over 500,000 journeys. Last year, volunteer car drivers carried out 15% of these trips. One of our current drivers, Geoff Hensby from Oxfordshire, has been driving for us for 20 years and says: “Anybody that has got the time and commitment to do this type of work, I would invite to seriously consider it. If you have the right attitude – you will find it incredibly rewarding.” Another amazing volunteer car driver, John Salter, shown on the left, from Newbury in Berkshire, began volunteering for SCAS in 1986 and since then has driven over 1,188,000 miles for SCAS – that’s far enough to drive around the earth at the equator 47 times! He says: “Having joined the electricity board straight from school, I spend my entire working career there. In 1985 I underwent open heart surgery – which was very new at the time – and following the operation the company gave me early retirement for health reasons. I didn’t want to be sitting at home doing nothing, but also wasn’t looking for paid work. I bumped into a colleague who had joined the volunteer car driver scheme and he recommended I go along to Bracknell to meet the person running the scheme. I did that, started in January 1986 and wouldn’t have kept doing it for 30 years if I didn’t enjoy it! ” If you have any free time or you know anybody that does, please get in touch! If you’d like any further information or an application form, please contact the Volunteer Car Driver Coordinator at bethan.whitaker@scas.nhs.uk.
Working Together // August 2016
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Working Together // August 2016
FIT FOR FELIX “On 7 October 2015, our lives were changed forever when Felix – our happy, funny, charming, determined and positive son, was involved in a road traffic accident outside our home in Swanmore, Hampshire.” Vanessa and Stuart Barrow have unfortunately had to go through every parent’s worst nightmare. The morning they describe above began as it normally did, with Felix and his two sisters, Charlotte and Amelia, getting ready for school. Felix, aged 11, had started at his new secondary school, Swanmore College, the previous month and was settling in well. Felix began the walk to school with a friend a few minutes before 8.00am but then realised he had forgotten to bring his rugby boots for that day’s games lesson. Returning home to pick them up, he set off again to catch up with his friend. As he crossed the road just outside the family home, he was hit by a car. Stuart rushed to his son, whilst Vanessa dialled 999.
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Working Together // August 2016
Kyla Sanders was the Emergency Call Taker on duty on 7 October 2015 at SCAS’ Clinical Coordination Centre in Bicester, Oxfordshire, who took Vanessa’s call. Working together with Jacob Whitcher, Despatcher for Hampshire based at Southern House, Otterbourne, a number of SCAS personnel and vehicles were quickly sent to the scene. Listening in to the call also was Tom Maxwell, a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) paramedic, who that morning was working on the HEMS Desk. Recognising the severity of Felix’s injuries that were being described, Tom also immediately dispatched the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) to the incident.
“When the details came through from Control, we knew it was a bad accident”, recalls Paramedic, Aaron Bennett. “As a Dad myself, it’s always incidents involving children that just make your heart sink. We were told an 11-year-old boy had been knocked down by a car and he was unconscious and possibly not breathing. Needless to say, we didn’t hang around.” Aaron was in one of SCAS’ rapid response vehicles and was on shift with Technician, David Baker. They were at the scene within minutes and were quickly followed by an ambulance crewed by Paramedic, Steve Rothery, and Emergency Care Assistant, Trevor Sansom.
Team Leader, Garry Bull, also arrived on scene and together the team began treating Felix who was in a life-threatening condition as a result of sustaining multiple injuries. Due to the seriousness of the accident, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance had also been despatched. On board were SCAS Paramedics Mike Funge and Tom Elvin, along with Dr David Sutton, Consultant Anaesthetist at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. They were the fourth and final resource sent to help Felix. Mike, as a father of two small boys himself, recalls the scene on arrival vividly to this day.
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“When we arrived and saw Felix, we realised he would need immediate intervention in order to save his life”, says Mike. “Whilst it is our job, nothing can prepare you for seeing a badly broken and critically injured young boy – it was truly harrowing. However, we had to immediately put these feelings to one side, and assess the patient we’ve been sent to help.” Dr Sutton, who arrived with Mike on the HIOWAA, continues. “The ambulance road crews had recognised immediately how critically Felix was injured and after a quick handover, we decided that Felix needed to be carefully anaesthetised to stabilise him and prevent further brain injury.” With Mike and Tom’s help, Dr Sutton completed this difficult and complex procedure within 10 minutes of arriving. Doing so enabled Aaron, Dave, Steve, Trevor and Garry to carefully splint Felix’s fractures, wrap him up warmly and place him on the helicopter stretcher. Fortunately the helicopter had been able to land in a field very close to the accident, so Felix was able to be quickly loaded into the aircraft and secured for take-off. Immediately before take-off, Dr Sutton made a ‘trauma call’ direct to the Emergency Department at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) in order that the trauma team could assemble in the resuscitation bay and be ready for Felix’s arrival.
