Ambulance service in plea for help to map location of county defibrillators

 East Midlands Ambulance Service is urging people to help it save more lives. It wants to hear from organisations and community groups which have special equipment that can be used to treat heart patients.
The service is compiling a list of places where there are defibrillators – machines which send an electric shock to the heart when someone has gone into cardiac arrest.

Ambulance crews and community first responders are trained to use them to help save lives. But the machines can also be used by untrained members of the public in an emergency. While awaiting for an ambulance, members of the public can use the machines if they are given guidance over the phone by the ambulance service. There are also audio prompts given out by the defibrillators.

Pete Winson, East Midlands Ambulance Service's community defibrillator officer, said they were working with the British Heart Foundation and National Defibrillator Programme to map the location and availability of the machines. He said it was believed that some organisations may have held fund-raising events to pay for the machines but not let the ambulance service know. He said: "We need to know so that, if we receive a 999 call from the area, we can tell the caller there is a defibrillator nearby and treatment can begin.

"Knowing the location of all defibrillators in the county will help save more lives."

Currently, the ambulance service knows the location of 15 Derbyshire defibrillators.
Organisations and community groups who have access to one are asked to send full contact details, which includes a contact name, location and address with postcode of the defibrillator, to Pete Winson. He can be contacted via e-mail at peter.winson@emas.nhs.uk.

Wiltshire College students plough 200 acres to raise cash for air ambulance

Farm mechanisation students at Wiltshire College Lackham have successfully completed a 200-acre ploughing marathon within 24 hours.The event was the 15th annual ploughing marathon held by the college, with students choosing to run the event to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

The students from the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Farm Mechanisation worked in shifts through the day and night to get the job done.Lecturer John Dixon said: "Despite the very dry conditions we are covered 200 acres, which was over 12 different fields. The students have been great and very sensible. They’ve had to deal with any problems and make decisions quickly and independently. They worked with commercial equipment in a real-life environment, which gave them great experience."

Student Robert Purton, 17, said: "It was really hard work but a good laugh as well. We used equipment that not many students in colleges will have access to.I ploughed three hours on the morning and three hours again in the afternoon. I was happy to do as much as I could as it’s for a good cause."

The marathon was a great opportunity for students to raise money for local good causes. This year they are hoping to raise a minimum of £1,000 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

 

Paramedic pays visit to Prestatyn primary pupils

Primary school pupils were given a special insight into the life of an ambulance paramedic and the ‘special’ tools used to help patients every day.

Ysgol Clawdd Offa welcomed the Welsh Ambulance Service into the school for a day to help children understand the service and the help it can provide them and their family if ever needed.

The Welsh Ambulance Service is working to encourage children to be aware of the right way to call 999 and also not to be afraid of a visit by an ambulance crew as their goal is to help each patient they see.

Leading the visit was Rhyl Ambulance Station paramedic , Dermot O’ Leary. Throughout the day Dermot chatted to each class year about his job role, demonstrated equipment used by paramedics and introduced the all important….yellow banana.

“It’s how I always introduce myself to the younger classes,” Dermot explained, “I tell them ‘do you know I drive a big yellow flying banana when going to a 999 call?’”

“They always want to know my answer. I drive a big flying banana as it flies along at speed going nana nana! On a serious level, it’s about making them feel more comfortable in front of a paramedic  if they ever have to call on our help,” said Dermot.

“It’s so important from an earlier age that children know what our role is and how we can help them and importantly how they can help us as well. Today has been about explaining that we are here to help and care for them, they don’t have to be frightened of us and what we do.”

Dermot added:  “It’s been a privilege to meet all the Ysgol Clawdd Offa pupils and actually hear how much they already know about the right way to call us for help. I even think I might have met a few paramedics of the future after seeing such enthusiasm for my visit.”

Vinnie Jones resuscitation video 'not harmful'

Britain's Advertising Standards Authority has rejected allegations that a video by Vinnie Jones on resuscitation encouraged unsafe behaviour. The video, used in a TV advertisement, featured the actor and former footballer showing how to carry out "hands-only" cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a person suffering a cardiac arrest.

"Say some geezer collapses in front of you. What do you do?," Jones says, before adding: "First off you call 999. I know. Then no kissing. You only kiss your missus on the lips. You push hard and fast here on the sovereign to Staying Alive."

The ASA said 20 complainants objected that the ad was harmful and likely to encourage unsafe behaviour, because they believed it showed incorrect CPR techniques. The British Heart Foundation, for which the clip was made, told the ASA the ads aimed to increase bystander intervention when presented with evidence of cardiac arrest.

"They said they knew of 15 reported instances of people applying the lessons learnt from the ad with a positive outcome," the ASA said in a report on its adjudication.

Survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK are "appalling", with less than 10 percent of casualties surviving to leave hospital, and the BHF aimed to improve those survival rates while facing the reality that most people did not know how to give CPR, the advertising watchdog said.

The ASA noted that the ad had been prepared in consultation with the Resuscitation Council (UK), and in line with European Resuscitation Council guidelines. "Because the ad showed correct techniques for hands-only CPR, we concluded the ad was not harmful and did not encourage unsafe behaviour," the authority concluded.

Student saved by air ambulance crews urges cyclists to raise money

A student who was saved by air ambulance crews is appealing for cyclists raise money for the service.

Christopher Woodhams, 22, from Sidcup was struck by a passing car in Dartford while training for charity bike ride in June 2010 and sustained significant pelvis and head injuries.

