July 2013

Caring | Team work | Professionalism | Innovation

HELPSAVE A LIFE

BE BLUE LIGHT AWARE

/ July 20132

8 BMW X3 for Military Co- Responders in Buckinghamshire

4 AMBIES 2013. Nominations now open

20 Donation to Bittern CFR Scheme from ASDA

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12,348public members

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FT review & membership

Soaring temperaturs turn the heat up on SCAS 17

18 TWEET TWEET

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12 What people say about us

Help save a life. Be ‘Blue Light Aware’

/ July 20134

Nominations now open!

The AMBIES, SCAS’s annual recognition awards, are now open for your nominations.Do you have an exceptional colleague or do you know a member of SCAS staff who deserves a nomination? If so, why not take just a few minutes to put them forward for some well deserved recognition and show them just how much their contribution is recognised and valued.

Nominating is quick and easy

Complete the online form on our website at www.scas.nhs.uk/ambies or staff can fill out the form in the information pack available on the intranet. Then return them either by hitting the email button on the bottom of the forms, by email to ambies@scas.nhs.uk or send a hard copy to The AMBIES, SCAS, 7-8 Talisman Business Centre, Talisman Road, Bicester, OX26 6HR

Award categories

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Every member of staff is eligible for at least one of the AMBIES categories. The AMBIES pack explains all the categories so if you are not sure which award category your chosen person should be nominated for, take a look on the website and intranet (links above).

Key dates

15JULY

31 AUGUST

28 NOVEMBER

Nominations launched

Nominations close

Awards ceremony

A&E person of the year

Commercial Services person of the year

EOC person of the year

111 person of the year

Support person of the year

Volunteer of the year

Team of the year

Educator of the year

Governors Ambassador award

CEO’s commendation for outstanding service to the trust

Chairman’s special award

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WHO WILL YOU NOMINATE?

/ July 20136

Another hoax call was received recently claiming a 15 year old female had suffered a cardiac arrest in Reading. 2 ambulances, an Officer and Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance were dispatched to the scene. The caller remained on the phone until SCAS advised the caller that they had arrived at the scene. The caller hung up and turned their phone off. No one at the address knew anything about the reported incident! SCAS has now reported the caller to the police.

In addition to hoax calls SCAS receives, the Trust continues to receive a number of inappropriate calls that do not require an ambulance response.

For more information about the consequences of abusing the 999 number please go to www.999southcentral.co.uk 999 is a life line for those who really need it and not a default service for those who don’t!

SOARING TEMPERATURES TURN THE HEAT UP ON SCASJuly’s heat wave saw the number of 999 calls to South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) soar dramatically.

Between 00.01 on 19 July and 23.59 on 21 July SCAS responded to 4,412 emergency calls of which 1,192 were potentially life-threatening. This represents an increase on both the previous weekend and the one before that. From 00.01 on 12 July and 23.59 on 14 July we responded to 4,346 emergency calls of which 1,154 were potentially life-threatening. Between 00.01 on 5 July and 23.59 on 7 July we responded to 4,316 emergency calls of which 1,138 were potentially life-threatening.

These figures demonstrate a marked increase in demand when compared with an average weekend in July 2012 when we responded to 3,261 emergency calls of which 806 were potentially life-threatening.

Sadly SCAS still receives a significant number of hoax calls – 592 between 1 January and 30 June 2013. This figure includes one recently received from a child in Hampshire claiming that a 41 year male was in cardiac arrest. In response we sent a Rapid Response Vehicle, a double crewed ambulance and a community responder. Supporting their colleagues in the ambulance service, several police units from Hampshire Constabulary arrived at the address but found no trace of such a man. Police now believe the hoax call was made by a 12-year-old child and the matter is being investigated further.

hoax calls received

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/ July 20138

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) Co-Responders from RAF Halton and RAF High Wycombe were presented with a BMW X3 emergency response vehicle by Buckinghamshire County Council Chairman Carl Etholen at the Armed Forces Day celebrations in Aylesbury on 29 June 2013.

