Working Together - December 2015

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE DECEMBER 2015

Team work

|

Innovation

|

Professionalism

|

Caring

REAL LIFE

LOOKING AFTER THE EMER SERVICES FAMILY

26

THE 25TH DECEMBER? IT’S JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE

2

8

REAL LIFE

FROM PROFESSIONAL TO PATIENT IN MINUTES

DECEMBER 15

16 South Central Ambulance Service

RGENCY

NHS Foundation Trust

20

LEGAL HIGHS

14 #WINTERWISE

3

INTRODUCING SOUTH CENTRAL FLEET SERVICES LTD On 1 November, South Central Fleet Services Ltd – the wholly owned subsidiary company for the procurement and maintenance of the Trust’s vehicles – went live. Existing staff working in the Trust’s former fleet services team have been transferred from SCAS to the new company and under TUPE legislation, they will retain access to the NHS Pension Scheme and their current terms and conditions.

Trevor Thompson, Head of Fleet at SCAS, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the Trust to maintain and enhance the quality of service that it receives from its in-house maintenance department in an increasingly competitive environment.

“SCAS currently has over 1,000 vehicles and services and maintains 45% of these. With the establishment of South Central Fleet Services Ltd, we are now in a position to begin bringing back the previously outsourced servicing and maintenance into the new company.

BRINGING BACK MORE OF OUR VEHICLES TO BE MAINTAINED BY SOUTH CENTRAL FLEET SERVICES WILL HELP US KEEP MORE OF OUR VEHICLES ON THE ROAD FOR LONGER

4

DECEMBER 15

“We know that currently where SCAS outsources its fleet maintenance service, the downtime of vehicles is significantly higher than when maintained by our own staff. Bringing back more of our vehicles to be maintained by South Central Fleet Services will help us keep more of our vehicles on the road for longer and will reduce our annual expenditure on vehicle maintenance.”

As a separate company with its own management board, South Central Fleet Services Ltd will be able to: ÙÙ Procure vehicles and services from a wider portfolio ÙÙ Become truly accountable with no cross subsidisation from the Trust ÙÙ Focus and prioritise its resources to meet the objectives of the fleet function, including investment in modern and appropriately located premises ÙÙ Review conditions of employment that are appropriate to a modern fleet department where reward is linked to results ÙÙ Help SCAS identify where damage and accidents are occurring, helping SCAS to make improvements and increase safety The new company will continue to be accounted for as part of the Trust and its activities will be consolidated into the Trust’s accounts.

5

CHRISMAS COOKIE RECIPE 6

DECEMBER 15

ingredients ÙÙ ÙÙ ÙÙ ÙÙ ÙÙ ÙÙ ÙÙ ÙÙ ÙÙ

100g butter 100g caster sugar 1 medium egg 1tsp vanilla extract ½tsp ground cinnamon (optional) 225g plain flour ¼tsp baking powder 300g royal icing sugar Coloured sugars, silver balls, edible silver food spray, to decorate

Method 1. Using an electric hand whisk, beat the butter and sugar until pale.

Add the egg and vanilla and whisk again. Sift in the cinnamon, flour and baking powder, and mix in with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough. Chill for 30 mins.

2. Heat oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out whatever shapes you like using a cookie cutter, re-rolling any off-cuts. Put on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 10 mins until pale golden. Cool for 2 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. Mix icing sugar with enough boiling water to form a thick, but easily spreadable paste. Put into a piping bag fitted with a small circular nozzle and pipe outlines or designs onto biscuits, then scatter over any other decorations. For an easier option, make up the icing as before, adding extra water so you have a brushable paste. Brush over the biscuits, then sprinkle with decorations of your choice. Leave to dry out for at least 2 hrs, before storing in an airtight container.

To hang on the tree, make a small hole near to the top of each cookie with a drinking straw before baking.