He was given emergency anaesthetic – usually done in hospital - at the roadside and spent three weeks in intensive care. He is now urging riders to take part in the Air Ambulance’s 100mile or 100km Double 100 Bike Challenge on June 10.

He said: “The helicopters are often called to cyclists injured on the road and on the North and South Downs so this is a great way of saying thank you to the crew for helping them in their hour of need.”

Registration costs £25 and minimum sponsorship is required. Contact project manager Corinne Hitching on 07784 229717 or e-mail corinneh@kssairambulance.org.uk.

Emergency calls put anniversary party on hold

CORNWALL Air Ambulance's 25th birthday party was interrupted twice on Sunday as the aircrew were called away from the celebrations for real life rescues.More than 100 volunteers and patients joined members of the charity team and trustees at the new headquarters and operations facility on the outskirts of Newquay to celebrate 25 years of saving life on April 1.And they got a birds'-eye view as the air ambulance paramedics and pilot were twice called away to attend emergency calls.

The first incident was to a two-year-old boy with breathing difficulties. The child was flown from the Launceston area to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth for treatment. Each year 80 patients airlifted to hospital in Cornwall are children and babies.

Later in the afternoon, the helicopter was tasked to a motocross event near Liskeard, where a young male competitor had suffered suspected neck and spinal injuries following a fall from his trials bike.

On both occasions partygoers were able to watch from yards away in the facility's community room as the helicopter took off.

The air ambulance was called to three other incidents over the weekend, including a road traffic collision near St Teath, where a male patient had to be cut free from the vehicle before being taken to hospital by helicopter. Pam Faulkner, who joined Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust as a trustee earlier this year, said: "Being right among the operations gave everyone a real sense of belonging. Seeing the helicopter take off and disappear into the distance really hammers it home that someone out there in Cornwall really needs it."

Cornwall launched the UK's first air ambulance in 1987. Chief executive, Paula Martin, said: "The charity and the whole air ambulance story has been a success story for Cornwall. There are now 18 charities like this all across the UK, with over 30 lifesaving helicopters in operation. The amazing thing is that apart from Scotland, they are all funded by public donations and fundraising, and just like us in Cornwall, depend almost entirely on the goodwill of local people and business to keep them flying.

"Countless lives have been saved over the years, and we simply could not imagine Cornwall without a vital air ambulance service to serve its community."

Anyone interested in getting involved with the charity fundraising, volunteering, or sponsorship, should call charity headquarters on 01637 889926.

 

The Air Ambulance Service calls up Mike Tindall

Former England rugby international and Gloucester centre Mike Tindall has signed up to become an ambassador for the Air Ambulance Service. Tindall, whose 11 year career as an England rugby international player which earned him 75 caps, has come on board to help support the charity with its national PR campaign, fund raising and awareness.

First established in 2003 as a charitable organisation, the air ambulance service now provides a vital helicopter emergency medical service across five counties in the heart of England and will shortly launch a bespoke children’s air ambulance across the UK.

 The Air Ambulance Service is a charity particularly close to Tindall’s heart because of the valuable life saving work of the service and in particular its close connection to rugby. Due to the physical nature of the sport, the Air Ambulance Service often attends to many rugby players who have received serious head, neck and spinal injuries. These types of injuries, which account for some of the highest incident call outs for the service, require the utmost care and the fastest possible medical attention, which the the Air Ambulance Service paramedics and helicopters provide.

Commenting on the appointment Mike said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been asked to become an ambassador for the air ambulance service and to help raise awareness for such a truly worthy cause. Throughout my career I have been aware that there have been many serious and potentially life threatening injuries on the rugby pitch, the air ambulance service are the angels of the sky, their dedication and commitment to saving countless lives is truly heroic and humbling to witness in action. I am privileged to have been asked to support this cause and to highlight the importance of this valuable life saving service.”

Existing celebrity supporters of  the Air Ambulance Service include Hollywood actor Rob Lowe, rock stars Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and Queen’s Brian May, Formula 1 legend Damon Hill, actors Colin Salmon, Roger Lloyd Pack and former SAS soldier turned author Andy McNab.

http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/

 

Working together for a safer future

Emergency service lifesavers are sharing good practice to help make a difference for those unfortunate to face the aftermath of a road traffic collision.

Welsh Ambulance Service staff linked up with North Wales Fire and Rescue firefighters at a road traffic collision demonstration held at Rhyl Fire Station. The aim of the event was to help frontline ambulance crews understand the methods and skills used by fire-fighters when faced with having to extract patients from vehicles that have been involved in an incident on the road.

Representatives from Rhyl Fire Station demonstrated the different ways they can extract a patient safely from a damaged vehicle and explained how they operate at an incident to help ambulance staff have the knowledge at scene to work efficiently with their emergency service colleagues.

“Sometimes road traffic collisions can be extremely traumatic, not just for those involved, but for the emergency service crews arriving on scene. Events such as this help us strengthen our partnership with the fire service so we can together work effectively and safely to give patients the best chance of survival,” said Holyhead ambulance  technician Stephen Rogerson.

Rhyl paramedic Dermot O’ Leary added: “Having the fire service at your side during a difficult road traffic collision makes all the difference for the patient you are looking after. Working together helps us know that even a simple approach as alerting the fire service to the model of car involved can make a big difference to quickly extracting a poorly patient from a vehicle.”

Paul Scott, Community Safety Team Manager, said: “Firefighters often see the devastating effects of road traffic collisions. We are always working on initiatives to try and educate the public about road safety and what they can do to make themselves and their passengers safe.”