Working Together // August 2016
Dr Sutton concludes, “After a ten minute flight, the team were on the helipad at UHS and two minutes later, Felix was in the care of the UHS trauma team. Having taken the hospital to the patient, we had now taken the patient to the hospital.” With Felix in the air, Steve took Vanessa and Stuart to the hospital so they could be at Felix’s side. “Among his many injuries”, recalls Stuart, “Felix had suffered a traumatic brain injury and we were told at the hospital to prepare for the worst. Prior to his accident, Felix had shown he was a talented and accomplished athlete.
He had qualified for Team GB’s U13 biathlon team when he was 10 and was a member of running, swimming and cycling clubs.” “We were told Felix was at risk of ending up in a vegetative state. He might never walk again, talk again, smile again”, adds Vanessa. “The fact that he has managed to do all these things has been nothing short of miraculous.” Felix was placed in a medically induced coma, spending four weeks in the hospital’s intensive care unit before being moved to the high dependency unit.
He has undergone numerous operations and intensive neuro-physio rehabilitation. In March 2016, over six months after his accident, Felix was well enough to leave the specialist paediatric unit and was transferred to Bursledon House, a specialist 8-bed unit also on the hospital site where Felix lives Monday-Friday, going back to the family home at weekends, as he continues to recover. “We wanted to do something to say thank you to those who helped save Felix’s life”, says Vanessa. “One of his best friends, Bradley, came up with the idea of starting running so he could get ‘Fit for Felix’ knowing how much he had loved his sport.
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Bradley wanted to organise a sponsored run, which we all thought was a brilliant idea.” The original idea of Bradley’s ‘Fit for Felix’ run captured the imagination of friends, neighbours, the Swanmore community and far beyond. All funds raised have been split between the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Southampton General Hospital, and to help fund the ongoing physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, counselling and specialist support Felix will need. Since October 2015, an incredible amount of swims, cycles, walks and runs have taken place, along with tennis balls hit, netballs scored, overs bowled, teas drunk, cakes baked, dancefloors packed and much, much more.
The fact that Felix was able to shake everyone’s hands and talk to them, showed what incredible progress he had made. “He’s been making great progress with his cognitive functions”, Vanessa told everyone at the reunion, “progressing steadily with his physiotherapy and it’s been these last few weeks that Felix’s cheeky personality has started coming back.”
“It’s lovely to have days like this when people become well enough to see us”, said Mike Funge at the event, who was on the air ambulance. “Felix’s accident is one of those patient experiences that has undoubtedly stayed with me and there genuinely hasn’t been a single day that has gone by where I haven’t “The ‘Fit for Felix’ campaign thought about Felix and hoped has really generated such an beyond hope that he would be amazing sense of community”, ok. Meeting him again today says Vanessa, “as well as has been very special.” support from people who we’ve never met or spoken to, “Meeting Felix and his family who have been inspired to get at Bursledon House was a involved. We’re very grateful very humbling experience”, to the friends that have helped adds Aaron. “I feel very proud us run it as we couldn’t have to have helped contribute done it without them given to Felix’s recovery from his how much time we have been accident and the fact he has spending with Felix during his made such fantastic progress recovery.” is down to his courage and determination.” On 27 May, Felix was well enough to be able to meet As well as spending some most of the team that attended time with the air and land his accident. His tentative, ambulance teams, Vanessa unaided steps as he came out was also delighted to handover into the garden at Bursledon a cheque for £10,000 to House to meet everyone was HIOWAA. the start of a very emotional reunion for all concerned.
Working Together // August 2016
Since launching, Fit for Felix has raised nearly £90,000 in total and the money, and events, are scheduled to continue. Vanessa and Stuart plan to maintain the campaign until 7 October 2016, which will then mark one year since Felix’s accident. “We’ll continue to support the two charities”, says Vanessa, “but maybe with one large annual fundraising event. Felix still has a long recovery journey to go, and no doubt there will be some bumps along the way. For someone who was so sporty, it has been sometimes frustrating for him. The other day, we were chatting and he looked at me and said ‘Mum, I just want to run.’ Felix is due to come home for good from Burlesdon House at the end of July, which in itself is an amazing achievement and Stuart, Charlotte, Amelia, myself and all Felix’s family and friends are just so grateful he is still with us.”
Find out more about Felix’s progress at www.fitforfelix.com
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Working Together // August 2016
SCAS WELCOM INTERNA VISITOR
MES ATIONAL RS
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Working Together // August 2016
In June, SCAS welcomed a number of international visitors, who were very keen to find out more about one of the UK’s best performing ambulance trusts.
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Working Together // August 2016
In June, SCAS welcomed a number of international visitors, who were very keen to find out more about one of the UK’s best performing ambulance trusts. SCAS was a key sponsor of Spires 2016 – an event held at Oxford Brookes University where paramedics and student paramedics from across the globe came together to compete in the International Rally of Emergency Situations. As well as testing their skills and knowledge in the competition, they were also able to take part in workshops and hear from national and international speakers. Some students from Turkey and Canada who were attending Spires 2016 visited SCAS to find out more about our service and the opportunities available for progression in the UK, but more specifically here at SCAS. They were officially welcomed by Assistant Director of Education, Ian Teague, and spent time in the Clinical Coordination Centre at Northern House to find out how our calls are received and responded to.
