Still in England, trying to gather as much as I can about a different way of doing what I do. We just finished a video update (vlog Im told to call them but that sounds too Klingon) about some of the differences between us, from radio communications to resource allocation to treatment and transport decisions. I feel bad for you guys when I get back and settled and write this all up. I’ll have to break it into a number of posts spanning weeks.  The video is loading to youtube as I type, it’s almost 9 minutes long so may take anywhere from 6 weeks to 10 years to upload.

UPDATES-

We finished our third day on the rapid response car today and are due one ambulance day later next week.  The car is a neat resource to have if staffed by the right kind of pro-active Paramedic who can be trained and trusted to recognize when a person doesn’t need to go.  Now we just need a system willing to trust their paramedics to make those decisions.  We don’t need more ambulances, we need less patients.  This system is operating with more medics but less ambulances than similar US communities, and yet no response from the fire resources on medical calls.  This system is not locked into the antiquated BLS before ALS response model adopted by so many communities.  The current system is front loaded and allows the best allocation of resources based on a highly trained person first in the door to make the next decision regarding response, whether that is to cancel the ambulance based on presentation or to continue the ambulance.

Unfortunately, this model does have it’s limitations and sending the car or ambulance based on proximity to the call could be doing good to meet response times but may not be the best decision for the system.  I think another car and another ambulance could provide excellent coverage in this area, but that will cost money, one thing that all emergency services are hurting for.

The car model should be evaluated by rural areas or any volunteer ambulance or squad running Paramedic Fire Resources.  You can get a medic in the door and make the determination as to how the ambulance should respond, instead of so many persons put at risk running lights and sirens to what will likely turn out to be a non-emergency.

I’ll be learning more about the Pathways triage and redirection system tomorrow and hope to learn hoe this system can triage callers away from 999 and to the appropriate persons in the healthcare system.

But I know what I want out of this, what do you want? Im over here as your eyes and ears and this is your chance to learn about Mark and this system just as much as me, only you dont have to sufferthe jet lag and 5 AM starts (9pm my body keeps telling me)

So I ask you to email me what you want to know while Im here. What are you dying to ask someone over here but never get the chance? The chance is here, take it.

Weve gotten requests on Twitter to have a look around the rapid response car in a video update, thats coming up.
Ive also been asked by some of my fire service readers to bring up the high pressure low volume tactics emloyed here. Believe me that will be a big part of my discussions on Wednesday with Swalwell Station Manager Moodie who will be giving me a tour of the fire resources in the area.

thehappymedic@gmail.com