This Week WILLIAM and KATE MEET WMAS STAFF

Issue 262 Thursday 25th August 2011

V Festival 2011 Garage Doors and Shorelines This Renew Your Registration HCRT Here to Help

Week 2012 Olympic Games Chairman Receives Award WILLIAM AND KATE MEET WMAS STAFF The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Birmingham last week...page 2

Got a story? Tell the Press Office on 01384 246 496 or 07909 528 550 or email [email protected]

Top Stories Page 2 Jobs Page 12 Operational Page 4 SN/030 Page 13 Non Operational Page 7 SN/035 Page 14 News Page7 ON/059 Page 15 Noticeboard Page 10 V Festival Page 16

WMAS Staff Meet Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Several members of WMAS staff were amongst the guests that met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last week when they visited some of the areas of Birmingham that were affected by the recent rioting. James Williams (Incident Support Officer), Katherine Hall (Paramedic) and Darren Roberts (Trainee Technician) were amongst a range of dignitaries who met the Royal couple at Summerfield Community Centre in Winson Green. Earlier, William and Kate met the families of the three men who died during the disorders. Derrick Campbell, a community leader in Sandwell, said: “The couple said they were „genuinely concerned‟ about the rioting. It wasn't tokenistic, you could sense the genuine emotion that they showed and I think that really went a long way to reassuring us that these people really do care about what took place here." Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Marsh, said: “I am really pleased that some of our staff who were on duty during the rioting had the chance to meet William and Kate; it was a real morale boost. The couple were very appreciative and acutely aware of the hard work and dedication our crews delivered during the recent rioting, dealing with some very difficult situations at times.” Not Too Late to Nominate Trust Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, is renewing his appeal for staff to nominate colleagues who went above and beyond the call of duty during the recent disorders in the West Midlands. The Chief is to host an Awards Ceremony to recognise the actions of staff at an event on Friday 30th September at the Birmingham Council House. Mr Marsh said: “Having seen first hand some of the actions of staff, I feel it is important that as a Trust we recognise the excellent care that was provided during some very difficult times. I would like to thank these individuals personally for what they have done to protect lives within our communities. We have already had a large number of suggested recipients, but I want to make sure that we pay tribute to everyone who did so much. If you believe one of your colleagues fits this category, please let me know.” If you would like to nominate a colleagues for a Chief Officers Commendation please e-mail the Chief‟s Staff Officer at [email protected] setting out the reasons for the nomination. 2011 V Festival Almost 200 members of WMAS staff, doctors and nurses worked alongside St. John Ambulance and Venture Event Medical Management at this year‟s V festival. The festival which ran from Thursday 18th – Monday 22nd August was one of the busiest to date with the 85,000 festival goers enjoying the weather at Weston Park. Carol Taylor, Venture Event Medical Management, said: “On behalf of all the team at Venture I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to you for another excellent successful V Festival. Without your support and services you provide prior to and on site over the weekend V would not be the success it is today. Your team didn‟t disappoint, they were professional, mad (in a good way!) and gave 100% in what was a very busy and demanding weekend.” Barry Thurston, Director of Service Delivery, said: “I would like to thank staff for all their hard work and dedication which once again led to an extremely professional and successful operation. You all did an excellent job.” (Please turn to the back of the briefing to view this year‟s special V Festival bulletin). 2

Six Recommendations for Six Years ‘Taking Healthcare to the Patient’ was published in 2005 and introduced a period of significant change and improvement in all ambulance services, including the creation of WMAS. Six years on, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives have reviewed progress and published an updated report. The key findings are: Major advances in patient care and the clinical education and training of staff Greater attention to the many patients who don‟t have a life -threatening condition Consistently high patient satisfaction levels Significant improvement in the speed of answering 999 calls Considerable improvements in technology, infrastructure and emergency preparedness Trust Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, said: “Whilst much has been achieved, all of the ambulance trust chief executives recognise that there is still much more to do. The new report provides six recommendations for the next six years, starting with more visible clinical leadership. The six recommendations are on pages 75 to 78 of „ Taking Healthcare to the Patient 2’ which is on the intranet. You can download the document via the intranet link: http://treble9.ad.wmas.nhs.uk/ idoc.ashx?docid=5f582549-7ef0-471d-ab7b-ca2b297f12ee&version=-1 or go to “Communications”, “Weekly Briefing”, “Weekly Briefing Attachments 2011”.