The students then moved to Oxford City Resource Centre where staff there talked with them about their job and their day-to-day life, as well as well as demonstrating some of the equipment and vehicles we use. In a separate visit in June, five Emergency Medical Service (EMS) staff from Oregon, USA, visited SCAS’ Winchester and Eastleigh Resource Centre as part of a Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) exchange programme. SCAS was asked by HFRS to host the US visitors for an afternoon to show them the capability of the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). HART Manager, David Findlay, gave the visitors an insight into the HART team after which White Team, led by Simon Moorwood, provided a demonstration of the capabilities and equipment of HART covering the incident response unit, urban search and rescue, water and tactical medical operations.
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This was a great opportunity to learn from each other and discover that many of the issues, challenges and complexities of the job are similar on both sides of the pond.
The US visitors are very keen to ensure that more staff attending the exchange programme in future years include a visit to HART on their itinerary.  
Working Together // August 2016
NOW WE ARE
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Working Together // August 2016
On 1 July 2006, South Central Ambulance Service formally came into existence following the mergers of Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service, Hampshire Ambulance Service, Oxfordshire Ambulance Service and part of Two Shires Ambulance Service. Will Hancock was appointed Chief Executive of the newly formed South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), a position he still holds. To mark SCAS’ 10th birthday, Will was joined on the morning of 1 July 2016 by staff and Toby Valevou, a pupil from Five Acres Primary School in Ambrosden, Oxfordshire. Like SCAS, Toby also celebrated his 10th birthday at the beginning of July and as well as helping cut the official birthday cake – made by SCAS Emergency Call Taker, Sian Skinner – Toby met SCAS mascot 999 Ted who gave him an activity pack so he could enjoy finding out more about his local ambulance service. Speaking at the celebration event, Will said: “When I was appointed to lead SCAS from 1 July 2006, it was a real challenge as merging four organisations together meant we had four of everything when we only needed, in many cases, just one.
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Some staff have, like me, been here from day one – and in many cases longer with their service in the other organisations that merged into SCAS – and others have joined more recently. “But thanks to the efforts of everyone, we have achieved a great deal over the last 10 years. We’ve moved away from only providing a traditional emergency ambulance service, to also providing NHS 111 services, non-emergency patient transport services, logistics services and training services. I’m very proud to lead an organisation where people care so passionately about the patients we serve.
“The work we all do is very important, and in many cases life-saving, and I hope that everyone who lives and works in the South Central region is as proud of SCAS and the fantastic people who work here as I am.”
And the celebrations weren’t just confined to Northern House in Bicester. Staff across SCAS celebrated the 10th birthday, you can see their pictures on the next page.
Working Together // August 2016
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Working Together // August 2016
LONG SERVICE
AWARDS
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Some of the staff mentioned by Will in his speech on 1 July were honoured a few days before the official birthday at the Trust’s Annual Long Service Awards. The event marked the launch of a month of celebrations for SCAS’ 10th Birthday and, as a nod to some of the recent celebrations to commemorate Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday, was themed around a Garden Party and held at the Mill House Hotel, Swallowfield, Berkshire, on Monday, 27 June. The Queen’s Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is presented to frontline paramedics and technicians who have given 20 years’ NHS service. The Trust’s own Long Service Award is given to staff from across the organisation – both frontline and support operations – who have given 20 years’ NHS service. This year, 47 SCAS members of staff qualified for the Queen’s Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, which was presented to those attending the event by Mr. Anthony West DL, Vice LordLieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire. Mr. West also presented those staff with their Long Service Award from SCAS. Will Hancock, Chief Executive of SCAS, then presented awards to those staff attending the event who qualified for the Trust’s own Long Service Award. Speaking at the event, Will Hancock, said: “This was a great event to celebrate some very dedicated people who have given such long and excellent service to the people and communities in our region. It was a great way also to start an official month of celebrations to commemorate SCAS’ own 10th anniversary. I joined SCAS as Chief Executive when it was formed on 1 July 2006 and have enjoyed the challenges and successes of the last 10 years. That seems a long time to me, so I am even more impressed – and thankful – that so many of our staff have given such professional, dedicated and caring service of double that amount to the patients and public of the four counties we serve.”
Working Together // August 2016
Paramedics How domestic their high-tech world: they put clothes-pegs on my fingers, pat their ECG machine like a dog, scan its printout like a pregnancy test: eyes along a tell-tale line. They become ‘characters’ who chat their way through all necessary processes: two women smart in military green, hands brisk with business. Afterwards, food looms large in their account of late-night shifts. Such whirlwind work, professionalism, can create an appetite… (This over late-night tea and buns.) It’s as though you’d met a certain someone just towards the end of a convivial party you wish you’d spoken to longer. When midnight strikes, they’re off into the dark – where the lights they’ll see are burger vans and all-night coffee shops, porches and windows with curtains dragged aside and – further off and maybe – moon.
