Meet some of our volunteers
SWASFT Community First Responder - Adam Hine-Haycock (North, West and Central Bristol)
What led you to volunteer with SWASFT?
I had a lot of experience with front line emergency care while my son was being treated for Leukemia and had frequent admissions to hospital. I have always had an interest in medical practice and becoming a CFR gave me the training and confidence to experience the world of emergency care first hand.
What lifetime or work-based skills and experience have you brought to your role as a SWASFT volunteer?
I like to think I'm a good people person. Getting on with and understanding people of all ages, from all backgrounds is important. I love being a tiny part of their day, especially when they may really need support. Sometimes our help is clinical, sometimes they just need a cup of tea and a chat!
What do you do in your role as a volunteer?
I respond to a variety of patients through the 999 system. I am dispatched to patients and go in my car to their home or wherever they are. We assess them, treat where necessary within the scope I have been trained for, assist crews who may be dispatched alongside us, or help to get the patients the right level of response from a wide variety of SWASFT resources.
What difference do you think your role makes to patients in your local area?
Being there on the scene can significantly help to reduce the waiting times for patients, particularly if it is a lower category of call. We are often a useful extra pair of hands to help the core crews or just be there to support family members. Often, we can assess the patient and they can be discharged by a specialist paramedic on the phone, freeing up an ambulance for other patients. You genuinely can help save lives on a regular basis.
However, it’s not all about saving lives. Today I spent the best part of two hours with a lovely 82-year-old lady who I found was clinically well having taken observations, following her complaint of chronic pain. She just needed contact. We watched the snooker, made coffee, talked about family, tidied the living room, shared a joke or two. I felt privileged to be part of her day and to save an ambulance from attending. She said ‘I feel much better’ when I left - and I knew she would be looked after soon.
How do you benefit personally from volunteering?
I love meeting new people from all walks of life and in all environments. I get huge satisfaction from helping someone who may be having a difficult time. I have benefitted hugely from the training and support I've been given to become much more confident, on and off duty! It's like a big family of like-minded people!
SWASFT Community First Responder – Kelly Thomas (Gloucestershire)
What led you to volunteer with SWASFT?
My decision to volunteer has been driven by a personal passion for helping others, a desire to contribute to my community and an interest in emergency medical care. I have always felt a strong calling to assist those in need particularly after witnessing my son's medical emergency, where prompt medical intervention made a significant difference. It made me realise the impact that timely and skilled care can have on people's lives, and I wanted to be part of that.
What lifetime or work-based skills and experience have you brought to your role as a SWASFT volunteer?
For several years I took care of my Nan when she was very ill, this hands-on care giving role taught me a great deal about patient care, the importance of noticing early signs and symptoms and the need for compassionate and attentive support. In addition to caring for my Nan, I am a mother to seven children, two of whom have additional needs and one with severe asthma. My experience as a parent has been instrumental in honing my ability to respond effectively to medical situations.
My personal experience of grief and mental health challenges after losing my Nan has given me a profound understanding of the emotional psychological aspects of patient care. I have learnt to empathise deeply with individuals who are suffering, whether due to illness, mental health struggles or the loss of a loved one. This empathy allows me to connect with patients and their families on a personal level, providing not just medical assistance, but also emotional support.
What do you do in your role as a volunteer?
As a Community First Responder (CFR) I am dispatched to medical emergencies in my community, these can range from cardiac arrests and strokes to accidents and other medical conditions. I often arrive at the scene before the ambulance, allowing me to start basic lifesaving interventions. On arrival I quickly assess the patient's condition to determine the severity of the situation, this includes checking vital signs and identifying any life-threatening issues. My goal is to stablise the patient's condition and provide care until paramedics arrive.
I’m trained to provide essential medical care, such as a CPR, using defibrillators, controlling bleeding, and managing airways. Beyond the physical care, I offer emotional support and reassurance to patients and their families. Dealing with an emergency can be incredibly stressful and providing a calm and supportive presence can make a significant difference. I work closely with paramedics and other emergency services, when they arrive on scene and I provide a detailed handover including the patient's condition, the interventions I have performed and any other information. This ensures continuity of care and helps paramedics make informed decisions.
How do you fit volunteering into your life?
It fits into my everyday life with careful prioritisation and time management. Given my responsibilities as a parent to seven children I have developed strong organisational skills that help me balance my family duties and my volunteer role. I coordinate my volunteering hours around my family's busy schedule, ensuring I am available during times when my children are at school or when I have reliable support from family members. This flexibility allows me to respond without compromising my responsibilities at home.
How do you benefit personally from volunteering?
Being a CFR brings many benefits that enrich my personal and professional life. Volunteering allows me to directly contribute to my local community in Gloucestershire, knowing that I am making a tangible difference to people's lives, particularly during their most vulnerable moments is incredibly rewarding.