GWAS Explores Partnership Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) is exploring the possibility of partnering with another organisation as the best way of becoming a Foundation Trust. GWAS has decided that it is not viable to pursue it‟s own application and wants to link with a partner organisation. Chief Executive, Martin Flaherty, said: “All NHS trusts are facing need to become more efficient whilst at the same time improving patient care. We are committed to clinical excellence and have decided that the best way to deliver this is to become part of a larger organisation - our preference is for a partnership with another ambulance trust.” GWAS borders three other ambulance trusts: South Western, South Central and West Midlands. Ken Wenman, Chief Executive of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have expressed an interest in partnering GWAS. We have already attained Foundation Trust status and are closely linked geographically, so it is logical that a partnership between the two is considered. It is however, an expression of interest only at this stage.” Make Your View Count – Come and Meet the Chief The Trust is committed to listening to the views and suggestions of staff. To ensure all staff have the opportunity to make sure their thoughts and suggestions are heard, Trust Chief Executive Anthony Marsh will be undertaking a series of visits to stations through the summer months. Mr Marsh said: “It is really important to me that I get a chance to hear the views of staff on a regular basis about their daily work; their concerns and ideas about how we can take patient care to the next level. Over the last year or so we have started to make some significant changes to the way we operate so that we can make further improvements to our clinical practice. I would really like to hear your views on how these are affecting the way you work and to find out how we can further improve the Service. If you would like me to visit your station, please e-mail me at [email protected]. Thank you for all the work you are doing and I look forward to meeting you.

Equality Delivery System Gets Underway A new equality delivery performance working group met for the first time last week to introduce the Equality Delivery System (EDS) to the Trust. The EDS has been designed by the NHS as a framework improvement tool to support the Trust in driving up equality performance and embed a clear vision for a personal, fair and diverse health and care service into all areas of WMAS. The EDS will also support the Trust in meeting the equality aspects of the NHS Constitution, the NHS Outcomes Framework, Care Quality Commission‟s Essential Standards, and the Human Resources Transition Framework. WMAS Equality and Diversity Officer, Sofia Jabeen, said: “The EDS project is an NHS Equality and Diversity Council initiative, supported by the Department of Health. It will be a key project for implementation by April 2012. The Trust is committed to the EDS through the active involvement of staff, public and community organisations in setting objectives and monitoring of performance for equality.” Further information on the EDS project will be available in future editions of the Weekly Briefing. 3

Renew Your Registration! Time is fast running out for paramedics to re-new their registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC). All paramedics must have completed the process by Wednesday 31st August. Failure to renew registration as a paramedic will mean you are unable to practice anywhere in the United Kingdom. This will have implications for your continued employment with the Trust. As it can take up to ten days for postal forms to be processed, it is suggested that staff use the new on-line system which has real-time renewal and payment facilities. The HPC says it will only take on-line registrants a few minutes to complete the process. Don‟t risk getting caught out, make sure your renewal is in place as soon as possible. Restricted Access to Warwick A&E On Tuesday 30th, Wednesday 31st August and Thursday 1st September, there will be structural work taking place at Warwick Hospital, particularly around A&E and also the A&E access road. There will be a large crane situated near to A&E at the hospital in operation between 7.30am and 5.30pm on all three days. The access may be restricted but it should not affect normal operations too much. Crews are requested to ensure they leave the site as soon as possible to ensure no unnecessary delays are experienced by them or colleagues who are attempting to get into A&E. This may also be affected by a restricted turning circle. Crews are also asked to alert the hospital as soon as possible if a patient is travelling to hospital on blue lights and sirens, to ensure they have the maximum time to ensure the A&E access road and department are clear for an ambulance arrival. If there are any issues experienced by crews at Warwick on those three days, please contact EOC and also Jason Wiles on 07919 575 664.