Joan McGavin
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Earlier this year, our Patient Experience Team was contacted by John McGavin. John’s wife, Joan, had been visited by SCAS paramedics at home in Southampton and he got in touch to pass on his thanks: “Among other things, Joan is a nationally published poet (though she is probably as wellknown locally for her Thought for the Day slot on the Julian Clegg show on Radio Solent), and she was Hampshire Poet for 2014. She wrote this poem as a response to the experience of being visited by the paramedic team, and I thought that your staff might like to see it. Needless to say, as her husband, I was as grateful as she was for the kindness of the team that visited her, and I particularly loved the exchange during the form-filling, that went ‘ And you are married to husband John?’ ‘’Yes’. ‘Well, good luck with that then.’ I wish I could say thank you as Joan does, but she’s the one with talent.”
WHY STAN IS NOW OUR Working Together // August 2016
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BIGGEST FAN
Working Together // August 2016
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Stan Willetts from Southampton in Hampshire, had worked as a long-distance HGV driver for forty years before retiring. Never one to be sitting around, he had been working part-time as a window cleaner, helping friends, family and an ever increasing client base, keep their homes looking in pristine condition. It was on one such routine cleaning job in Eastleigh that Stan went to on the morning of 21 August 2015; a job that almost cost him his life. Stan was working at the top of his ladder, cleaning windows on the second floor of the property when he fell. Letty Smith, an Emergency Call Taker and member of the Green Team at SCAS’ Clinical Coordination Centre in Bicester, was on duty that morning and took the 999 call at 10.29 from a neighbour. She had heard a loud crash and on coming out to investigate, found Stan unconscious on a concrete floor. Letty, together with Paul Bebbington who was working on Dispatch at Southern House, Otterbourne, and Lesley Wilcock on the Clinical Support Desk, ensured that urgent help was sent to Stan. “I don’t remember anything about the fall”, says Stan. “Fortunately the neighbour found me almost straight away after the accident and called 999. I’m told I was in a pretty bad way and still can’t quite believe how many people had to come to help me.” First on scene were husband and wife Community First Responders Lisa and Malcolm Wing, followed by SCAS Paramedic, Alexander Montgomerie in a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance crewed by Paramedic, Lisa Williamson and Emergency Care Assistant, David Kehoe. David remembers the incident well. “Stan was completely out cold when we arrived. And whilst there was no visible bleeding that concerned us even more given how poorly he was. Obviously there was something very wrong and he needed emergency treatment fast.”
The final resource to respond to Stan’s accident was the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. On the helicopter were SCAS Paramedics Geoff Swann and Tom Maxwell, along with Dr Louisa Chan, Clinical Director and Consultant in Emergency and Intensive Care at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. Dr Chan, with the help of members of the team at the scene, carried out a number of emergency treatments on Stan which stabilised his condition sufficiently enough for him to be urgently transported in the land ambulance to Southampton General Hospital. Due to the seriousness of his head injury, Stan was kept in an induced coma for three weeks. “Apparently the doctors in hospital tried to wake me up a few times, but I was having none of it”, explains Stan. “Then someone must have told them I was an avid Beatles fan so the next time they tried, they also played some Beatles tracks at the same time and then I finally started to come round!” Overall, Stan spent seven weeks in the intensive treatment unit at Southampton and a total of four months in hospital overall. He has had five operations on his brain and remains under the care of Mr Colin Griffith, Consultant Neurosurgeon. “What Mr Griffith has done is miraculous”, says Stan. “What they can do in hospitals now – well, it’s just amazing. And it’s thanks to the efforts of everyone that helped me at the scene that got me to hospital with a chance of surviving.” In May, Letty Smith, Lisa Williamson and David Kehoe met up with Stan at his home in Southampton to see how he was recovering and to pass on the best wishes of everyone who attended the incident the previous August. “It was a pleasure to meet Stan in person”, says Letty, “and we’re all really happy to see he’s making such a good recovery.”
Working Together // August 2016
,
I m very grateful for everything these wonderful people did for me. , I wouldn t be here today without , them and I m so pleased to have the opportunity to say thank you in person to Letty, Lisa and , David. it s a shame I , wasn t awake at the time to say thank you to everyone there and then!
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Working Together // August 2016
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SE24 TEAM AWAY DAY
As many readers of Working Together might remember, previous Away Days for SE 24 have included a day with Virgin Atlantic and a station visit to RAF Odiham. This year Team Leader Ross Smith felt it was time for another one! With his local contact at Southwick Park Tri-Services Police Training facility Major Dai Tamplin, Ross organised a day for his team on 1 June. Major Tamplin is the Deputy Commandant of the base and as it happens is also a Service Co-Responder for SCAS. And it was on one of Major Tamplin’s visits to North Harbour as a Co-Responder, that Ross initially brought up the idea of a team visit. Over two months of meetings and emails the agenda was set for 1 June at Southwick Park which was previously a Naval Base called HMS Dryad. Now the base is the home of the Royal Military Police, RAF Police and Royal Naval Regulators and CSI Forensic Science training department. SE 24 arrived at 10.00 and were met at the Officer’s Mess/Ward Room for tea and coffee and a welcome brief by Major Tamplin. The Officer’s Mess, also known as Southwick House, is one of the most famous buildings of World War 2, as much of the decision making and planning for D-Day occurred there. We were then treated to a talk by a curator in the world famous Map Room which houses the large map of Europe made specifically for D-Day and shows all the shipping lanes, minefields and Normandy landing beaches. This proved to be fascinating and interesting to us as we live and work in the South East where much of this history is still evident around us. In the room adjacent to the Map Room, General Dwight D Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, made the final decision to invade Normandy following a weather report. Following this historic look into the past we then had a tour of the Royal Military Police Museum, finding out more how the service had evolved over the years and their role changes through different conflicts.
