South Central Ambulance Service
NHS Foundation Trust
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DAN’S MIRACLE RECOVERY Summer Twenty Eighteen
Summer 2018
High Sheriff of Buckin Commendation 10
CFR Conference 14
Kelley Evans Reunite
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nghamshire
Armed Forces week 38
Charity round up 40
Summer 2018
DAN’S MIRACLE RECOVERY
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Just a few weeks passed the first anniversary of a motorcycle accident that almost claimed his life, Dan Browning walked into the North Harbour Resource Centre in Portsmouth, to meet – and say thank you – to some of the SCAS team that saved his life.
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Dan had been travelling around 40-50mph on his beloved Aprilla 125 when he collided with a parked car outside The Good Companion Pub on Eastern Road just after midday on 11 April 2017. In SCAS’ clinical co-ordination centre, the calls soon came flooding in from members of the public; a sure sign that this was a very serious collision.
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Polly Frank took the first call, with colleague Liam Purdy taking the numerous duplicate 999 calls as well as liaising with Hampshire Police’s control room, and Dispatcher, Charlee Buckles, allocating and sending a number of staff and vehicles. Polly said:
Mike began setting up for additional, life-saving treatment that he needed at the roadside – procedures that were carried out by Mike and the helicopter crew on arrival. Dan was then airlifted to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Southampton.
“It was important for me to try and get as much information from the scene so that we could pass that on to the many staff we were busy arranging to send. I wouldn’t say people at the scene were panicking, but it was obviously very traumatic and as well as describing Dan’s condition, there was some debate about what immediate help people there could possibly do whilst we were on the way. Some people were trying to take Dan’s crash helmet off, but I told the caller to tell them to keep it on. It wasn’t clear where he was bleeding from and therefore that was the safest and best thing to do for him until our staff were on scene.”
Dan’s visit to the North Harbour base was made with his Mum, Jane. During the meeting, Dan was very keen to find out more from the team at the scene and the control room about the SCAS response to the 999 calls coming in, his injuries and the treatment he received at the scene. The meeting provided an important part of Dan’s ongoing recovery and rehabilitation, especially as he remembers nothing of the many months both before and after the accident happened.
Fergus Carter-Brazier, was the first to arrive in a rapid response vehicle (RRV) and describes the scene. “I remember pulling up and the back of the car was so badly damaged it looked as if another car had hit it, rather than a person on a motorbike. As I made my way towards the car – which Dan was still partially underneath – I could clearly see the outline of his crash helmet where it had impacted the back of the car.” Fergus was quickly backed up by Dick Tyne and Nathan Mather in an ambulance, Garry Bull in a second RRV, Mike Funge in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance critical care car and finally by Dr Rich Kaye and Jo Meadham who arrived on the Thames Valley Air Ambulance helicopter. With Fergus, Dick and Nathan working hard to stabilise Dan’s critical condition,
“The first I knew about Dan’s accident”, remembers Jane, “was a knock at the door from the police. I opened the door to the officer who said he needed to come inside and I should sit down – something no parent ever wants to hear! I knew something terrible had happened.” After delivering the bad news, the officer took Jane straight to the major trauma unit in Southampton, but it was a further five hours before she was able to see her son. At the hospital, staff told Jane that due to his extensive and multiple injuries, if Dan did survive he was likely to be severely disabled.
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Jane adds, “It really was touch and go at the hospital for weeks, and Dan has had to basically learn to do everything again from scratch. His amazing recovery is thanks to what everyone involved in the control room and at the scene of the accident did in the first place. I don’t think people realise until something like this happens, how amazing – and lucky – we are to have the NHS and the people working in our hospitals and ambulance service.”
Dan tells the team that his riding days are now over. “I was studying bike mechanics at the time of the accident”, he says. “I’m hoping to get back to college and complete my studies in the not too distant future but I’ll strictly just be working on bikes from now on. I’ve really enjoyed meeting and talking to everyone today and I just wanted to let them see me, say thank you face to face and let them see how well I’m doing.”