2012 Olympic Games - Expression of Interests Staff are invited to express their interest in being part of the West Midlands Ambulance Service‟s commitment to 2012 Games workforce in London and Coventry. The Trust is looking for a cohort of staff to work during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This will encompass working in the Olympic Park and venues as well as non sporting celebratory activities that take place in the likes of parties in the park and events organised by the various London boroughs. For an information pack please contact the Recruitment Team on (01902) 886 459. Closing date for return of applications is Friday 23rd September. There is more information at the back of the Briefing. NHS Pathways Awareness Drop In Sessions Staff are reminded of a series of „drop in‟ sessions that have been arranged throughout the Birmingham and Black Country for staff to learn more about NHS Pathways. Once introduced, a number of changes will be seen on vehicle AVL (messages). These meetings are the perfect opportunity for individuals to give their views, raise issues, suggest ideas and discuss queries you may have with the Project Team. All staff are welcome to attend. Leaflets and posters will also be available on stations. Further dates will be released over the coming weeks. Birmingham Date Time City Hospital Monday 5th September 10:00hrs - 18:00hrs Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Tuesday 6th September 10:00hrs - 18:00hrs Bristol Road AS Wednesday 7th September 10:00hrs - 18:00hrs Henrietta Street AS Thursday 8th September 10:00hrs - 18:00hrs Black Country Date Time Walsall Manor Hospital Monday 12th September 09:00hrs – 13:00hrs Sandwell District General Hospital Monday 12th September 14:00hrs – 16:00hrs New Cross Hospital Tuesday 13th September 09:00hrs – 13:00hrs Russells Hall Hospital Tuesday 13th September 14:00hrs – 16:00hrs

Lucas Device Comes to Sutton and Tower Hill The PaRAMeDIC (Pre-Hospital Randomisation of a Mechanical Chest Compression Device In Cardiac Arrest) trial is set to be launched at Sutton Coldfield station at the end of this month. All staff are welcome to attend a launch meeting at Sutton station on Wednesday 31st August, at 1800hrs to get a brief overview of cardiac arrest physiology, the trial protocol and training on the LUCAS-2 device. Food and drink will be provided. This completes the roll out of the LUCAS-2 devices across Birmingham; Black Country will begin roll out in the near future. To confirm your attendance, please email Research Fellows [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected] or add your name to the list at Sutton station. Please see the poster at the back of the Briefing for more information. All staff are welcome to attend in their own time, no overtime can be claimed.

Make Ready Roadshows in Herefordshire Staff are invited to attend a roadshow being given by Dean Jenkins and Debbie Small. The roadshows will give staff an overview of how Make Ready, community paramedic schemes and annualised hours rotas work. Dean was involved in the implementation in Staffordshire, so will share his experiences with staff. This is part of the work we are doing to keep staff fully informed on our future operating model. The Make Ready roadshows will be held on the following dates:

Wednesday 14th September Bromyard Station 1030 – 1330 hours Leominster Station 1400 – 1700 hours Thursday 15th September Ross-on-Wye Station 1030 – 1330 hours Ledbury Station 1400 – 1700 hours Friday 16th September Twyford Court, Rotherwas 1000 – 1530 hours (Temporary Premises) High Expenditure for Garage Doors and Shoreline Repairs The Estates Department is aware of increasing expenditure in relation to the cost of repairs carried out in the last year on both shorelines and garage doors. Would staff please ensure that they adhere to the procedure for removing shorelines from the vehicles. This involves unplugging the shoreline from the driver‟s side of the vehicle or, if not able to do this, then to look to see that the equipment has ejected when the ignition is turned on before driving away. If this does not happen then the reel will be under tension and cause damage to either the socket or pull the reel out from the roof of the garage. As the costs for garage door panel repairs is extremely high please ensure that vehicles are safely parked to prevent rolling into the doors and also that areas by the doors and sensors are kept clear to ensure that doors operate automatically on these sensors and to prevent any further damage. In an attempt to reduce expenditure it would be appreciated that all staff took care regarding both types of equipment when working on stations. Zoll ECG Transmissions in Herefordshire All Trust Zoll E-Series defibs in ambulances and rapid response vehicles in Herefordshire can now transmit ECGs. Over the last three years, Team Leader Steve Hargest has, with assistance from Zoll, developed a system where each defib is paired via Bluetooth to a dedicated mobile phone which is fax-enabled only. The fax numbers of A&E and CCU numbers are programmed on the Zoll screen. The system has been set up after Consultant Cardiologist at Hereford County Hospital claimed the prognosis for a patient is 80% improved if they see the ECG prior to the patient‟s arrival. Staff are advised to never turn the mobile phone off, or interfere with it. The phone must stay with the Zoll it is paired with (identification numbers appear on both the Zoll and the phone) and kept in its cradle which will keep it charged. Staff in Herefordshire should refer to a memo issued by Lee Hutchinson on August 18th for further information. 5

HCRT Here to Help! If you‟re an RRV paramedic in Birmingham and the Black Country, next time you need a non urgent patient conveyed to hospital, ask a HCRT crew for help! The Health Care Referral Team (HCRT) have Institute of Healthcare and Development (IHCD) First person on Scene (FPOS) Intermediate qualifications and respond to cases where patients have been assessed by health care professionals and need to go to hospital or an alternative care pathway but don‟t need an emergency response. Each day, HCRT crews deal with the demand created by referral activity from GPs which peaks in the afternoon. Around 20 HCRT crews are on duty across the BBC most days to enable paramedic and technicians to focus on 999 work. Keiron Ward, HCRT from the Black Country, said: “There are a lot of operational staff that still don‟t know what we do. We‟re here to help to take care of and transport the less seriously ill patients to hospital to free up A&E crews for more life threatening cases. We want to use our skills to the best of our ability so next time you attend a case where a patient needs to go to hospital but doesn‟t warrant an emergency response, ask for HCRT help!” Mark Gough, Operational Service Delivery Director, said: “We‟re aiming to maximise the utilisation of HCRT to relieve pressure on paramedic and technician crews which will be especially important when winter pressures hit. We‟re working closely with EOC to ensure they‟re utilised more efficiently and would also ask that staff refer to Operational Notice „ON 59 - Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Solo Responder Backup and Case Reprioritisation‟ for further guidance on how to request a HCRT crew.”

Drop-in Clinical Workshops in Black Country Black Country staff are being encouraged to drop-in to clinical workshops during the next few weeks. The following clinical workshops are the perfect opportunity for operational staff to call in and discuss any areas of concern they have, ask questions and find out the latest clinical news. The clinical workshops are as follows: Friday 26th August 12.30 – 17.30hrs West Bromwich Station Friday 9th September 12.30 – 17.30hrs Tettenhall Station

Dave Ashford, Black Country‟s Clinical Performance and Governance Manager, said: “I would like to invite staff to drop-in to see me to discuss any clinical issues, concerns and queries they may have. Controlled drugs management, FAST tests and documentation are just some of the clinical themes that I am focussing on raising awareness with staff this month. Please pop along if you can!”

Upcoming Station Meetings The following station meetings are taking place and are the perfect opportunity to give your views, raise issues, suggest ideas and discuss queries you may have with senior managers.

Station Date Time Park Lane Thursday 1st September 1800 hours Sutton Wednesday 7th September 1800 hours Cradley Thursday 8th September 1800 hours Chelmsley Wood Wednesday 14th September 1800 hours Warwick Wednesday 21st September 1800 hours

Internal Audit Team Scoops National Recognition Work undertaken by WMIAC (West Midlands Internal Audit Consortium) has been recognised at a national level. Julie Woodward and Tim Sadler worked with a consortium in the East of England to come up with a programme that supports Trust Boards to get greater clarity and detail on governance issues. The work was completed on behalf of the Internal Audit Practitioners Group who are the professional leads for Internal Audit within the NHS. The work has now been formally recognised by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and was awarded “Highly Commended” status for a national competition run by CIPFA. Julie said: “We are all delighted to have our work recognised in this prestigious competition and the certificate presented is now proudly on display.” The Department of Health has also shown interest in the work and it is anticipated that it will be used as the basis for changes in Internal Audit practice nationally. Pictured: Charles Knight (Director of Audit – WMIAC), Sobia Ali and Colin Larby.