Working Together // August 2016
As Major Tamplin is a Co Responder volunteer for SCAS he gave a short presentation on the duties of the military personnel that give up their valuable time to answer emergency calls in this area and around several other locations in SCAS. Their vehicles and equipment and nature of calls were all discussed and gave SE 24 a greater working insight into their team that we often back-up at incidents. Following a very hearty lunch in the Officer’s Mess we were given the opportunity to explore Southwick House and take pictures. Much of it remains as it did 72 years ago on D-Day with beautiful art work and architecture. We were asked to split into two groups and as one group went to the indoor firing range, the other was taken to the CSI Forensic Training facility. Group one was taken to the Small Arms Training Shoot (SATS) range which allows new military recruits to learn the weapons drills and fire a number of weapons currently used by infantry in HM Forces. We used a modified version of the SA 80 which uses laser targeting and pneumatics instead of actual rounds; so at no point was anyone in danger of injury and no rounds were fired. However it was awesome fun and allowed friendly inter-service rivalry from ex-military staff on SE 24. However it was our Clinical Mentor Cheryl Smith who emerged victorious as the sharp shooter on the team but everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience. During the Forensic demonstration the military team set up a crime scene with fake blood, a body, and other evidence. They talked us through the finer points of detective work and what areas we as ambulance staff should look out for at a scene to avoid destroying vital evidence in suspicious incidents. This was fascinating and we all learned a lot about scene and evidence preservation. After a final briefing and photograph outside Southwick House, SE 24 said farewell to Major Tamplin and his team. Our goal for the day was to build new relationships with the serving military teams locally and to create links for further working partnerships; to that end SE 24 succeeded brilliantly as ambassadors for SCAS. A great team away day to rival our previous ones, with lots of learning, many photographs and of course our memories. Ross has plans for further Away Days for his team which always take place on their rest days, so watch this space!
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Working Together // August 2016
CFR
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NEWS
Working Together // August 2016
We have hundreds of community first responders making a life-saving difference to their local communities every day. Here is a short summary of what a few of them have been doing recently.
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OXFORDSHIRE On Thursday 23 June, Specialist Paramedic, Georgette Eaton along with Richard Rolfe, Assistant Community Liaison and Training Officer (ACLATO) – North West, met Community First Responders, James Clarke and Ian Broom, to thank them for a job well done when Georgette responded to a couple of incidents earlier this year. Georgette explains why Ian and James had made such a good impression.
In my opinion, Ian showed care above and beyond what is expected of a CFR and that is why I believed he was deserving of an award.” Ian has been a CFR since November 2010 and believes the partnership between the volunteers, the community liaison and training officers, and full time frontline staff like Georgette is what makes SCAS’ CFR schemes so successful.
“What I really enjoy most about the role”, he says, “is Ian Broom being a small part of a great “Ian attended an elderly patient team who really help people in with breathing difficulties, who need.” was also profoundly deaf. The patient was extremely agitated James Clarke on Ian’s arrival, but by the time “James is a consistently I had arrived, he had taken fantastic CFR. To attribute it to as many clinical observations any one job is unfair, because as he was able to as well as he shows a constantly high written some notes on what level of care, compassion, the patient was experiencing. competence and commitment He had also managed to in every job I have attended calm her breathing. Ian was a with him. These attributes are great communicator, giving a significant for every healthcare succinct handover, but always professional in the NHS, but focussing on the patient. perhaps not often expected During my examination, Ian from volunteers. As well was able to stay and offer as exemplary reassurance constant reassurance to and care offered to the the patient – making my patient, James consistently examination and assessment communicates well with much, much easier. His gentle the attending crews and, manner and compassion was with his experience, is adept commendable and he was at supplying the correct very professional throughout. information. He was able to stay up until the crew arrived, continuing to reassure the patient as well as the patient’s daughter.
As well as being approachable, he is very kind. I am aware that James has attended a regular caller in his area recently who has long-standing and complex issues. James completed his duties as a CFR and, whilst waiting for the crew, continued to reassure the patient. The patient was treated as appropriate by our staff, but in the background James made referrals to various charities to find a service to support the patient. This is just one of many examples where James has embodied the 6 Cs as well as SCAS values and why I believe he is very deserving of an award.” James manages to provide around 50-60 hours of cover a week, despite also being the Managing Director of the Hook Norton Brewery. “The most satisfaction I get”, says James, “is when the patient or their family simply says thank you. It means you’ve done something that’s made a real difference to your community.” Ian and James are part of a CFR Scheme in Oxfordshire with 19 members covering Banbury, Hook Norton, Bloxham, Chipping Norton and surrounding villages.