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Both Dan and Jane put his amazing recovery down to sheer determination. Dan spent almost two weeks in the intensive care unit in Southampton in an induced coma before being transferred by ambulance to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth on 24 April and slowly woken up that day. He then transferred to an orthopaedic ward on 3 May and from there to a rehabilitation ward on 28 May. He was finally well enough to return home on 31 July and still continues his rehabilitation programme, including ongoing support from Headway Portsmouth. A couple of weeks before the meeting at North Harbour, Dan and Jane had also returned to The Good Companion for a meal – and to let them know he had survived, as many of the staff at the time (who brought out pints of water for the emergency services at the scene on what was a roasting hot day) thought Dan had died. Fergus and Mike explained that this was probably due to the blanket that had been put up over Dan at the scene to protect him from sunburn whilst the extensive life-saving treatment he had was carried out.
There are hugs all round as Jane and Dan say their goodbyes – leaving some goodies for the North Harbour crew room and control room in Otterbourne as a small token of their obvious appreciation for what the whole team did last April.
Summer 2018
COMMENDATIONS STAFF
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FOR SCAS
Summer 2018
Four members of staff were honoured to receive a special commendation from the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire on Tuesday, 5 June, for the outstanding care and professionalism they displayed at the scene of a collision between two lorries and a minibus on the M1 in August 2017. The staff were recommended for the commendations by His Honour Judge Francis Sheridan who presided over the trial, conviction and sentencing of Ryszard Masierak and David Wagstaff – the drivers of the two HGVs involved in the accident that killed eight people in the minibus and seriously injured four others. Mark Begley, Head of Operations for Milton Keynes and Aylesbury Vale, was the ambulance service Incident Commander at the scene of the accident in the early hours of 26 August 2017. Mark was joined at the ceremony held at Aylesbury Crown Court by colleagues Amanda Joyce, Dr Neil Thomson and Simon Lukas. Mark said: “In the ambulance service, we do get sent to some very traumatic incidents but this collision was particularly challenging and probably the worst I have seen in my 21 years' service. Amanda, Neil, Simon and myself were part of a team of over
40 ambulance personnel – not just from SCAS but also colleagues from East of England and East Midlands Ambulance Services – who all displayed incredible care and professionalism in the most difficult circumstances. We accepted the High Sheriff’s Commendation on behalf of everyone in the ambulance service who attended this terrible and, most regrettably considering the devastating consequences, completely avoidable incident.” The commendations were presented by Professor Ruth Farwell CBE, High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and cited how the staff "demonstrated service of the highest order by displaying outstanding care and professionalism when attending to critically injured people at the scene of a fatal collision. The award recognises the appreciation of the people of Buckinghamshire and the Judiciary of the County of Buckinghamshire.” The commendations were presented along with similar awards for staff from Thames Valley Police, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and key civilians who also attended the incident.
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From the back row Dr Neil Thomson, Amanda Joyce, Mark Begley and Simon Lukas
Winter 2017 Summer 2018
SCAS HOSTS FIRST CONFERENCE On 14 April, the Community Engagement and Training Team hosted the inaugural Community First Responder (CFR) Conference in Thatcham, Berkshire. This was the first time that CFRs from across the South Central region had been given the chance to meet, collaborate and share best practice.
Just under 200 of our dedicated CFRs, along with co-responders from our partners in the Fire & Rescue and Police Services, and Armed Forces, attended the conference which was a day of learning and activities themed around ‘improving outcomes and sharing best practice’. We were lucky enough to have a host of extremely eminent speakers covering a range of topics, which included the
importance of quality resuscitation, sepsis and NEWS 2, dealing with distressing incidents, and resuscitation to recovery – a national framework to improve care of people with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in England. As we arrived early at the venue on a dank April morning, it was hard to imagine at that time, the hive of activity that Thatcham Football Club would later become. The car park started to fill, people started to arrive and right on cue the sun started to break through. It was certainly a sight to see all of the vehicles lined up outside of the venue – most of which belonged to CFR schemes from across the Trust and have been purchased by the schemes through funds raised by them. I’m sure I speak for all the organisers who, like me, on seeing such a collection feel very proud. There was certainly a buzz in the air from the outset and even in the “coffee/ networking” hour before the day started you could see and hear responders from across the whole Trust starting to share ideas, find out about good practice – and eat the pastries laid on!