Passing of Gerald (Jed) Dodd Richard Dodd, A&E Support Officer from Coventry Station, would like to thank staff for their support after his father, Jed, passed away on Monday 1st August. Jed, 64, worked for the Trust at Rugby Station for a relatively short time, but made many good friends. Richard said: “I would like to thank staff for their kind words and support. My family and I have been overwhelmed with the number of cards and messages of condolence we have received at this difficult time. My father‟s funeral took place on the 17th August and I would also like to thank colleagues and friends for their generous donations to WNAA, a charity my father supported greatly.” Staffordshire Chief Constable Expresses His Thanks A letter was recently sent to WMAS Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Marsh from Chief Constable, Mike Cunningham expressing his appreciation for the support received during the recent disorder. The letter reads: “ The recent disorder that has taken place across the country has placed unprecedented demands on our services and has seen the Police Service and other partner agencies coordinate efforts that have had successful and effective outcomes for our communities. Staffordshire Police has provided support to other forces whilst, together with partners, ensuring that we maintained an increased capability locally. Through such robust preventative tactics Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent did not experience any incidents of significance during this period of unrest. This is testimony to the excellent and planned response by not only the Police but also key partner agencies…I would like to personally express my appreciation to the support given by you and your staff in keeping the communities of Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent safe and reassured during these most testing times.”

Trust Policies, Procedures and Strategies Staff are advised of the following updates:

ST-001 – Estates Strategy v2 (Service Delivery) ST-002 – Procurement Strategy v2 (Finance)

To access current documents, visit the Trust‟s Treble9 intranet home page, click on the “Trust information” tab. On the page that follows, click on the tab (on the left) marked “Trust Policies, Procedures and Strategies Library”, then select the appropriate sub -menu that appears in grey.

Substantive SOC Commanders Appointed Following a competitive interview and selection process, the Trust has recently appointed four members of staff into substantive posts to work in the SOC (Strategic Operations Cell) in Brierley Hill‟s EOC. The aims of the SOC are to ensure that the Trust has full engagement with the local health e c o n o m y t o effectively manage the flow of patients t r a n s p o r t e d b y a m b u l a n c e t o hospitals, maximising the availability to treat patients across the Region. Kaye Chandler, Ameta Bandhan and Paul Watkins were successfully appointed as SOC Commanders in June after previously undertaking the role since last year. Last week, Martyn Pugh (former Black Country Group Station Manager) was appointed as the fourth SOC Commander to complete the team. Jeremy Brown, Head of EOCs, said: “Congratulations to Kaye, Ameta, Paul and Martyn on their successful appointments. Now the team is complete we will be in a position to fully engage with senior managers of the acutes to improve relations and to improve capacity issues that affect the Trust in its ability to deliver the best possible patient care to people within our communities.” Pre-Retirement Course The Trust is planning a pre-retirement course on Wednesday 12th October 2011. The session is to be held at Worcester Ambulance Station with a start time of 0900 hrs. Staff who have attended previously have found these sessions most helpful and productive. There are only twelve places available on this course which will be allocated on a first come first served basis. This is not just for people due to retire soon it is about PLANNING for retirement. If you are interested in attending this session please contact Elaine or Alison on 01905 765005 or email [email protected]. Message from New SHA Cluster Chief Executive As staff may be aware, the Government has announced that four SHA clusters are to be formed until SHAs are abolished at the end of March 2013, subject to the Health Bill proceeding through Parliament. For us, NHS Midlands and East will combine the East and West Midlands along with the East of England. The other three clusters are NHS South of England, NHS North of England and NHS London. Sir Neil McKay, currently Chief Executive of NHS East of England, will lead the new organisation which will start on 3rd October 2011. The objectives for SHA Clusters are: Day to day delivery – Ensuring that patient safety and quality is protected and enhanced whilst maintaining financial controls Building the future – Lead the implementation of NHS reforms which will involve the development of Clinical Commissioning Groups and supporting NHS Trusts to become Foundation Trusts Supporting our Staff – Help staff affected by the proposed reforms but also those working within every facet of the NHS