FROM PROFESSIONAL TO PATIENT IN MINUTES

REAL LIFE 8

DECEMBER 15 SCAS Emergency Care Assistant, Ian Crome, had been working for a few hours with crew mate and Paramedic, Harriet Poole, on 5 July earlier this year. Ian had just driven his and Harriet’s ambulance to the A&E Department at Milton Keynes Hospital and they were waiting to hand over the patient to the nurses in A&E. “It was about 9.15 in the morning”, recalls Ian, “and I was just standing there with Harriet waiting to complete the handover when I began to feel unwell.”

Initially, Ian felt a very mild discomfort in his chest but after a short while, he started feeling hotter and hotter, began sweating and developed pain across his shoulders and into his arms.

Ian takes up what happened next.

“The chest pain was probably about a 3 out of 10 level”, he says, “more of a discomfort I thought would go soon. However, when the pain went into my arms it was intense – it felt like they were on fire.

With my training and experience, I turned to Harriet and said ‘Sorry – but I need to go and have an ECG – something’s happening here.’”

Harriet of course told Ian to go and said she would continue with the patient handover on her own. Ian made his way to the resus area of the A&E department, found a nurse and asked her for an ECG as he thought he was having a heart attack.

“She told me to get on the bed”, remembers Ian, “hooked me up to the monitor to run the ECG and then she promptly disappeared.”

After about 15-20 seconds the room was full again and Ian was surrounded by doctors and other nurses. The ECG had confirmed he was suffering a heart attack and the nurse had gone to get urgent help. Ian was given aspirin, GTN, clopidogral, morphine and high flow oxygen to manage his symptoms and reduce his high pain levels.

“Lisa Pringle, our Team Leader, popped her head into the resus room to see how I was doing. She told me that she’d arranged for another colleague to crew up with Harriet for the rest of the shift and also said she was arranging transport to get me over asap to the PPCI Cath Lab at The John Radcliffe in Oxford.”

Answering Lisa’s call was another of Ian’s colleagues at the Bletchley Resource Centre, Paramedic Nigel Mason. Nigel was in a rapid response vehicle along with Student Paramedic, Andi Qenani. They were quickly on scene and, together with Harriet’s help, loaded Ian into the back of an ambulance and his three colleagues took Ian under blue lights to Oxford.

“It was very strange”, remembers Ian. “Here I was as a patient in the back of the ambulance that only a few moments ago I had driven in to A&E!” Harriet, Nigel and Andi got Ian over to The John Radcliffe quickly and into the PPCI Cath Lab. By 11.30 that same morning, Ian was out of the Cath Lab having had a stent fitted to his left anterior descending artery. He spent a further two days being monitored on the ward at The John Radcliffe before being discharged on 7 July to continue his recovery at home.

Ian knows how lucky he was to have had his heart attack where he did and to have had the fantastic support of colleagues at SCAS and staff at Milton Keynes and The John Radcliffe Hospitals who looked after him so well.

“There were no warning signs and I had no previous history of heart problems”, he says. “I didn’t get any symptoms whilst working for a few hours that morning – but as I was standing still and waiting, they suddenly hit hard. However, within two hours I’d had absolutely gold standard treatment from my colleagues and staff in both hospitals.

Their actions played a huge part in my recovery.”

Ian was signed off work for a period of time but he was very pleased to be able to report back for duty at Bletchley Resource Centre on 2 October.

“My eternal thanks go to my colleagues and friends at SCAS and MKGH for the excellent and timely treatment I received, without which the outcome may have been completely different. Also, thank you very much to all my well-wishers across SCAS and beyond for your messages.”

Ian and Harriet

10

DECEMBER 15

THANK YOU TO SCAS STAFF “I attended an address in Tangier Road, Portsmouth, on the morning of 1 November. The patient had called our 111 service about an hour after waking up as he had developed severe pains. Ruksana Yasmin, the 111 Call Handler, had correctly identified his symptoms as requiring a Red 1 response. Kathy Bleakley and Dan Conway then worked quickly and effectively to dispatch the right resources to the gentleman’s address.