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T CFR Those undertaking a two minute assessment and scoring 95% or above were in with a chance of winning a QCPR manikin for their CFR scheme, which was kindly donated by the SCAS Charity.
The day was opened by Chief Executive, Will Hancock, and the speakers generated plenty of discussion throughout the day. The lunchbreak was enjoyed by many outside in the Berkshire sunshine; what is it they say about the sun always shining on the righteous? One of the important themes of the day was quality resuscitation and our responders had the opportunity to practice and demonstrate quality resuscitation on our new Laerdal QCPR manikins.
Throughout the day, responders were encouraged to share their ideas and innovations using “post its” on our innovation wall. We have had some excellent ideas generated and discussions are already taking place in the Community and Engagement Team about how we can develop these further. The feedback has shown that the day was a resounding success and there is clearly an appetite for a bigger event next year. We’ve noted those areas of the event that people want us to improve on and we will take these on board to help make the next event even better! Thank you once again to everyone who came along and I hope you found it as enjoyable and beneficial as I did. Jack Ansell Operations Manager South – Community Engagement & Training
Summer 2018
Archie Orr-Ewing, proprietor of the award-winning Swan Inn at Swinbrook, received a visit on Monday, 21 May, from SCAS Paramedic, Ryan Scott. Ryan returned to the pub to present Archie with a special commendation following his life-saving intervention earlier the same month.
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AWARD-WINNING LANDLORD SAVES CUSTOMER’S LIFE Ryan was the first responder at The Swan Inn on 3 May when SCAS received a 999 call to say that a diner had started choking, then stopped breathing and gone into cardiac arrest. “On my arrival”, recalls Ryan, “the patient had a pulse and was breathing for herself. I was informed that with the patient turning blue and being unresponsive, Archie had carried out a Heimlich manoeuvre which cleared the blockage and allowed the lady to start breathing again. Without Archie’s actions, I am certain this incident would have had a very different outcome for the patient.” As the 999 call was a category 1 lifethreatening emergency, an ambulance crew and the Thames Valley Air Ambulance helicopter soon arrived after Ryan. After assessment and treatment from the team, by the time the patient was on her way to hospital in the back of the ambulance, she was talking and improving with every minute. Archie and his wife Nicola have been successfully running The King’s Head in Bledington since 2000 and The Swan Inn since 2006. They had always ensured that they and all their staff were first aid trained and had regular refresher courses.
Archie adds: “This was the first time in 18 years in the business that anything like this had happened in our pubs. It was a traumatic incident, and I can understand why some people might freeze in similar circumstances or be afraid they might make things worse. I hope this encourages more people to get first aid training because having that bit of knowledge certainly gave me the confidence to do something. I must say I was still very pleased to see Ryan when he arrived – and the whole response from the ambulance service on the day was fantastic!” Ryan presented Archie with a letter of commendation from Director of Operations at South Central Ambulance Service, Mark Ainsworth, thanking Archie for his assistance and adding:
“It is encouraging to know that there are members of the public who are happy to assist and support my crews when situations such as this arrive.” The day after the incident, the customer was well enough to phone Archie and pass on her heartfelt gratitude personally.
Summer 2018
RAF LEADERSHIP DAY On 4 May both myself and Jack Ansell (Operations Manager South – Community Engagement & Training) were kindly invited to attend the RAF Leadership Experience Day at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire. RAF Cranwell is the Officer and Aircrew Selection and Training Centre for the RAF. It is a base stooped in history and I felt very privileged to be asked to represent SCAS at this event. We were advised in our joining instructions that during the day we would be put through a number of activities that RAF recruits would normally undertake in order to pass officer selection and that it would be a day to test and enhance our leadership skills. Arriving nice and early we were welcomed to the centre and then given an initial brief by the head of training and selection. Our first task was to undertake two computerised exercises; one that tested hand/eye/ foot coordination and the other to test the ability to carry out multiple
simultaneous tasks (apparently no one is able to multi task‌.this is so true!!). The tests were both difficult but also fun to undertake though my internal frustration level was at an all-time high trying to keep a crosshair on a moving circle the size of a one pence piece. After this exercise we were split into several teams, given bibs and my name suddenly changed from David to Bravo 2; I was now a phonetic letter and number for the rest of the day! Strangely this actually had a positive effect on communication between our team! We had learnt our first lesson; that being that any group of people no matter how long they had known each other could positively communicate instructions if the members of that group had simple identifiers.
