Essex Emergency 2000 Helping Herts Air Ambulance Save Lives

Herts Air Ambulance is being backed up with a new response vehicle thanks to the region’s emergency vehicle services and repair specialists, Essex Emergency Services 2000 Ltd in Romford, Essex.

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust Clinical Manager, Stuart Elms took delivery of the Volvo 4x4 on Friday 4^th May at North Weald Airfield, home of the Herts Air Ambulance.

Stuart said: “Essex Emergency Services 2000 have vast experience of working with all the Emergency Services in both London and the East of England. Owners; Bill and Jacqui were able to supply the Herts Air Ambulance a dedicated high specification Volvo response car and back it up with 24 hour cover. The knowledge of Essex Emergency Services 2000 and their ability to provide this degree of service is second to none. This vehicle will allow the Doctor and Critical Care Paramedic HEMS team to continue to attend the same types of serious incidents and deliver the same high level of critical care using the full range of life-saving medical equipment and drugs if the helicopter is grounded due to weather conditions. Essex Emergency Services 2000 have delivered us the ability to keep saving lives.”

Bill McKenna, Essex Emergency Services 2000, adds: “We have already worked with Essex Air Ambulance to modify and undertake the livery for their BMW X3 response car which was handed over to them in 2007. We are very pleased to once again be helping our local Essex & Herts Air Ambulance service by sponsoring them with one of our own cars and hope to be able to give them the support for many years to come.”   

The response car will be used in cases when the helicopter cannot respond such as adverse weather conditions or during unplanned maintenance - meaning the HEMS Crew can still reach the scene of an incident and provide the same critical care to the patient as the vehicle carries full life-saving equipment exactly like the helicopter.

Paramedic Receives Daybreak Health Heroes Award
Live on ITV

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust Cri cal Care Paramedic Laurie Phillipson was surprised yesterday morning live on ITV’s Daybreak by Dr Hilary who presented him with a Health Heroes Award. Joined by Laurie’s family, friends, Dr Pamela Chrispin, Medical Director and other colleagues from the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, plus two airlifted pa ents; 14 year old Danny Williams and Jim Cox whose lives have been touched by Laurie and the Air Ambulance Crew; Dr Hilary burst into the Crew Room at the Air Base in Earls Colne where Laurie and the on duty Doctor and Pilot were having their morning briefing, to surprise him with the award.

L‐r: Ben Myer (EHAAT Cri tical Care Paramedic), Pamela Chrispin (East of England Ambulance Service Trust Medical Director), Danny Williams (airlifted pa ent), Stuart Elms (EHAAT Clinical Manager), Laurie Phillipson (EHAAT Cri tical Care Paramedic), Dr Hilary (Daybreak), Jane Gurney (EHAAT CEO), Jim Cox (airlifted pa ent), Jonty Robinson (EHAAT HEMS Doctor), Cliff Gale (EHAAT Opera ons Director) and Gary Sanderson (East of England Ambulance Service Trust Communicati ons Manager)

Every day this week, Dr Hilary is surprising people with his Health Heroes Award; recognising and celebra- ting our unsung heroes of the health community. Jane Gurney, CEO of Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT), who nominated Laurie, said: “On behalf of everyone at EHAAT I nominated Laurie for his outstanding service as an Air Ambulance Paramedic and teaching in his local community. Laurie has completed over 10 years of continuous service with EHAAT, flying well over 1,000 missions in both Essex and Hertfordshire and has touched the lives of many individuals, helping hundreds of people when they needed it the most. He has often gone over and above by supporting many fundraising activities, helping the Charity to raise much needed funds. A father and husband to a young family, he still finds time to teach clinicians the life‐saving skills he has developed. We are all so proud of Laurie and all of our dedicated Air Crew who help save lives every day.”

Doctor Pamela Chrispin, Medical Director for the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) said: “Our trust is very proud indeed of Laurie and he thoroughly deserves his recognition for his commitment to pre hospital care in the communities he has served for the last ten years, well done.”

Speaking of his award, Laurie said: “Up until Dr Hilary led me into the hangar and I saw all my family and friends I thought it was a wind‐up and it's all still sinking in! I feel very honoured to have received the award, the Essex & Herts Air Ambulances provide a first class critical care service and every member of the medical and charity team works extremely hard to keep the aircraft flying and making a difference to countless lives across the region. I've been very lucky to have played a small part in that service for such a long time; a privilege that few paramedics get to enjoy. I would like to thank all my colleagues for their support and the kind nomination.”

RAF Cranwell officer to drive 10,000 miles to deliver ambulance to Mongolia

An RAF officer from Cranwell will embark on a 10,000 mile road journey to Mongolia to deliver an ambulance on behalf of charity called Go Help.

On July 7, Sgt Chris Pacey, who serves with the RAF Regiment at the Officer and Aircrew Cadet Training Unit (OACTU), will set off on his journey accompanied by his wife Dee to deliver the ambulance donated by Alisdair Couper from Terberg DTS, whom they met last year during a Help for Heroes rally.

Go Help is a UK registered charity whose aim is to enable access to primary healthcare through provision, distribution and maintenance of emergency vehicles. In Mongolia there is a shortfall in ambulances that it is not unusual for the sick or the injured to wait three hours for help to arrive followed by a three hour journey back to hospital. However, with the provision of ambulances from the UK, many lives can be saved.

The charity arrange for the import of the ambulance at two specified border crossings into Mongolia, but the rest of the journey is planned according to which countries the team wishes to travel through. Sgt Pacey said: "Our journey will see us driving alone and unsupported across to Eastern Europe and into the Ukraine where we will stop and visit a local children's orphanage. We'll then continue through some difficult terrain along the TransSiberian highway, through Kazakhstan, back into Russia then onward into Mongolia heading for the capital Ulaanbaatar where we will meet the teams who will take delivery of the Ambulance.

"We are aiming to raise £1000 for GO HELP the Charity who organise the import of the Ambulance, then anything over and above that is going to be donated to Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance."

Throughout his career Sgt Pacey has always been involved in raising money for a variety of charities by organising various events including track days and off road driving days. Then, in late 2009, while looking to take part in something that would give them experience rallying in other countries, Dee found the Help for Heroes European 4X4 rally and Teamrockape was born. They took part in the 2010 and 2011 rallies and have raised in the region of £27,000.

Having secured their ambulance they are now in need of support by way of fuel sponsorship, medical equipment and vehicle spares. Being seasoned travellers they are pretty well equipped on a personal level but there are a few outstanding items on their wish list which can be found on their website at www.teamrockape.co.uk

 

MEDICAL CREWS GIVEN SIMULATION TRAINING IN AIR AMBULANCE

CEGA Air Ambulance recently brought together its medical crews for a simulation training day in a fixed wing air ambulance; thought to be the first training exercise of its kind to be held in Europe.

The team demonstrated resuscitation and defibrillation procedures in a King Air 200 aircraft using a high fidelity manikin with breathing functions, palpable pulses and blood pressure displays.

“Simulation training in an aircraft can provide medical crews with valuable hands-on experience in a safe and controlled environment; promoting a positive patient safety culture,” says Dr Tim Hammond, CEGA’s Chief Medical Officer. “By providing a realistic scenario, it can also help crews to develop teamwork and communication and aid in the planning of practicalities, such as the positioning of medical equipment and patients’ luggage.”

“This training for our medical crews complements the simulation training given to CEGA pilots and is testament to our commitment to be at the forefront of patient safety initiatives.”

The simulation session received an overwhelmingly positive response from participants and is likely to become a regular fixture in the CEGA Air Ambulance training programme.