“When I arrived it was clear that the patient was very poorly. A short time after my arrival, an ambulance crewed by Deanne Morgan and Craig Turner arrived and they conveyed him from the scene to the Queen Alexandra Hospital. I followed as a precaution should the gentleman go into cardiac arrest.

“The total time from the initial call to 111 to arrival at hospital for this patient was 43 minutes. The speed of the response meant that the patient arrived safely in the Cath Lab. Everything came together really well for him and thanks to the valuable input of Ruksana, Kathy and Dan, their efforts resulted in a significant difference to this gentleman’s life.

“Very well done to everyone involved – this is a fantastic example of 111, 999 EOC and Operational team work.”

Lewis Meale Team Leader & Paramedic

Christmas number one quiz 1. What was Christmas No 1 last year? ÙÙ Something I Need by Ben Haenow ÙÙ These Days by Take That ÙÙ Do They Know it’s Christmas by Band Aid 30 2. One group held the Christmas number one spot for three years running in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Any idea which girl-band this was? ÙÙ The Spice Girls ÙÙ Bananarama ÙÙ Destiny’s Child 3. Which Christmas No 1 topped the chart for the longest stint, 10 weeks? ÙÙ I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston ÙÙ Mull of Kintyre by Wings ÙÙ I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles 4. Which of the following songs did not reach Christmas No 1? ÙÙ All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey ÙÙ Stay Another Day by East 17 ÙÙ Hallelujah by Alexandra Burke

12

5. What was No 1 at the turn of the millennium? ÙÙ I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun by Westlife ÙÙ Can We Fix It? by Bob the Builder ÙÙ The Millennium Prayer by Cliff Richard 6. Which act has clocked up the most Christmas No 1s, with four? ÙÙ The Beatles ÙÙ Cliff Richard ÙÙ Westlife

Answers can be found inside the back cover

DECEMBER 15 7. In which year was Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? the Christmas No 1 for the first time? ÙÙ 1984 ÙÙ 1985 ÙÙ 1986

9. There have been 61 Christmas No 1s.

How many have had the word Christmas (or Xmas) in the title? ÙÙ 11 ÙÙ Seven ÙÙ Five

8. Which of these is not the title of a Christmas No 1? ÙÙ There’s No One Quite Like Grandma ÙÙ Did You Keep the Receipt? ÙÙ Too Much

10. What’s the only song to have reached Christmas No 1 twice – with exactly the same version? ÙÙ Do They Know It’s Christmas? by Band Aid ÙÙ Mary’s Boy Child by Boney M ÙÙ Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

THANK YOU TO SCAS STAFF “On behalf of my mother, myself and the rest of our family, I would like to thank the EOC team of Emma Jarvis and Michael Bird, along with the frontline team of Jeremy Woods, Charlotte North and Jason Thatcher for all their efforts in responding to an emergency at my parents’ house in Cowley, Oxford, on the evening of 13 September.

“Although it was not the outcome we wished for, we really appreciate your professionalism and care that evening.

Donations given at my father’s funeral and memorial service meant we were able to collect £263.50 for the Air Ambulance.”

Thelma Thomas HR Business Partner, Northern House

14

DECEMBER 15

Our #Winterwise campaign is now underway highlighting how you can take proactive steps to stay as healthy and well as possible this winter.

Winter brings with it extra considerations for you and your family, with the cold weather and changing environment having an impact on your day to day lives.

Throughout the #Winterwise campaign, we will be looking at and sharing information on topics including: ÙÙ Protecting you and your friends and family from flu by getting vaccinated. ÙÙ Boost your winter wellbeing by eating fruit and vegetables, getting plenty of sleep and staying hydrated. ÙÙ How to ensure your home is safe this winter. Is your boiler fit for use? Do you have a working smoke and carbon monoxide detector? ÙÙ Getting your repeat prescriptions ahead of festive closures. ÙÙ Looking after your neighbours. ÙÙ Drinking responsibly during the festive season. ÙÙ Seeking the most appropriate care available for your healthcare needs: self care, your GP, pharmacies, Minor Injury Units, NHS111 and 999.