The four-wheel drive BMW X3 was bought with an Armed Forces Community Covenant grant of £36,416 with Military Co-Responders fundraising an additional £3,000 to ensure the vehicle is fully equipped to provide a first response across Buckinghamshire to patients experiencing life-threatening injury or illness.

Buckinghamshire’s Community Covenant was signed last year between the Armed Forces and civilian community to encourage support for the armed forces community working and living in the county and to recognise the sacrifices they have made.

Amanda Cundy, SCAS Community Liaison and Training Officer said:

“Military Co-Responders provide an invaluable service to their local communities by responding to immediately life-threatening illness or injury together with South Central Ambulance Service. This vehicle with its 4x4 capability will enable them to be even more effective in bad weather particularly in the more rural and remote areas of South Buckinghamshire.”

Flt Sgt (Flight Sergeant) Steve Whitlock, Team Leader RAF Halton Co-Responders added:

“We are delighted to have this additional vehicle. The BMW X3’s 4x4 specification will increase our capability in Buckinghamshire throughout the winter months and in summer will be another dynamic resource to help SCAS save lives and improve patient outcomes in the community.”

BMW X3 for Military Co-Responders in Buckinghamshire

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SCAS boasts the largest Military Co-Responder scheme in the UK. Between 1 April 2012 and 31 May 2013 personnel from RAF Halton, RAF High Wycombe, RAF Brize Norton, RAF Benson and MOD Corsham Co-Responded in their spare time together with the local ambulance service to 6593 medical emergency 999 calls.

What’s more during the same period they volunteered 12,409 hours, worked 1,589 shifts and covered 161,827 miles.

Each of SCAS’ Military Co-Responder teams comprises 25 members. SCAS is currently training and mentoring two more MOD teams from Arborfield and Bletchley.

By the end of 2013 SCAS hopes to have 10 teams of Military Co-Responders in place, comprising a total of 250 volunteers with 12 vehicles fully equipped to respond with them to patients suffering life-threatening injury or illness.

/ July 201310

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South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is urging road users to be Blue Light Aware and to watch a short video, produced on behalf of the emergency services.

Our crews rely on the help of other road users when they’re on a ‘blue light’ journey.

By watching Blue Light Aware, you will be able to better understand our needs, reduce the risks you face, contribute to a safer road environment and maybe help to save a life!

‘Blue Light Aware’ is a video by the GEM Motoring Assist Road Safety Charity that offers advice to members of the public on how best to help any emergency service driver on a ‘blue light’ run. It is based on the advice available in the Highway Code and addresses specific situations identified as causing confusion for motorists.

The vast majority of road users want to help an emergency service driver en route to an emergency on ‘blues and twos’, yet many remain confused about what they should do in order to provide the best help when they find themselves in such circumstances. As a result, too many members of the public are putting themselves in danger, breaking the law or risking damage to their cars while trying to assist an emergency vehicle on a ‘blue light’ run.

Your local ambulance service would urge you to view the ‘Blue Light Aware’ video now atwww.scas.nhs.uk/campaigns/bluelightsinyourmirror.ashx

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What others say about us

Berkshire

Oxfordshire

Hampshire

Buckinghamshire

They were fabulous, courteous and put me at ease. All the team I encountered were brilliant ensuring not only my care was first rate but that my family were ok too. Brilliant service from a brilliant team!

I would like to thank you for the care and compassion that you showed my father and I on the sudden death of my mum. You helped greatly in what was a very difficult time.

Your telephone operator was excellent in checking symptoms and your attending team arrived very quickly and were both most friendly and high professional. I have the utmost admiration for all of your frontline team and just wanted to say that you for a priceless and professional service.

A big thank you for your excellent help and reassurance. I was very frightened and you arrived quickly, did a really thorough check and were very calm, pleasant, friendly but professional. How wonderful we have such excellent service!