The sense of fulfillment and purpose I derive from helping others is invaluable and has a positive impact on my overall wellbeing. Volunteering has enhanced my practical skills and knowledge in emergency medical care. I have gained valuable insight into patient assessment and first aid; these skills not only benefit my role as a CFR but also have practical applications in my everyday life.
Working with paramedics and other emergency responders has taught me the importance of clear and effective communication, collaboration, and mutual support in high pressure situations. Volunteering has provided me with a sense of community and belonging, building connections with other volunteers, healthcare professionals and members of the local community and fosters a supportive network that I can rely on professionally and personally.
Volunteering has had a positive impact on my mental health and self-esteem, engaging in meaningful activities that align with my values and passions, boosts my mood, and reduces stress. It provides a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, reminding me of my resilience and ability to overcome challenges.
How does SWASFT support you in your role?
SWASFT provides comprehensive support to volunteers like me, ensuring that we are well prepared and equipped to fulfill our role as a CFR. The ambulance service also offers several forms of support including training and education, access to resources and equipment, operational support, peer support and networking and recognition and appreciation events.
One piece of advice you would give to someone thinking of becoming a SWASFT volunteer?
My advice to someone considering becoming a CFR would be to embrace the opportunity to make a difference to people's lives and their wellbeing in the local community.
Volunteering with SWASFT offers a unique chance to make a meaningful difference in people's lives during their most vulnerable moments. By providing immediate care and support to those in need volunteers have the power to save lives, alleviate suffering and offer hope and reassurance to individuals and their families.
Volunteering with SWASFT provides an enriching experience that fosters personal growth and development, it offers a chance to learn new skills, gain valuable experience in emergency care and develop strong bonds with fellow CFRs and healthcare professionals. The sense of fulfillment that comes from knowing you have made a difference, no matter how small, is incredibly rewarding, and leaves a lasting impact on both you and the communities you serve.
Overall, my advice would be to embrace the opportunity to serve as a SWASFT volunteer with enthusiasm, compassion, and a positive mindset by focusing on the good and the opportunity for you to make a difference, by doing this volunteers can find fulfillment and purpose.
Why did you decide to become an Emergency Care Assistant (ECA)?
I decided to become an ECA because I wanted to expand my skills and responsibilities. While volunteering provided me with a valuable experience and the opportunity to make a difference, I felt compelled to make a more active role in patient care.
Becoming an ECA allows me to work alongside paramedics and other healthcare professionals in a more direct capacity, it also provides me with further opportunities for training and professional development.
I am passionate about helping others and making a positive impact on people's lives during a time of crisis and becoming an ECA allows me to fulfill this ambition on a larger scale and play a more integral role in helping save people's lives. It was a natural progression for me driven by my desire to enhance my skills, take on greater responsibilities while continuing to serve my community in a meaningful way.
SWASFT Community First Responders – Michael Dearden (Mid-Devon)
What led you to volunteer with SWASFT?
I love helping people. Also, I had a heart attack, and the local Responder was first on scene which impressed me! In most of the jobs I have done over the years, including my time in the Submarine Service, I have been a first aider so when I saw an advertisement for Community Responders I applied. Being 70 at the time I thought I might be too old!
What lifetime or work-based skills and experience have you brought to your role as a SWASFT volunteer?
I joined SWASFT with basic first aid training having been a first aider for many years at work, including my time in the Royal Naval Submarine Service. However, I would stress that you do not need to have any clinical qualifications to become a Community First Responder as SWASFT provide all the training. I have received further training in Advanced First Aid and Emergency Life Support at SWASFT, and my skills are continually updated.
What do you do as a volunteer in your role?
I am fully trained by SWASFT in advanced first aid and emergency life support and carry all the equipment necessary to support these skills. When I am booked on and someone calls 999, the case is triaged by clinicians in the Emergency Operations Centres and if suitable (we do not attend RTCs) I am contacted on my dedicated phone by the dispatcher. I can either accept or reject the job.
How does volunteering fit into your everyday life?
Being voluntary, I log on and off to suit my lifestyle. For example, I rarely book on in the morning as we walk our dog every day for several hours.
What difference do you think your role makes to patients across the South West?
From experience, a huge difference! Living in a rural community I can usually be on scene within minutes, but invariably well before an ambulance can get there. This is especially the case in the present time of huge demand for the ambulance service. I can then administer to the patient, keeping them safe and keeping the Emergency Operations Centres informed of the situation.
How do you benefit personally from volunteering?
I get huge satisfaction being able to put something back into the community and having the skills to help people in their hour of need.
How does SWASFT support you in your role?