Working Together // August 2016
Berkshire Thanks to generous donations received from the local council, community groups, local businesses and individuals, Crowthorne CFRs have recently donated three new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Crowthorne village in Berkshire. The latest AEDs – which bring the total donated by the Crowthorne CFRs to seven – have been installed at Wildmoor Heath School, Crowthorne Church of England Primary School and Tesco, Greenwood Road. The AEDs at both schools are available to staff, pupils and the general public during school hours, as well as being available to the many groups who use the schools’ facilities in the evening and weekends. The AED at the local Tesco is available during the shop’s opening hours of 6am – 10pm, seven days a week. Mr. Grant Strudley, Headteacher at Wildmoor Heath School, said: “I am pleased that we are able to support both the Crowthorne Community First Responder Scheme and our local community by hosting an AED at the school.” David Hamer, Community Liaison and Training Officer for SCAS, said: “I am very pleased that we have managed to donate an additional three AEDS in Crowthorne at two local schools and the local Tesco. Sudden cardiac arrest can affect people of any age and whilst I hope that the three devices are never used, it will be reassuring to everyone in the local community, both young and old, that more of these life-saving pieces of equipment are available if needed.”
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Inspired to become a CFR to your local community? SCAS is currently appealing for more people across the South Central region to volunteer as community first responders and make a life-saving difference to their local community. Volunteers would need to be able to offer a minimum of 20 hours cover in their local community per month. The exact time is completely flexible for each individual volunteer according to the existing work, family and other commitments volunteers have and does not need to be planned rigidly in advance. Volunteers can ‘book on’ and ‘book off’ if, for example, their plans change unexpectedly. To find out more about the role of a CFR: Visit www.scas.nhs.uk/cfr Email cfr@scas.nhs.uk Call 0800 587 0207
Working Together // August 2016
Hampshire In New Milton, Penny Smith has welcomed the second CFR to join the scheme, Rob Glinkowski. The scheme in New Milton has got off to a flying start thanks to support from nearby Bransgore CFRs, as well as Penny’s dedication and enthusiasm. Penny was delighted to receive a cheque from New Milton Town Council for £2,000 recently to fund the purchase of a second CFR Kit for Rob, as well as a donation of £750 from The Friends of New Milton. The annual Hayling Island 999 Emergency Services Day took place on Sunday 26 June. Organised for the second year running by the Hayling Community First Responders, the event was the biggest and best yet with over 1,500 people attending, and took place on the seafront at Hayling Beachlands. James May, Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) Team Leader said: “The event at Hayling Island was good fun. We had quite a few members of staff and volunteers helping out from NEPTS, NEPTS despatch, the training team, EOC and a few governors. As well as talking to the public and showing them our vehicles and equipment, we were also involved in a few scenarios: a caravan fire with persons trapped, a simulated air crash, a road traffic collision demo and an exercise with the Hayling Coastguard team and the RNLI. All these demonstrations were really enjoyed by the public.”
Hayling Island photos used with permission of Terry A Mair
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Working Together // August 2016
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Working Together // August 2016
Anyone visiting SCAS’ corporate website over the last few weeks will have noticed a big change, and we’ve also found the time to launch a new online site dedicated to children. The new Trust website at www.scas.nhs.uk was designed and built in house by the Trust’s Communications Team, avoiding the costs usually associated with commissioning outside agencies. In addition to giving the site a fresh new look and modern upgrade, the new website features a mobile responsive web design. This means that all page content will adapt and be tailored to the device or web browser that you are using, whether that is a PC/desktop computer, smartphone or tablet.
The new site uses more simplified navigation and more images to make it a more attractive, engaging experience for users. It also helps project the Trust in a more modern and dynamic light using current best practice and trends in web design and development. We want to ensure that all information about our services and the Trust is easy to find and accessible – and that visitors find the site to be user friendly, informative and visually appealing. SCASKIDS is our new educational website designed for children, parents and schools and can be accessed at www.scaskids.co.uk. The site provides advice and information for children, parents and teachers designed to help ensure young people can stay healthy, safe and know what to do in an emergency.
â www.scas.nhs.uk
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â www.scaskids.co.uk SCAS mascot 999 Ted provides seasonal tips on how to stay safe and healthy in spring, summer, autumn and winter; basic first aid and information can be accessed for dealing with bites, stings and cuts along with more serious emergencies when a person might not be breathing or suffering the symptoms of a heart attack; videos showing, amongst other things, the equipment that is on a modern ambulance and when you should dial 999 can be viewed; as well as a fun zone packed with games and educational resources. Like the new Trust website, SCASKIDS was built using in-house resources from the communications, education and operation teams, along with help from teachers, staff and pupils at Fair Oak Infant and Fair Oak Junior Schools in Eastleigh, Hampshire. Our helpers at the two schools not only appeared in some of the videos but also used and evaluated development versions of the website to make sure it would meet their needs.