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Hampshire

Buckinghamshire

Oxfordshire

Berkshire

The response was quite amazing how they arrived at the house and started to resuscitate my husband who had a massive heart attack. The kindness shown was wonderful and they did their absolute best. I thank them all from the bottom of my heart.

A huge thanks to Sarah who attended my mother. She was fantastic, calm and reassuring dealing with an elderly lady. Our family are so grateful to the swift response and expertise of the paramedic service of our much maligned NHS.

I would like to pass on my gratitude and thanks to the two paramedics. Their speed, professionalism and reassurance to my wife and myself was excellent. Everything from the time they arrived and introduced themselves was explained calmly and clearly. I shall always be eternally grateful to the two paramedics who started the process of saving my life.

They were truly very understanding and sensitive to me. I would express how wonderful they were to the situation. They handled everyone extremely well. I was very impressed with the service they provided. All four members of crew were very professional and truly very good at their jobs. I would like to thank them all.

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Staff from South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s (SCAS) Stoke Mandeville ambulance station competed in the VUE Emergency Services National Triathlon Championships at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham on 31 May and won a road bike for their fundraising efforts.

Rachel Brooke, a Paramedic at Stoke Mandeville ambulance station said:

“The tragic death in a road traffic accident of one of our Hampshire colleagues and the patient the crew was conveying has made us all reflect. We decided to raise some money for the Ambulance Service Benevolent Fund and competing in the Emergency Services National Triathlon championships seemed like a fun way to do this.”

Stoke Mandeville ambulance station fielded three teams of three people per team with each team member either swimming, running or cycling in addition to Rachel Brooke competing as an individual in all three sports. As a whole the group raised a very healthy £671 and, because they raised more than any other team competing at the event, they won a road bike and some coaching and training for next year’s event.

The three teams entered this year by staff at Stoke Mandeville ambulance station were ‘Scrambled Legs’ comprising Claire Collins, Janice Doulin and Chloe Taylor-Jones; ‘Rapid Response Snails’ comprising Marie Stevens-Taylor, Lise Honeyman and Mike Briggs; and ‘SCAS Sirens’ comprising Kim Kennedy, Lou Green and Helen Burton-Gow. Rachel Brooke competed in the individual event.

The Stoke Mandeville team raised even more money for the Ambulance Service Benevolent Fund by raffling the road bike.

Staff at Stoke Mandeville ambulance station compete in National Triathlon Championships

TWEET US@s ca s 999

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TWEET US@s ca s 999

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AGM & AMM – date and venue now confirmedSCAS will be holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Annual Members Meeting on Wednesday 25 September 2013 at the Kassam Stadium, Grenoble Road, Oxford, OX4 4XP.

The event will start at 1.30pm and conclude at 6pm. All members of our trust are welcome to attend, as well as friends, family members, stakeholders and any interested members of the public.

The event will provide an excellent opportunity to meet with our staff, view presentations and hear about our organisation from the Trust Board and our governors. The event will also include a presentation of our annual report and accounts for 2013-2013.

A range of emergency vehicles together with stands manned by Community First Responders and ambulance staff will be available to view after the presentations.

The Annual General Meeting will be preceded by a public board meeting which will start at 9.45am and conclude at 12.30pm. We will be publishing a full agenda for the day (check our website nearer the date on www.southcentralambulance.nhs.uk for more information).

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Can you help us at events?We have lots of events planned to engage with members of the public and’ sign up new Foundation Trust members and we need your help!

DATE EVENT VENUE

Sat 31 AugustHampshire Fire and Rescue Open Day

Hampshire Fire Station, Eastleigh

Sat 14 SepHeritage Open Day and Emergency Services Day

Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, Bucks

Sat 14 Sep Oxford Open Doors EventThe Castle, Castle Street, Oxford, Oxon

Tues 3 Sep Buckinghamshire constituency meeting and first patient forum

From 7pm to 9pm at St Anne’s Hall, Aylesbury Road, Wendover, Buckinghamshire HP22 6JG.To book a place please email getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk

You can make a difference!