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Off into the training hangar we then went to be faced with a number of purpose built scenarios. In these scenarios you have to get your team and various pieces of equipment from one end to the other without touching the floor or other defined areas. Our first scenario was a leaderless exercise; we all gave our ideas and worked as a team to get across, helped by our ever amazing instructor. Did we complete the task, however? No….. I’m not sure we even got half way through it in the time allowed.
and harness their ideas was the key to success. Slowly but surely we started to work well together and managed to fully complete two of our six exercises.
Next we each took a turn in leading an exercise, again with more than a helpful hand from our instructor. We learnt that having a strong leader who could communicate and use their team
David Hamer Operations Manager North – Community Engagement & Training
The day ended with a short closing talk and the presentation of certificates. I learnt so much about myself and others on this day, it was an exceptionally well run event by the RAF Officers and really good fun. If the opportunity exists next year for any member of staff in your organisation to attend I would strongly recommend applying.
Summer 2018
WORK BEGINS ON
£14M BLUE LIGHT HUB
IN MILTON KEYNES
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On Thursday 12 April, work formally started on a £14 million tri-service campus in Milton Keynes for local ambulance, fire and police services. Provisionally called the Blue Light Hub, it is being built on a three-acre site at Thornbury, West Ashland. The threestorey complex, partly funded by a £2.8 million government grant, will be one of the first of its kind in the country, and is due to open in autumn 2019. A ground-breaking ceremony, led by Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, Lord-Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire, took place at the site on 12 April, with the event covered by local TV, radio and press, as well as a selection of invited VIPs from across Milton Keynes.
Thames Valley Police has announced that the Blue Light Hub will be the new home for the neighbourhood police team currently based at Bletchley Police Station. Other staff and officers currently based at Bletchley will move to work from the Central Milton Keynes police station once the Hub has opened. Superintendent Yvette Hitch, LPA Commander for Milton Keynes, said: “The Blue Light Hub offers the Bletchley Neighbourhood Policing team the invaluable chance to work closely with the fire and ambulance services, enhancing the service we offer to our communities. We welcome the opportunity this hub will provide to work in collaboration with our partners to offer a unique, cohesive service to our local residents and businesses.”
Representing SCAS was Head of Operations for Milton Keynes and Aylesbury Vale, Mark Begley, and Chief Executive, Will Hancock. Will said: “SCAS is proud to have been involved in this exciting project from the outset. We already have great working relationships with our partners, and this state-of-the-art tri-service facility will help strengthen those partnerships even further for the benefit of our communities.” David Sutherland, Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority’s Director of Finance and Assets, said: “The three blue light services will work and train together, and we are future-proofing the building by making space available for use by other interested public service bodies. We will also be providing meeting rooms for community groups. “As well as providing state-of the-art facilities for the blue light services, we hope the building will help us establish closer relationships with community groups and the public at large.”
The construction work is expected to be completed by August 2019, with the building due to be operational in October 2019. Once opened, local SCAS staff currently based at the two existing resource centres in Bletchley and at Milton Keynes Hospital will move to the new site.
Summer 2018
MILTON KEYNES PARAMEDIC SAVES PREGNANT MUM AND MEETS BABY AVA
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On 1 May, Paramedic Steph Nokes, made an emotional return to the home of Milton Keynes resident, Kelley Evans, accompanied by the TV cameras from BBC Look East. It was a very different atmosphere to the first time Steph was at the family home in August 2017. It was early in the morning of 6 August that Steph was coming to the end of a night shift when she was dispatched to Kelley and Gareth’s home following an emergency 999 call that Gareth made just before 5.45am.