Over the next few months, we will be sharing press releases, video clips on our YouTube page and tweets via our @scas999 and @SCAS_HART Twitter feeds so please show your support by taking heed of our advice and following the campaign.

Let’s all be #Winterwise!!

15

REAL LIFE

16

DECEMBER 15

LOOKING AFTER THE EMERGENCY SERVICES FAMILY Station Commander, Paul Riddell, of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, is no stranger to emergency events or traumas. He has over the years, built up good professional relationships with many people in SCAS, and in particular the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), attending incidents as well as co-operating on various working groups. He describes his professional experiences with SCAS as consistently excellent.

Last summer, Paul had further reason to be thankful for SCAS when for the first time at home, he had to call 999 and seek urgent medical assistance.

Paul recalls, “It was late afternoon on 9 August and my wife, Collette, and I along with our two fantastic boys Jack, aged 5 and William, aged 2, were enjoying a typical relaxed family weekend at home – well, as relaxed as it can be with two boisterous young boys!”

The atmosphere quickly changed, however, when William suddenly had a seizure that lasted over 10 minutes.

“William’s full seizure came completely out of the blue”, says Paul.

“Earlier in the year he had been diagnosed with epilepsy after experiencing childhood absences which were minor and very brief.

We certainly weren’t prepared for a life-threatening full seizure.

As any parent will tell you, an emergency involving your own child is extremely difficult to cope with – particularly when they are unresponsive – and despite my job and training, I was no different. It was even more worrying and anxious for Collette and Jack who aren’t normally exposed to any type of emergency event or trauma.”

At SCAS’ Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), Call Taker Kyla Saunders was on duty and she took Paul’s call with Emergency Dispatch Assistant, Jane Short, working to get the right resources to the Riddell family home in Eastleigh. The nature of William’s emergency meant that the call was also listened in to by Paramedic Alan Davies on the EOC Clinical Support Desk. Whilst there was no need for Alan to take over the call, he did update the crew who were being despatched with the clinical situation as events unfolded.

18

Paul was extremely impressed with the SCAS EOC team: “The 999 call taker was proactive and professional throughout the call. She remained on the line until the ambulance was in attendance and the crew in my house.

This was comforting in that we had an open link to professional medical advice, and she provided a level of calmness. Anyone who has had to call the emergency services in similar circumstances knows that time slows right down and even a couple of minutes can almost seem a lifetime.”

Collette was further reassured by the call taker who explained the location of the ambulance and gave general updates on its arrival time.

“This certainly helped diffuse the uncertainly of when it would get to our home”, she says, “and gave me some focus that help for William was coming imminently.”

DECEMBER AUGUST 15 Paramedic, Jonathan Brown, and Emergency Care Assistant, Stewart Rogers, were the crew in the ambulance that was sent to William’s aid and having assessed him at the scene, Jonathan and Stewart then conveyed him to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital (RHCH).

“The arriving ambulance crew from Eastleigh were exceptional in their empathy and professionalism”, remembers Paul. “From my experience professionally, this is normal, however it is not until it involves a loved one that you fully appreciate what a great service they provide even under the current very difficult conditions within the public sector.”

Stewart Rogers recognised the Riddell family on arrival at the house as his two sons attend the same school as Jack. He said, “Thinking back to the job what I remember was trying mostly to reassure both parents as it was a particularly stressful time for them both.

“William’s condition was time critical and we didn’t hang around getting him to hospital.

Seeing someone I know or have seen on a daily basis in a bad way is shocking but to know now that they are getting better has made my day.”

William stayed in the RHCH for a day as part of his recovery from the seizure and has since undergone some further tests. The results of the tests have indicated that his epilepsy condition has changed. A new course of medication has been started and a family emergency plan has been developed.