For more information, email getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk

or phone 01869 365126.

Thank you

for

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members!

Yippie doo!12,528public membersto date

6,000

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3,000

9,000

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TWEETTWEET

Here is a small selection of Tweets

that we have recently received

from our partners, stakeholders

and the public. Click here to read

more and to follow us!

Iandunc1 Jul 14, 8:15pm

Thanks to Ruth and her crew mate for your help at Mossend this morning. @SCAS999

dont_cross_jade Jul 16, 11:52pm

@SCAS999 big thank you to the crew that looked after me and saved my life on Sunday night at Wantage recreational park :-)

BitterneRespond Jul 17, 9:50am

Bitterne CFR Paul attended a male in cardiac arrest backed up by @SCAS999 A Very good outcome :-) #CFR #TeamWork

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Follow us on Twitter @SCAS999www.twitter.com/SCAS999

marmalade_cat Jul 23, 2:19pm

@SCAS999 Thanks to the lovely paramedics who took me to Stoke Mandeville Friday night after a diabetic seizure. A real credit to the NHS!

Steveclifford9 Jul 18, 2:41pm

@SCAS999 big thank you to “Spencer the paramedic” for looking after my wife this morning! #legend

NARU_org Jul 16, 10:02pm

Amazing statistic and a credit to @SCAS999: responded to 4,316 emergency calls between 5th July and 7th July.

3052followers

/ July 201320

ASDA donate £100 to Bitterne CFR SchemeShoppers at ASDA’s West End, Southampton store have chosen South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s (SCAS) Bitterne Community First Responder (CFR) Scheme as this month’s main beneficiary of the supermarket’s ‘Nominate a Cause’ campaign with the store donating £100 to Bitterne CFR Scheme.

ASDA’s Community Life Programme is designed to raise awareness and funds for local charities. Every 2 months each ASDA supermarket makes a donation to 3 charities nominated by shoppers and awards £25, £50 or £100 to each of them.

Each time they make a purchase shoppers are given a token at the checkout plus an extra token if they use the store’s bags for life. Tokens are then used by shoppers to vote for one of 3 nominated charities. The charity that receives the most votes receives £100.

Paul Loth, Co-ordinator for Bitterne CFR Scheme said:

“We are delighted to receive this donation from our local ASDA supermarket and will put the money towards purchasing equipment which our responders will use to help save lives in the community.”

ASDA West End Store Manager Richard Murrell said:

“Our Community Life Programme enables ASDA to reach out to the local community and to help the local charities our shoppers want us to support. I’m delighted that we are making this contribution to Bitterne CFR Scheme.”

Bitterne CFR Scheme currently has 4 active volunteers with a further 6 volunteers going through the application process.

In 2012/13 Hampshire’s volunteer Community First Responders responded to 3690 immediately life-threatening medical emergencies. If you know anyone who may be interested in volunteering as a CFR please ask them to telephone 0800 587 0207 or email cfr@scas.nhs.uk

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/ July 201322

SCAS Fleet Technician Don Goddard’s engineering background has proved invaluable in designing and constructing a cost effective new racking system for our Land Rover Discovery response vehicles.

Don first floated the idea to Vehicle Commissioning Unit Manager Richard Kersley back in April 2013. The Trust had been waiting for a quotation for a system designed and constructed by Ford SVP, however despite various attempts to obtain the design SVP never came back to us, so we decided to take the bull by the horns and do it ourselves.

Working together Vehicle Electrician Ben Strong and crews from Bracknell and Winchester and Eastleigh Resource Centres Don and Richard designed and built the new racking system in house.

Quotations based on Don’s design were obtained from third party suppliers with the Trust being quoted £2,750 plus VAT for each vehicle.

Don and Richard sourced the necessary materials themselves to initially kit out 4 Team Leader Land Rover Discovery vehicles for £1,200.

