Tag: paramedics

Boost for patients as ambulance staff move into local fire station base

Over 20 ambulance staff have co-located to Edinburgh’s McDonald Road Fire Station in a move which will benefit patients in Edinburgh and Lothians.

 The 25 Scottish Ambulance Service staff – a mixture of Paramedics and Technicians – along with two ambulances  moved into the base on Monday 22 June.

The move is part of the Scottish Ambulance Service’s Demand and Capacity Programme, which has seen 540 additional frontline staff recruited in the last financial year, a record number, with plans for the next financial year to build on this.

The Demand and Capacity Programme is funded by the Scottish Government.

To accommodate the extra staff, eight co locations with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have been established across Scotland, including four in the Edinburgh area. The first three established were Sighthill, Crewe Toll and Penicuik. Edinburgh’s main station at Peffermill Industrial Estate will remain.

Kenny Freeburn, Regional Director for the East of Scotland with the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “The past 12 months have been the busiest in terms of recruitment for the Scottish Ambulance Service and we are delighted to have moved to this new base alongside our emergency services colleagues at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. We look forward to working with them and building on existing relationships.

“There is now an aspect of multi-agency working and training that can take place between both services and as well as being a great new base for our staff, this move ensures that we continue to provide the very best care to patients in these communities.”

As in other co-locations, staff will work alongside fire service staff out of a separate room and they will be dispatched to incidents as per normal procedure through one of our three Ambulance Control Centres (ACC).

Area Commander Stephen Gourlay is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Local Senior Officer for Edinburgh City. He said: “These moves are part of a wider commitment between the SFRS and Scottish Ambulance Service to work even more closely together.

“Co-locations mean firefighters and ambulance service staff can regularly share knowledge and expertise while building rapport. It also presents an opportunity to better understand each other’s challenges. By working more closely together, communities and our organisations will see numerous benefits.”

Three quarters of Scottish paramedics have feared for their safety or felt threatened at work

Three quarters (75%) of Scotland-based paramedics who took part in a major UK-wide survey by their professional body, the College of Paramedics, said they had feared for their safety or felt threatened while carrying out their duties.

This is higher than the UK-wide figure of 70% which has been revealed by the College of Paramedics today. The survey, which was completed by 2,345 UK paramedics including 148 based in the Scotland, also revealed that almost half (49%) of all respondents had suffered physical abuse while 80% said they had been verbally abused during the course of their work.

These findings come one month after new NHS England figures revealed that paramedics have suffered a 32 per cent rise in assaults over the past five years, with 3,569 incidents taking place in 2020-21 alone.

Tracy Nicholls, Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics, said: “We have long been aware of the physical and verbal abuse that paramedics suffer and the toll it takes on their health and wellbeing – but this is the first time that a large-scale survey of this kind has revealed the extent of the problem.

“It’s absolutely outrageous to think that so many paramedics have been abused whilst carrying out their duties, going above and beyond to help people when they are at their most vulnerable, and often in the most challenging of circumstances. Worryingly, the abuse appears to have increased during the pandemic when paramedics are already exposing themselves to greater personal risk.

“Enough is enough! It is time for us all to take a stand and find new ways of working together to prevent abuse from happening, as well as  demanding zero-tolerance  when it does occur.

“We welcome the steps that the Government has taken to mitigate some of the risks by announcing that funding will be made available for body worn cameras and by introducing harsher custodial sentences for perpetrators of violence against paramedics – but more needs to be done.

“After years of lobbying, the legislation is now in place to ensure that the worst offenders are severely and appropriately dealt with. The problem is that the law is not being used to full effect and sentences are still far too lenient. We are calling today on the courts to step up and impose the harshest penalties available to them.”

The College of Paramedics has warned that the abuse paramedics are experiencing is having a direct impact on their health and wellbeing. Most paramedics surveyed (89%) said their jobs were taking a toll on their mental health and 69% said this had intensified since the start of the covid pandemic.