Kelley had woken up with palpitations and was feeling breathless. These symptoms were something that Kelley had suffered two or three times before in the previous couple of years, which had been put down to anxiety. Though the symptoms were worse this time, the couple thought that it was another anxiety attack – unaware that they were in actual fact caused by an undiagnosed heart condition that left Kelley, then 24 weeks pregnant with her second child, in imminent danger.
Summer 2018
“When I arrived I immediately carried out an ECG on Kelley”, remembers Steph, “and the results told me it wasn’t a case of if Kelley goes into cardiac arrest, but when. Obviously not wanting to alarm her and Gareth any further I requested an immediate ambulance back-up, asked Gareth to clear a space on the floor and then to sit with Kelley whilst I went back to my car and got some more equipment.”
“Steph asked so calmly if the ambulance was on its way as it was urgent – but it hit me then just how serious it was! "
Gareth adds, “Steph asked so calmly if the ambulance was on its way as it was urgent – but it hit me then just how serious it was! Steph left the bedroom to get more equipment and Kelley turned to me and said 'I'm dying' and then had what I thought was some sort of seizure! I immediately ran after Steph and caught up with her on the driveway.”
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Rather than a seizure, what had actually happened was that Kelley had gone into cardiac arrest. Within seconds of it happening, Steph had got Gareth carrying out CPR on Kelley on the floor as she set up the defibrillator that she had gone to retrieve from her vehicle. After administering one shock, followed by another 5-10 seconds of CPR from Gareth, Kelley took a large breath and started to come round. “Gareth did really well”, remembers Steph, “and was my vital extra pair of hands at the time. Understandably he was quite panicked initially but within seconds was listening to my instructions, doing exactly what I wanted and what needed to be done to give me the best chance of resuscitating Kelley. When she took that first breath, I’m not sure which of us was most relieved!” Gareth adds, “All I remember thinking was, I’m going to do exactly what this lady tells me to!” After seeing Kelley safely on board the ambulance, crewed by her colleagues Kirsty Bates and Chris Day, Steph then was able to sign off and head home for some well-earned rest. She was back on duty for a second night shift that evening and recognised Gareth when he approached her in the A&E department at Milton Keynes University Hospital. “I recognised Gareth straight away”, recalls Steph. “He told me that Kelley was sat up in the ICU and talking – which was great news!”
Later in 2017, Kelley was also able to get a message to Steph to let her know that Ava was born happy and healthily on 24 November, joining two-year-old brother, Bob. The couple also chose Stephanie for one of Ava’s middle names. This incredible story caught the attention of local media, and on 1 May, Steph returned to the family’s home to meet Ava for the first time. “What you did for us, we will never forget”, Kelley told Steph when they met again. “In the future, Ava will be looking at photos and be able to point to people and say ‘that’s my Mum, that’s my grandma, and that’s the lady that saved my life’. You saved Ava, you saved me, you saved Gareth’s wife and Bob’s Mum.” Kelley was able to update Steph on her own health too. “I was subsequently diagnosed with
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Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome”, she adds. “From my teens there were times when my heart would suddenly start beating at a rate of knots for no obvious reason and I would have to breathe deeply and sit calmly until it passed. This night in question it didn’t pass and thank goodness Gareth called 999.”
A few weeks after meeting up with Steph again, over the two (hot) days of 26-27 May, Kelley completed the walk and was met at the finish by her family. She raised over £1,000 – money that will go directly to providing life-saving defibrillators and training in CPR within the South Central region.
Kelley was treated at both Milton Keynes and John Radcliffe Hospital (Oxford) and has gone on to make a full recovery. Inspired by Steph’s actions, Kelley signed up for the London to Brighton 100km Walk to raise funds for the South Central Ambulance Charity. With all the demands of a new born – coupled with the very energetic and playful Bob – it was not going to be an easy challenge to fit in the training for.