Well done to all invoved èè 999 CALL TAKER - Kyla Sanders èè EMERGENCY DISPATCH ASSISTANT - Jane Short èè CLINICAL SUPPORT DESK - Alan Davies, Paramedic èè CREW - Jonathan Brown, Paramedic, Stewart Rogers, ECA

Mum, Collette, adds, “We are working with the consultant on a suitable course of drugs to stop any further life-threatening seizures, and we’ve also been issued and trained with a ‘rescue’ drug to help us control any future episodes prior to an ambulance arriving.

Whilst we hope that the seizures can be managed, we have some relief that should we need to call 999 we are in the best possible hands at an extremely traumatic and difficult time.”

19

In October we proudly partnered with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire for Legal Highs Awareness Week (19-25 October).

Our frontline crews across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire regularly assess and treat patients who have taken legal highs, seeing them often acting aggressively or violently towards the crews and members of the public who are trying to help them.

Legal highs are substances created to mimic the effects of illegal drugs and usually sold as powders, pills, smoking mixtures, liquids and capsules – and fall into three main categories: stimulants; downers; or sedatives, psychedelics or hallucinogens.

Thesecan include: Physical Legal highs can reduce inhibitions, cause drowsiness, excited or paranoid states, coma, seizures and death.

Mental Legal highs can cause serious problems to mental health such as hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety, mood swings.

Legal

Even if you take a legal high for the very first time, you can suffer reactions ranging from mild through to life-threatening and even fatal.

Legal highs often contain substances that are illegal leaving you unknowingly breaking the law and risking prosecution.

Symptoms include fitting, fast heart rate, choking, vomiting and unconsciousness.

By putting yourself at risk and through your changing behaviours as a result of taking legal highs you hurt the people around you.

Throughout the awareness week, SCAS highlighted how young people and adults should avoid taking legal highs as the impact they have cannot be predicted and can have serious consequences on your health and wellbeing.

20

Social

DECEMBER 15

South Centra l Ambulance Service NHS Foundatio

n Trust

SCAS staff have been sharing their frontline experiences of treating legal high patients: Mark Ainsworth-Smith, Consultant PreHospital Care Practitioner, Hampshire “I received a call to attend an adult male who had decided to buy some “spice”.

“He smoked one packet of the substance before feeling very unwell and collapsing.

Witnesses report that he had a fit lasting about ten minutes and therefore they dialled 999.

“On my arrival “Bill” was pale, sweaty and lying on the ground. He was extremely disorientated/agitated and had been threatening and aggressive to members of the public who had tried to help him. He initially refused my assistance, but after approximately 10 minutes he allowed me to check his vital signs. He was paranoid and thought that the blood pressure cuff was “there to kill him”. His blood pressure and heart rate were elevated and by now he was experiencing chest pain.

“In view of his condition I decided that he needed to go to hospital and asked for back-up. An ambulance arrived, and after half an hour of persuasion he was placed in the back of an ambulance.

He was aggressive and threatening and reluctantly agreed to travel to hospital.

“The ambulance crew reported that this was the second case of “legal highs” they had attended that day.”

22

Paul Evans, Team Leader, Buckinghamshire “The first was a male teen. It transpired that he’d been taking a particular brand of legal high marketed as a cocaine substitute for well over a year. Over time he’d had to increase the dosage to continue getting the same effect until he had a seizure some months before, whilst taking it. By that time he’d become addicted to the substance and couldn’t stop taking it, even knowing the dose he needed caused him to have seizures. He was having several seizures a week by this time and taking the high almost daily. This was the longest seizure yet having lasted over 20 minutes, only stopping after an injection of diazepam.

“The second was a female teen who had smoked a cannabis substitute. She became violent, started screaming and wouldn’t stop. When I arrived, people were restraining her because she was in a state of excited delirium, trying to tear her clothes off, head butting and punching the walls not to mention biting everyone in reach. I called for the police and she was restrained for her own safety, it took an hour for her to be calmed.