Tracy Nicholls continued: “One of the most worrying aspects is that paramedics are continuing to soldier on, despite in some cases being pushed to breaking point.

“It’s a disgrace that paramedics are having to work under these conditions – whether they are part of our NHS ambulance service, in a military or prison environment, working in private practice or wherever they are. These issues deserve much greater attention and we will be working hard to bring about change.”

The College of Paramedics will form part of the NHS Health & Wellbeing team and will focus dedicated resources on the prevention of abuse and the provision of support to paramedics who have been affected.

As part of its five-year strategy, the College of Paramedics will engage with national initiatives which promote the health and wellbeing of its members and will include it within its Continuous Professional Development programmes so that members can access up-to-date information and guidance on how to keep themselves safe.

Tracy Nicholls added: “With the results of this survey, we are well placed to push forward collaboratively to make a difference in this area which is vital for the safeguarding of paramedics and the patients they are trying to assist.”

Paramedic degree programme set to boost patient care

A degree that enhances patient care and boosts training opportunities for budding Paramedics will be delivered at five different universities across Scotland, it was announced this week. Continue reading Paramedic degree programme set to boost patient care

Home delivery mum inspired to become paramedic

A young mum says she has been inspired to carry out her dream of becoming a paramedic after having her first child delivered at home by Scottish Ambulance Service emergency responders.

Ashleigh Carpenter, 19, was at her mum’s house in Bo’ness when Lily Scott was delivered.

Continue reading Home delivery mum inspired to become paramedic

“The paramedic will see you now”

Patients seeking treatment for acute illness are being given access to additional medical resources under a new initiative which places advanced paramedics in Scottish GP surgeries.

The project, which is set to be expanded after successful trials in a number of GP practices, was introduced to improve access to care and treatment, cut waiting times, increase the amount of care provided at home, and utilise and enhance paramedics’ skills in the Primary Healthcare team.

Lauren O’Connor is one of 30 paramedics with additional training and qualifications taking part in the project – for the last nine months she and three colleagues have been working out of Regent Practice, in Greenock, and Gourock Medical Practice, using her training and 16 years of experience to help patients around Inverclyde.

“Most of my work involves visiting patients – many of whom are housebound in their own homes – and helping to treat acute illness such as chest infections, COPD or Urinary Tract Infections. Patients are often seen sooner by a paramedic and it means GPs have more time to dedicate to patients needing more complex care,” she said.

“As paramedics we can carry out an initial assessment and refer patients to a doctor or to hospital if the patient needs more complex treatment.

“Another benefit has been that, supported by GPs in the Practice, I have picked up lots of additional experience in treating patients; I’ve dealt with a whole range of situations which has really improved my skills and which definitely benefits patients both in my Primary Care role and also when I work on ambulance duties.”

Dr Jim Ward, Medical Director of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said the initiative was proving a success and has the potential to be rolled out further to meet increasing demands for urgent care – when patients become unexpectedly unwell – and to ensure more treatment is delivered within local communities.

“GP practices across the whole of Scotland are facing huge pressures; one of these is responding to patients who become unexpectedly unwell and who need to be assessed in addition to all the patients who already have appointments.

“Paramedics are specialised in assessing all types of emergency and urgent presentations and transferring this skillset into Primary Care has seen a real benefit in supporting GPs and others in the Primary Healthcare team. This project helps patients to access the help they need sooner, and often in the familiar setting of their own homes,” he added.

“Our paramedics are highly skilled and this initiative enables the wider health and care system to utilise their knowledge and experience to better benefit the communities they serve. Importantly it frees up a lot of time for GPs, meaning they can direct their focus where it’s most needed – on more complex cases.

“In addition, enhancing paramedics’ skills will enable them to work more autonomously and offer a wider range of treatments. Not only will this improve the care patients receive but it will potentially reduce the number of avoidable attendances at hospital Emergency Departments.”