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Clinical Quality and Patient SafetyInformation for GPs and CliniciansAccident and Emergency PersonnelAmbulance TechniciansCertificates of accreditation in ambulance aid are obtained by ambulance personnel on completion of a one year period of in-service training and work based assessment by qualified instructors and managers. Technicians begin their first year by completing a thirteen week intensive training course. During this period they will have received instructions and practiced the techniques of ambulance aid in accordance with standards which apply across UK ambulance services. ParamedicsParamedics have progressed from technicians and have received additional training in patient assessment and specific clinical skills. The following procedures are performed in addition to those of a technician:
*also administered by technicians All paramedics are required to be registered with the Health Professions Council. In order for paramedics to maintain their qualification they must update their skills regularly and prove their competence through examination. Paramedic Supervisors / Clinical Support OfficersParamedic Supervisors / Clinical Support Officers are paramedics with supervisory responsibilities for staff and specific functions. Some managers also hold a paramedic qualification eg Assistant Divisional Officers. They respond to emergencies when on call and have additional skills in the management of major incidents. Emergency Care PractitionersEmergency Care Practitioners (ECPs), are paramedics with additional training in injury assessment, diagnostic skills and advanced wound care. ECPs are based in the community and provide on the spot emergency treatment to patients, helping to relieve pressures on the emergency ambulance service and dealing with patients more effectively in their own home without transporting them to accident and emergency departments. Some ECPs have a BSc (Hons) in Emergency Care. When a 999 call comes into ambulance Control, the patient’s injuries are assessed and an ECP contacted if appropriate. They can treat minor injuries (wounds, burns, muscoskeletal injuries) and minor illnesses (falls, blackouts or blood loss) which would normally go by ambulance into accident and emergency departments. ECPs are also able to call upon other agencies such as social services, occupational therapy, physiotherapy or mental health organisations in order to provide the best possible care for the patient. They can also refer patients to community hospitals for assessment and treatment or for rehabilitation, eg after a patient has had a fall in the home. This allows the Trust to provide a patient centred model of care with community-based clinical assessment. Others Involved in Delivering Emergency Care and Urgent TransportUrgent Transfer Care Assistants (UTCAs)UTCAs are trained in basic life support and are able to use a defibrillator. They are trained to drive under emergency conditions. They may respond to an emergency when other resources are occupied. RespondersThe Trust uses first responders to respond to specific life-threatening emergencies (for example suspected cardiac cases) in advance of the ambulance’s arrival, providing the best opportunity of survival for patients, particularly in rural areas. First responders comprise of off duty Trust staff, fire and rescue co-responders, police, RNLI, beach rescue co-responders and community volunteers and are all trained in basic life support and carry equipment which allows them to manage airways, give oxygen therapy and use an automated external defibrillator. The scheme is operated using an automatic paging system. This means first responders are automatically paged by the accident and emergency Control on receipt of an emergency in their operating area. If they are available they contact Control, either by radio or by using a specific telephone number designated as an emergency line. The Trust is keen to involve healthcare professionals as ambulance responders. Please contact the Lead Community Engagement Manager on 01392 261500.
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Trust Headquarters,
Unit
3 Abbey Court,
Sowton Industrial Estate,
Exeter, EX2 7HY, Tel: 01392 261500,
Fax: 01392 261510, Email: publicrelations@swast.nhs.uk |
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