Shortly after completing her amazing challenge, Kelley wrote: “My body is starting to shut down, I have mild sun stroke and haven’t slept properly in two days, but I have just completed something that was totally out of my comfort zone six months after having a baby and 10 months after heart surgery. So tonight I may be tired and sore, but I am also completely elated.”
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facebook.com/SCAS999 Liesl Bowes
Summer 2018
SCAS LEADERS AT GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT SCAS Chair, Lena Samuels, and Chief Executive, Will Hancock, both had leading roles at an international summit about mental health issues amongst staff in ambulance and emergency medical services around the world. The summit, which was organised by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), was hosted over two days at Chesford Grange in Warwickshire. The event was chaired by Lena, and Will, who is the Mental Health Lead for AACE, spoke from the the UK Perspective. He was joined on the stage by representatives from emergency medical services in the USA, Canada and Australasia who talked about the mental health issues faced by emergency medical staff in their countries, along with the latest support being provided.
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Will said, “The mental wellbeing of ambulance service staff is a subject very close to my heart, and as the AACE Mental Health Lead I am committed to making sure that ambulance staff across the UK receive the best possible support from their respective Trusts. “We ask our people to go out every day to provide amazing care to help people in often traumatic situations, and I am committed to making sure we do everything possible to support them in dealing with the stresses that this can cause.
Research indicates that summit was a great opportunity to 91 “This per ce ntcolleagues of UK am budifferent meet with from lance staff have experienced st recountries ss, low and discuss mental health moo d or the anxi ety w hile working in the service. A issues faced by staff, and to share ACE is wholly committed learnto making the ambulance se ing and ideas for addressing these rvsues. ice ”a place that promotes ispositive mental wellbeing and improving the health and wellbeing of ambulance the two days of the stafPresentations f across thfrom e UK, an produced guidance to he summit can be viewed at d has lp am bu lance trusts to produce https://aace.org.uk/news/ambulanceeffective employee men tal he alth strategies. leadership-forum-2018-speaker-presentations/
Will said, “The mental wellbeing of ambulance service staff is a subject very close to my heart, and as the AACE Mental Health Lead I am committed to making sure that ambulance staff across the UK receive the best possible support from their respective Trusts. “We ask our people to go out every day to provide amazing care to help people in often traumatic situations, and
I am committed to making sure we do everything possible to support them in dealing with the stresses that this can cause. “This summit was a great opportunity to meet with colleagues from different countries and discuss the mental health issues faced by staff, and to share learning and ideas for addressing these issues.”
Presentations from the two days of the summit can be viewed at https://aace.org.uk/news/ambulance-leadership-forum-2018-speaker-presentations/
Summer 2018
By Royal Command
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Summer 2018
Royal Garden Party It’s been a spring and early summer of Royal Appointments for many of us here at South Central Ambulance Service. Team Leader, Caroline Edwards, (based at our Wexham Resource Centre) and Clinical Operations Manager for East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire, Neil Durrant, were delighted to be nominated by SCAS to attend the first of this year's Royal Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace on 15 May, celebrating public service. Caroline joined Royal Berkshire Ambulance Trust in 1999, followed the year after by Neil, so with almost 40 years between them, this was a huge honour and privilege. The pair reported back that the event, attended by Her Majesty along with HRH Prince Andrew and the Earl and Countess of Wessex, was amazing and the setting was more than matched by the stunning food. Both Caroline and Neil were also on duty in Windsor the following Saturday for the Royal Wedding.
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Royal Ascot Royal Ascot, held at the Berkshire racecourse from 19-23 June, saw another joint medical operation between SCAS, St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross. The 100-strong medical team was led by our very own Ma’am, Tactical Commander Tracy Redman, and included EOC dispatchers, clinical and non-clinical operational staff, specialist paramedics, the Hazardous Area Response Team and community first responders. Fortunately, though warm, temperatures at the event did not hit the peaks of 2017, but the team were still kept busy looking after the 300,000 racegoers, as well as the jockeys and the few thousand staff working at the racecourse over the five days. Tracy Redman added, “This is always a great event; the atmosphere is fantastic and it’s a real team effort – not just across the medical services but with all our partners. Our aim was to make sure anyone who needed medical assistance got the very best care in a timely manner, and that’s exactly what we did. The SCAS team was second to none and I was incredibly proud to be a part of it.”