The project has been keenly supported by Keith Boyes, Area Manager for Berkshire and the first Discovery fitted with the new racking system has been returned to John Pocock, Team Leader at the Trust’s Bracknell Resource Centre who said:

“With ever increasing demand on the service the inspired design of the new racking system, which includes room for a stretchered patient, means that our Land Rover Discovery vehicles are now able to provide a valuable additional conveying resource that will benefit patients and the Trust. This design was fundamental in allowing us to utilise the entire boot space. This has meant that we can carry our equipment safely and access it with ease.”

Custom built racking system turns Land Rover Discovery into conveying resource

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Reading Rugby Football Club (RRFC) has chosen to support South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s volunteer Community First Responder (CFR) Schemes in Berkshire as one of their two designated charities for the 2013/14 season.

The other charity RRFC has pledged to support next season is SpecialEffect, a charity dedicated to using technology to enhance the quality of life of people living with disabilities.

David Gregory, a Berkshire CFR and member of Reading RFC said:

‘It’s a win win partnership from which patients, RRFC and CFR Schemes in Berkshire will all derive benefit. The fact that the club house already has an Automated External Defibrillator is testament to the great relationship SCAS is building with local businesses and the community.’

Reading RFC Chair Craig Hunter said:

“Volunteer Community First Responders in Berkshire provide a valuable service to the communities they live and work in and the club is delighted to support them as one of our chosen charities for the 2013/14 season.”

David Hamer, SCAS Community Responder Training and Liaison Officer said:

“The Trust is grateful to RRFC for choosing Berkshire’s Community First Responder Schemes as one of two charities the club will support in the coming season. Berkshire’s Community First Responder Schemes will benefit from a board facing the pitch and from being featured in the club’s Fixtures List and match programmes.”

Reading Rugby Football Club chooses to support Berkshire’s volunteer Community First Responders

L to r David Hamer, David Gregory, Craig Hunter and Dick Tracey

/ July 201324

All figures are provisional.

What does it mean?

Total activity equates to the number of calls which received a SCAS response or were dealt with by our clinical support desks Activity variance over the same period last year.

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

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

Category A [Red 1] - indicates a performance target for an emergency response, which is categorised as immediately life-threatening, to reach an incident within 8 minutes from the time a call is connected to the ambulance emergency control centre. The national target is to respond to 75% of all these calls within 8 minutes.

How we’re doing

June 2013 Year to date

Total activity 39,103 Total activity 118,918

Activity variance 5.59% Activity variance 7.27%

Non conveyance 15,102 Non conveyance 45,900

Non conveyance % 42.77% Non conveyance % 42.92%

Category A [Red 1] 79.55% Category A [Red 1] 81.02%

Category A [Red 2] 76.90% Category A [Red 2] 77.50%

Red 19 95.94% Red 19 96.16%

111 calls answered 66,365 111 calls answered 189,410

Number of CFR responses 1,303 Number of CFR responses 4,519

Number of PTS journeys 41,436 Number of PTS journeys 114,428

Category A [Red 2] - indicates a performance target for an emergency response which may be life threatening but less time-critical. Calls should receive an emergency response within 8 minutes.

RED19 performance - indicates a performance target for a conveying response (ambulance or rapid response vehicle) to reach an incident of a life-threatening nature within 19 minutes from the time a call is connected to an ambulance emergency control centre. The national target is to respond to 95% of all these calls within 19 minutes.

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.

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YOU CAN DOWNLOAD AN INFORMATION PACK AND NOMINATION FORM FROM OUR

WEBSITE AND INTRANET

South Central Ambulance ServiceNHS Foundation Trust

WWW.SCAS.NHS.UK/AMBIES

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES 31 AUGUST 2013, 5:00pm

WHO WILL YOU NOMINATE?

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN!

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4 JULY

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 Trust7-8 Talisman Business Centre Talisman RoadBicesterOX26 6HR

DEADLINE for copy for the next issue: 19 August.Please keep articles under 250 words.

19AUG

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