From my experience, we get amazing support from everybody across the Trust. We have a line manager available 24/7 and when on-call we have a dedicated “desk” which we can call for help and assistance. They also provide constant support, especially when one has been to a particularly traumatic event.
One piece of advice you would give to someone thinking of becoming a SWASFT volunteer?
Sometimes it is not the most glamourous role, but being a SWASFT volunteer makes such a difference to people’s lives.
BASICS Doctor – Dr. Katie Muscroft
Dr. Katie Muscroft FRCEM is a consultant in Emergency Medicine and a founding member of BASICS Dorset (British Association for Immediate Care), an emergency doctor service which works to save the lives of critically ill patients in Dorset. When not on duty for BASICS she can be found working as a Deputy Medical Director for SWASFT and in A&E at Yeovil District Hospital.
BASICS Dorset medics work together with the SWASFT to treat patients wherever and whenever they need help in the community. A serious road crash, work accident, cardiac arrest or a sudden serious illness that can leave a life hanging in the balance. When this happens, BASICS doctors can be called out to use their skills and knowledge to make life-saving interventions before the patient reaches hospital.
BASICS doctors working in Dorset are volunteers. When not treating patients in the county's hospitals and GP practices they offer their time "on-call" to respond quickly when required any time of day or night. Although time is given freely, BASICS Dorset relies on public donations to provide and maintain equipment, vehicles and to train new medics.
What led you to volunteer with SWASFT?
I have always been interested in pre-hospital medicine, and as a trainee I used to go to the BASICS training evenings held in Southampton. Once I had settled as an A&E consultant, I started looking into this again but sadly there wasn’t a BASICS scheme in Dorset where I lived. I explored other counties, but the on-call element didn’t work, and I am not the biggest fan of flying so joining an air ambulance wasn’t ideal. A colleague and friend had a serious motorbike accident in Somerset, and his life was saved by one of the SAVES (Somerset BASICS) doctors. He messaged me from ITU and asked me to set up a BASICS scheme in Dorset. I set up BASICS Dorset in 2017 and started responding as a BASICS doctor as soon as I could, in June 2018.
What lifetime or work-based skills and experience have you brought to your role as a SWASFT volunteer?
My day job is an A&E consultant and I have done a significant amount of event medicine, so this goes hand in hand with pre-hospital medicine, although I did complete further courses to ensure I was fully trained. I think I bring more than just clinical skills to the role though, as a senior doctor I also hope I bring a sensible voice, an extra person to run things past or sometimes simply an extra pair of hands. I am also a big advocate of positive staff welfare and set up a cold debrief service in my department, so I always try to check in with crews after difficult incidents and ensure all questions that come up are answered.
What do you do in your role as a volunteer?
I am a BASICS doctor, so an enhanced care doctor. I am on call during my normal life and get allocated to incidents by the Community Response Coordinators in the Emergency Operations Centre. I have blue lights and sirens on my own car, to be able to respond to incidents. The types of incidents I go to are significant road traffic incidents, cardiac arrests, trauma patients requiring enhanced analgesia or seriously unwell patients. I carry enhanced analgesia and am trained to do several surgical procedures. I am also trained as an on scene/operational medical advisor.
How do you fit volunteering into your life?
I am lucky to have a portfolio career and so I have built responding time into my week. I work from home two days a week and both roles understand I may not make a meeting if I am tasked to an incident. If I log on overnight, I have to ensure I can have a lie in and have no early morning meetings the next day.
How do you benefit personally from volunteering?
As an A&E consultant, I don’t get to see that many patients myself anymore, a lot of my role is management and leadership. However, being a BASICS doctor has meant I have a lot of patient contact. I also get a lot of job satisfaction from the clinical care we provide as part of a team, this isn’t always about saving a person’s life (although that is incredible when it happens), it can also be about recognising futile situations, not prolonging suffering and breaking sad news to family members in a compassionate way.
On another note, volunteering for SWASFT has changed my working life significantly. I have forged a portfolio career, which is working in a variety of different roles, that allows me the time to respond, and my experience of working for SWASFT led me to gain roles initially as Ambulance Clinical Lead with NHS Dorset then as a Deputy Medical Director for the service.
I have also made a huge number of friends through my time volunteering with SWASFT. The types of incidents I go to alongside crews are often those that challenge us the most, be it clinically or emotionally, and the support we give to one another is like nowhere else. I now count some of my SWASFT colleagues as my best friends.
One piece of advice you would give to someone thinking of becoming a SWASFT volunteer?
To become a BASICS doctor takes a lot of time and effort. The individual BASICS charities must put a lot of money and resource into new responders, so show interest early and be willing to help with other tasks; fundraising, being a trustee, social media etc. Showing commitment to a BASICS charity is the best thing you can do.