“The third was to two adolescent males who had collapsed after mixing two legal highs. When I arrived one was unconscious and fitting in a pool of his own vomit and the other was projectile vomiting and being held upright by friends. I managed to roll the fitting lad into the recovery position and get oxygen on him, by that time the other had become unconscious, choking on his own vomit. I spent the next few minutes struggling to keep both their airways clear as they were vomiting whilst unconscious. One of the males started to come round, clearly not knowing who or where he was and was very combative.”

DECEMBER 15

Simon Hayes, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said: “With the number of deaths related to these substances increasing year on year, it is unsurprising that they are of great concern to young people. A clear message needs to be sent out that that just because these substances are being sold as legal, as a result of a loophole in the law, this doesn’t mean they are safe.”

Please help us to discourage people from taking legal highs.

For more information on Legal Highs Awareness Week, click here Watch Youtube videos on Legal Highs - Health Impacts and Legal Highs – The Law Follow @scas999, @hantsyc and use the hashtag #lethalhighs For more information about Legal Highs, click here

What others say about us Please can I take this opportunity to thanks both the crew members for their help plus all of the behind the scenes staff that we never see, like the people that keep the ambulances services, and the 111 & 999 call centres

Thank you very much, We are very lucky to have the NHS and people in it like this man

24

AUGUST 15

The paramedics were so kind, eased my pain and were fantastic I just wanted to get in touch to express our immense gratitude for your help. Your calm voice and professionalism got my wife and I through what could have been a highly stressful time, You told me on the phone that this was the first baby you helped to deliver, great job, well done!

The crews have been so very efficient, kind and respectful

25

CHRISTMAS Day? IT’S JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE 26

DECEMBER 15 As well as the many people at SCAS who will be working to keep patients safe on Christmas Day, it is estimated that across the UK there will be around a million other people working too.

Here are some of the more unusual occupations where people will be working this Christmas:

LONDON WALKING GUIDE Mary Tucker runs ‘London Walks’ and last Christmas led five, two-hour Charles Dickens Christmas Day Walks, starting from Trafalgar Square and following in the festive footsteps of the famous Victorian author.

Between 30 and 40 people joined each walk.

“For my family it’s not difficult because my husband’s one of the guides too. When we have Christmas at my Mum’s in the evening, we feel we’ve earned it.”

PENGUIN KEEPER Zuzana Matyasova has been a zookeeper at London Zoo for over 10 years and last Christmas spent the day working in the zoo’s penguin enclosure.

“For me, it’s a nice present to spend time with a penguin – a real one! – on Christmas Day. Who else has done that? The penguins get their whole feed in the mornings which they absolutely love. They get a huge amount all in one go so they get a Christmas meal too!”

Photos ©ZSL www.zsl.org

28

DECEMBER 15

Ph oto cou rtesy o

shr f Shropshire Star www.

ops

om r. c a t es hir

FUNERAL DIRECTOR Richard Owen, a funeral director for a small family firm, will be on call on Christmas Day as he has been every Christmas for the last seven years.

“I head up a small firm in a small town – so there really isn’t anyone else who can be called if someone unfortunately passes away over Christmas. It’s hard if I get called away on Christmas Day, especially for my wife and kids, but I just have to remember what I’m doing it for.”

Photo courtesy of NSPCC

Photo courtesy of NSPCC

CHILDLINE COUNSELLOR AND MENTOR James Kidd is a social work student and once a week he volunteers at ChildLine.

Having worked on ChildLine on Christmas Eve last year, this year his usual shift falls on Christmas Day, so he’s going to be answering calls as normal.

“At Christmas time a child calls ChildLine every four minutes. It can be a difficult time for some children – they might be having difficulties with their family, they may have lost family members or they may not have anyone to turn to. It’s an important time to support children as many of them can feel very alone.”