Summer 2018
Royal Wedding Around 70 staff and volunteers from across SCAS were involved in supporting the Royal Wedding on Saturday 19 May. Over 100,000 people descended on Windsor to catch a glimpse of HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with the event broadcast to an international audience of millions. SCAS, supported by St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross, provided a medical team of over 200 stationed at treatment centres set up at strategic points throughout the town and on the procession course. The smooth running of such a high profile event takes months of pre-planning and hard work and thanks to the efforts of everyone involved at SCAS in the run-up and on the day itself, it was an amazing event and one that everyone involved in was extremely proud to be part of.
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Summer 2018
£700
RAISED FOR EMERGENCY CARE ASSISTANT ROB In the build-up to the NHS’ 70th anniversary, how the vast majority of the public value their health service and those who work in it, was epitomised by the £700 that was raised for Portsmouth-based Emergency Care Assistant, Rob Blakley. All the money was raised through a Crowdfunder appeal online after Rob’s custom-built NS Soda bike (worth around £1,500) was stolen on the night of 15 May whilst Rob was working in the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Area answering emergency 999 calls. The bike was Rob’s only mode of transport from his home in the Isle of Wight to his work base at SCAS’ North Har-
bour Resource Centre in Portsmouth. Whilst it was insured, the policy only covered theft from Rob’s home – a fact he only found out after its lock was cut off and the bike stolen by a gang of three using a white transit van. The donation, the idea for which came from local people on hearing of Rob’s plight in The News, on Wave 105 FM and on social media, was made up of contributions from members of the public as well as colleagues from other areas of the South Central region, staff from other emergency services across the UK and even from as far afield as Australia.
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On receiving the money from his Team Leader, Sam Brown, and Clinical Operations Manager for South East Hampshire, Mark Roberts, Rob said: “This whole situation, although upsetting and frustrating, has been heartwarming and humbling; not only to myself but for every other member of the ambulance service I have spoken to. Everyone is amazed and genuinely taken back by the public response – it really does restore some faith in humanity and reminds us all of why we do the job in the first place.”
Rob had been kindly loaned another bike to enable him to still get to and from work and the donations from the public now means he can afford a good quality replacement of his own; one that will be able to withstand the numerous miles and all weathers Rob will put it through to get to and from work. The fee charged by Crowdfunder was covered by a colleague of Rob’s so that every penny donated online has gone directly to him.
Summer 2018
SUPPORTING ARMED FORC WEEK
CES
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Armed Forces Day is an annual event allowing organisations and people to show their support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community; from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans and cadets. The 2018 event was scheduled for Saturday 30 June and in the week leading up to this year’s Armed Forces Day, SCAS undertook a social media campaign to showcase many of the ways SCAS supports veterans, reservists and the Armed Forces in general. The campaign featured case studies of five former military veterans, now enjoying successful second careers in a variety of different roles within SCAS, as well as short videos promoting the Trust’s participation in the Step Into Health and See Potential initiatives. Utilising the growing community of followers SCAS has for the Trust’s Facebook and Twitter channels, the week-long burst of activity reached more than 40,000 people online. This helped showcase the wide range of opportunities SCAS offers members of the Armed Forces looking for successful and fulfilling second careers in ‘civvy street’. Discover more about the campaign at www.scas.nhs.uk/armed-forcesweek-2018
Summer 2018
Charity round up
Our charity team, staff, community first responders, volunteers and supporters work tirelessly all year round raising much needed funds for the South Central Ambulance Charity and other causes, as well as develop and strengthen the Trust’s relationship with the local communities we serve. Here’s a small selection of what they have been up to between April and June 2018.