Liz Steele, a teacher at Fair Oak Junior School, who was one of those involved in developing the SCASKIDS website, said: “SCASKIS is great. It is clear for the children to use, extremely informative, great for a ‘start of the day activity’ in class, brilliant for Key Stage 2 children and a great educational resource for assemblies. The children will learn a great deal and enjoy using it during ICT lessons.” After a final check in front of a whole school assembly of 600 children at Fair Oak Junior School, the SCASKIDS website went live, with all the pupil helpers from the junior and infants schools – some of whom appear in the videos online – receiving a special certificate from 999 Ted thanking them for their efforts.
Working Together // August 2016
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Working Together // August 2016
We will soon be starting our 2016 elections for the seats available on our Council of Governors. This ‘election special’ tells you everything you need to know about the elections, what governors do and how to put yourself forward as a candidate or vote for another member.
The Trust has more than 13,400 public members eligible to nominate themselves to become an elected governor. About us SCAS is part of the National Health Service (NHS). We:
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is looking for governors and we are encouraging people to put their names forward as candidates at our autumn 2016 election.
èè respond to emergency calls (999 service) and non-emergency calls (NHS 111 service) èè provide resilience and specialist operations èè offer a range of commercial services: àà Non-emergency patient transport services àà Logistics àà First Aid Training
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE GOVERNOR?
WHAT DO GOVERNORS DO?
Do you want to make a difference to your local healthcare?
The Trust is looking for people who want to channel their passion for healthcare to help shape the future of emergency and non-emergency services that SCAS provides in the area. We are looking for public governors in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire. You must be 16 or over and reside in (or have a connection with) one of the above counties.
Governors must make sure the Board of Directors is doing its job properly by looking at how the Trust is performing against service user targets and standards.
There are a number of specific duties that governors must do, but in summary governors must: èè Hold the non-executive directors to account for the performance of the Board èè Represent the views of members and the public èè Tell members what the Trust is doing
Governors need to meet and communicate with members and the public and regularly feedback information about the Trust. Governors also help promote membership and encourage local people to join as members. DO GOVERNORS NEED SPECIAL SKILLS OR QUALITIES? All types of people can become governors, with the exception of anyone disqualified for a number of reasons including bankruptcy or recent criminal convictions. No special qualifications are required but you must: èè Be willing to act in the best interests of the Trust and abide by the values of the Trust and the Nolan principles of public life èè Have good interpersonal and communication skills as you will need to talk to others. èè Be over the age of 16 èè Have an interest in the health services and organisations
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Working Together // August 2016
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SCAS IN NUMBERS
3,000 STAFF
1,271 COMMUNITY & CO RESPONDERS
607 VEHICLES
1,238,568 CALLS TO NHS 111
541,080 CALLS TO 999
513,787 NEPTS JOURNEYS
78 SITES
107 VOLUNTEER CAR DRIVERS
POPULATION 4.6 MILLION
Working Together // August 2016
However, governors are elected by the members, so it is up to them who is ultimately chosen as their governor representative. Enthusiasm, commitment, an interest in health and team work are important qualities. Governors have to be able to challenge the non-executive directors to ensure they are doing their job properly so it could be useful to have some skills you may have developed at work or as a volunteer or in your personal life, such as reading reports and working with others.
Governors are also expected to reach out into the local communities to encourage wide and representative membership; this may involve using your own networks or attending Trust organised membership and engagement events.
All members will automatically receive a voting pack either by post or via email. The results will be published on our website and there will be more information in our membership e-newsletter later in the year.
What if I just want to vote for someone? Then that is OK, we hope as many members as possible want to vote and choose who is going to represent them, even if they don’t want to stand for election themselves.
How much time will it take? Many of our governors will tell you how much they enjoy the role and that the time commitment should not be underestimated. As well as coming to four formal Council meetings each year there are other things that you will need to get involved in such as attending Council subcommittee meetings and engagement events. You will need to undertake some training to help you carry out your role; some of this will be compulsory.
For more information on becoming a governor… We recommend that you attend our ‘Everything you need to know about being a Governor’ event. There will be the opportunity to learn more about the election process and how to fill in your nomination form, along with lots more information on being a governor. To book a place please email company.secretary@scas.nhs.uk 6pm - 7:30pm Wednesday 7 September 2016 - Shaw House, Church Road, Newbury, RG14 2DR Watch the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbwNak_I9xk
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South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
2016 COUNCIL OF GOVERNOR ELECTIONS Elections for the Council of Governors (COG) will be taking place this Autumn and we’re looking for members of the public and existing members of our Trust to get involved. Do you have a friend or family member who has a passion for healthcare and would be interested in helping to shape the future of the ambulance services in our area? If so, becoming a governor could be a fantastic opportunity to get involved and have a say. We’re looking for public governors in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire. What do Governors do? There are a number of specific duties that governors must carry out, but in summary governors must: ê Hold the Non-Executive Directors to account for the performance of the Trust Board ê Represent the views of members and the public ê Feedback to members what the Trust is doing To find out more about the role please visit www.scas.nhs.uk/cog. Alternatively, interested parties can attend our ‘Everything you need to know about becoming a governor’ workshop on Wednesday 7 September in Newbury. Eligibility To be eligible to become a governor, interested parties must be 16 or over, reside in (or have a connection to) the counties SCAS serves, and be a member of our Trust.