30

DECEMBER AUGUST 15

Il l u s

tra ti o

nb yG

ge

e

or

tte

Ea

to n

With best wishes Will Hancock Chief Executive Trevor Jones Chairman and the SCAS Board And the whole team at South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

31

HOW WE’RE DOING NOVEMBER 2015 FIGURES TOTAL 999 ACTIVITY

45,702

111 CALLS ANSWERED

103,328

NON CONVEYANCE

19,878

NON CONVEYANCE %

47.27%

What does it mean?

Total 999 activity equates to the number of calls which received a SCAS response or were dealt with by our clinical support desks.

Non conveyance % is the percentage of incidents we responded to where the patient was not taken to hospital.

Non conveyance is the number of incidents we responded to where the patient was not taken to hospital.

Red 1 - Red 1 calls are the most time critical and cover cardiac arrest patients who are not breathing and do not have a pulse, and other severe conditions.

32

DECEMBER 15

RED 1 [8 mins]

71.80%

RED 19

95.30%

RED 2 [8 mins]

76.10%

PTS JOURNEYS

42,988

CFR RESPONSES

1,139

Red 2 - Red 2 calls are serious but less immediately time critical and cover conditions such as stroke and fits.

111 calls answered is the number of calls answered through the non-emergency healthcare service.

CFR stands for Community First Responder.

PTS stands for Patient Transport Service.

All figures are provisional.

33

T E E W T ion of Tweets ct le se ll a sm a is re e H y received from tl n ce re ve a h e w t a th olders and the h e k a st , rs e n rt a p r u o read more and to re e h k lic C . lic b u p to follow us!

tobycave Dec 16 Home now thanks to excellent care of @SCAS999 + @UHSFT but while b4 cycle again, ouch!

KatMcACT Dec 16 @SCAS999 thanks for care of my husband and mammoth efforts of teams on 7 Dec, much appreciated

34

DECEMBER 15 estherbeadle Dec 15 All I can say is thank god tonight @ SCAS999 had some decent people on.

They do great work. Thank you.

napea86 Sep 15 DLidington Dec 11 Spent this morning visiting @SCAS999 to learn more about work of local ambulance service

ShallowStu Dec 11 @SCAS999 as a taxi driver I tell people all the time if I can’t see any number how can an ambulance in a hurry #whitenumberblackbackground IN VIEW

Jonny_Trattles Sep 02 wilde Dec 11

1 2 8fo,l6lowers

Thanks to the fabulous crew @SCAS999 who helped me out last night. Will continue to fight with you for the wonderful #NHS. Much love to you.

Follow us on Twitter @SCAS999 www.twitter.com/SCAS999

35

TWEET US 36

@scas999

DECEMBER 15

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Date

Event

Location

Patient Experience Roadshow Reading

Broad Street Mall, Reading 10am - 4pm

Saturday 5

SCAS Awareness Day -Reading

Madejski Stadium, Reading 12pm - 3pm

Friday 11

Patient Experience Roadshow Basingstoke

Festival Place, Basingstoke 10am - 4pm

JANUARY Friday 22

MARCH

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ 1 > Something I Need by Ben Haenow 2 > Spice Girls 3 > I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston 4 > All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey 5 > I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun by Westlife 6 > The Beatles 7 > 1984 8 > Did You Keep the Receipt?

9 > Seven 10 > Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

37

The Communications team is always keen to promote stories in Working Together. Please email any news, stories or comments to: communications@scas.nhs.uk South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Units 7-8 Talisman Business Centre Talisman Road Bicester OX26 6HR www.scas.nhs.uk

30 JAN

DEADLINE for copy for the next issue: 30 January.

Design Âť Ben Hennessy - ben.hennessy@scas.nhs.uk

find out more

www.scas.nhs.uk

updates and more

www.facebook.com/scas999

follow us for latest news

www.twitter.com/scas999

latest pics

www.flickr.com/999scas