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Community Iftar at Aylesbury Mosque. Stoke Mandeville Team Leaders, Sue Martin, Michele Behan, Robert MacFarlan and Darren Thompson were invited to the Aylesbury Mosque on 25 May to celebrate Iftar with our local Asian community. The TLs joined organiser Asad Mahmood’s wishes that Aylesbury continues to enjoy the unity and cohesion on display at the celebration.
Bransgore Scheme Co-ordinator receives Queen’s Birthday Honour. Mike Jukes became the proud recipient of the British Empire Medal for services to emergency response and fundraising with the publication of The Queen’s Birthday Honours List on 8 June. Mike has been volunteering as a CFR for SCAS since 2005 and such recognition is richly deserved. Well done Mike!
Summer 2018
CSD on the run! Viki Heil, Karen Sykes, Sam Wright and Gilbert Chinjekure – who all work on the Clinical Support Desk at our Bicester Clinical Co-ordination Centre – thought that the only way to guarantee getting a bank holiday off was to complete the Milton Keynes Relay Marathon on Monday 7 May! They raised an impressive £420 for the South Central Ambulance Charity and have all signed up again for next year…..to work!
Hazlemere gets new defibrillator. A new publicly accessible defibrillator installed at Hazlemere Community Centre was formerly opened by the Mayor of High Wycombe, Councillor Sarfraz Khan Raja, at a ceremony held on 20 June. Funds for the purchase and installation of this latest life-saving device for Hazlemere came from Mark Franza of Thames Valley Police, Hazlemere Fete and local businesses.
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May Morning in Oxford. Local Oxfordshire CFRs and SCAS staff were out in force very early on 1 May as 12,000 people descended on the city centre to take part in the city’s 500-year old tradition of welcoming in the first day of Spring.
London-to-Brighton Cycle Ride. Congratulations to two SCAS teams – the Scasateers and the Flat Tyres – who cycled the 54 miles from London-toBrighton for the British Heart Foundation on 17 June. The two teams raised over £2,000 between them.
999 Ted joins the Oxford Pride team. SCAS Mascot 999 Ted joined the SCAS Team celebrating Oxford’s diversity and togetherness at Oxford Pride on 2 June.
Summer 2018
Southampton East CFRs Local CFRs Stuart O’Connor, Marie Morris-Eales, Johnathan Deisty and Claire Hill trained nearly 70 members of the public in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) at an event at the West Quay Shopping Centre on Saturday 23 June as part of a local NHS 70 event.
Westgate security staff learn lifesaving skills Thanks to the efforts of the Oxfordshire community engagement and training team, security staff at Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford have now all been trained to become first responders within the shopping centre and city.
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Summer 2018
How are we doing? Ambulance Response Programme
Apr -May 2018 What does it mean? Category 1 – life-threatening calls. Responded to in an average (mean) of seven minutes and at least nine out of ten times within 15 minutes (90th percentile).
Category 3 – urgent calls. Responded to at least nine out of ten times within 120 minutes. You may be treated by ambulance staff at the scene.
Category 2 – emergency calls. Responded to in an average (mean) of 18 minutes and at least nine out of ten times within 40 minutes (90th percentile).
Category 4 – less urgent calls. Responded to at least nine out of ten times within 180 minutes. You may be given advice over the phone or referred to another service, such as a GP or pharmacist.
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Category 1
Category 2
Mean
May 2018 April 2018
Mean
06:52
May 2018
Incidents 2536
06:35
April 2018
Incidents 2513
90th Percentile
15:41
Incidents 20754
14:13
Incidents 19483
90th Percentile
April 2018
May 2018
April 2018
May 2018
12:26
11:50
32:21
27:46
Category 3
Category 4
90th Percentile May 2018 April 2018
90th Percentile
02:01:23
Incidents 14680
01:40:08
Incidents 13593
Target achieved
May 2018 April 2018
Target missed
02:54:30
Incidents 1455
02:33:04
Incidents 1457
Summer 2018
Summer
Twenty Eighteen Please send articles, or ideas to communications@scas.nhs.uk along with any photos or images.
Wo rk
ing t
oge
ther
Copy deadline for the next issue of Working Together is Friday 28 September 2018
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