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Working Together // August 2016
lifeisgoodRuth AUG 1
@beckieboom JUL 29
Thanks to Becky and Rebecca @ SCAS999 based in Didcot who were fantastic when they came to help my mum earlier. Thank goodness for the NHS
@SCAS999 just wanted to thank the first man who came to help us and the two male paramedics who then took us to hospital in ambulance
TWEET TWEET
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@shackladyj Jul 25 Biggest thing I've learnt tonight is making sure you make the right choice between calling 111 and 999. @SCAS999 #RightPlaceRightTime
@shackladyj JUL 27
tiggerwheeks Jul 23
Out supporting @SCAS999 again tonight, let's see what comes our way #CFR
@SCAS999 2 years ago today Mum was blue lighted to #SGH where she stayed for the next 7+ weeks. Still cannot thank enough 1st responder.
Here is a small selection of Tweets that we have recently received from our partners, stakeholders and the public. Click here to read more and to follow us!
Working Together // August 2016
WHAT OUR PATIENTS SAY ABOUT US 99 They were 99 Really were calm, exceptional. reassuring and Could never confident whilst thank them I delivered our enough baby daughter 99 Provided 99 Ian immediately wonderful care provided & attention. her with the Professional & professional caring assessment and 99 The crew who treatment she attended a needed and at patient with the same time dislocated hip supported us as were diligent, parents skilled and compassionate 99 Professional polite and curteous.Felt very safe in their hands
99 Friendly and very respectful of our home environment 99 Quick assessment and plan, friendly and “unsung heroes� 99 I just want to praise the way she treated him 99 Thank you hardly seems sufficient
If you have been treated by SCAS, or used the NHS 111 service in this area and would like to send us your comments or compliments please email patientexperience@scas.nhs.uk
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UPCOMING EVENTS IN YOUR AREA DATE Fri 26 Aug
EVENT TIME SCAS Awareness Roadshow - 9am-4pm OXFORDSHIRE
Sat 3 Sep Sat 3 Sep
Reading Pride Southsea Fire Station Open Day
Sun 4 Sep
Ewelme Horse and Dog Show From 12 noon
Sun 4 Sep
Wychwood Forest Fair
Fri 9 Sep
SCAS Awareness Roadshow - 10am-4pm MILTON KEYNES
Sat 10 Sep
Heritage open day with our local community and emergency services SCAS Awareness Roadshow – NORTH HAMPSHIRE SCAS Public Board meeting and AGM/AMM
Wed 21 Sep
From 12 noon 10am-4pm
11am-5pm
10am-5pm
10am-4pm
VENUE Oxfordshire, Sheep Street, Market day, Bicester OX26 6JW Kings Meadow, Reading Southsea Fire Station, Somers Road, Southsea PO5 4LU Fords Farm, Days Lane, Ewelme, OX10 6PL Cornbury Park, Charlbury, OX7 3EH Intu Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, 67 Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes MK9 3GB Waddesdon Manor, Nr Aylesbury HP18 0JH
The Festival Place, Basingstoke RG21 7BA Wed 28 Sep Board Meeting in Public: Easthampstead Park 12:45-15:15 Conference Centre, Peacock Ln, Wokingham AGM/AMM: RG40 3DF 15.30 – 17.30 Thurs 29 Sep Bracknell Public Service Show 12pm-1pm Bracknell Rubgy Club, Lily Hill Road, Bracknell
Working Together // August 2016
HOW ARE WE DOING? JULY What does it mean? Total 999 activity equates to the number of calls which received a SCAS response or were dealt with by our clinical support desks.
Red 1 - Red 1 calls are the most time critical and cover cardiac arrest patients who are not breathing and do not have a pulse, and other severe conditions.
Non conveyance is the number of incidents we responded to where the patient was not taken to hospital.
Red 2 - Red 2 calls are serious but less immediately time critical and cover conditions such as stroke and fits.
Non conveyance % is the percentage of incidents we responded to where the patient was not taken to hospital.
111 calls answered is the number of calls answered through the non-emergency healthcare service. CFR stands for Community First Responder. NEPTS stands for Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service.
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total 999 activity
non conveyance
non conveyance %
48,561
21,437
47.72%
red 1 (8 mins)
red 2 (8 mins)
red 19
68.40%
70.90%
93.00%
111 calls answered
no. of NEpts journeys
cfr responses
104,771
43,821
1,382
Working Together // August 2016
AUGUST TWENTY SIXTEEN Please send articles, or ideas to communications@scas.nhs.uk along with any photos or images.
Wo
rkin
gto
geth
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Copy deadline for the next issue of Working Together is 15 September 2016.
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