Worcestershire Radiotherapy Plans Submitted A planning application, seeking outline permission, has been submitted for Worcestershire‟s first radiotherapy facility. It would be on land currently used as the A&E car park at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. Full permission is also being sought by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust for 401 parking spaces on neighbouring land. The plans will be on show throughout the county in September. More information can be found under the “News and Publications” section of the Worcs Acute Hospitals NHS Trust‟s website www.worcsacute.nhs.uk.

Chairman Receives Equality and Diversity Award Trust Chairman, Sir Graham Meldrum, has been awarded a life-time achievement and support in Equality and Diversity Award by the Asian Fire Service Association. Sir Graham has championed Equality and Diversity for the past 30 years within the Fire Service and has continued that work since joining WMAS. Sir Graham said: “I am really pleased to have received this award and am keen to enhance the work the Trust does around Equality and Diversity, to ensure that our staff are treated with dignity, respect and fairness. I particularly want to ensure that the newly launched Equality Delivery System (EDS) is embedded and implemented throughout our whole Trust so that it becomes a core task for all. Achieving the EDS is an integral part in reducing health inequalities amongst our patients and communities, achieving fair access and delivery of service. The Board fully support and is committed to all the 18 outcomes of the EDS.”

Emergency Exercise at WRH A test to see how Worcestershire Royal Hospital would deal with a fire and evacuation of a hospital ward was carried out with the help of the WMAS‟ HART team last weekend. „Exercise Sully‟ took place in the empty wards in Aconbury East. Artificial smoke was used to simulate a real fire. The HART team and the fire service worked alongside hospital staff to evacuate the ward of its patients, played by volunteers. Ruth Clack, who played the sister in charge of this fictional acute medical ward, said: “The prospect of having to evacuate a ward in an emergency, was one of my worst nightmares. However, the exercise has proved to me that I could do it!” All the teams involved are now involved in feedback and learning to ensure that actions identified during the exercise are implemented as part of future tactical planning and policy formation. Change of Personal Details If your personal information (e.g. address or phone number) should change, please fill in the detachable form on your payslip. Please also inform your local manager to ensure a WMAS 55 is completed. An App a Day Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, yesterday called on patients, NHS staff and software developers to create new smart phone apps for the NHS. One leading example of an app that benefits patients is Choosing Well, developed by NHS Yorkshire and Humber for their local community, which allows people to search for their nearest NHS health services. Mr Lansley said: “This is a unique opportunity for the NHS and those who develop apps to not only showcase their work but bring to life new ideas and realise true innovation in healthcare.” People can visit www.mapsandapps.dh.gov.uk and suggest favourite apps, ideas for apps or health maps they would like to see, as well as vote for their favourite ideas submitted by others. CFR Training Day All CFRs in the region are invited to a training and networking day on Sunday 9th October from 9am to 5pm. The event, at Priory School, Longden Road, Shrewsbury SY3 9EE is a chance to enjoy a day out, refresh your skills and get together with CFRs from other areas as well as the Voluntary Aid Society and volunteers from St. John Ambulance and Red Cross. If you are interested in attending, please let your Community Response Manager know by September 14th.

New Role for Diane The Trust welcomes Diane Lee back as Assistant Chief Executive Officer. Diane, who returns on a two year secondment from East Midlands Ambulance Service, will assist the Chief Executive with high level managerial and governance support, to ensure the delivery of Trust‟s national and local targets and the compliance of relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. Improving the way the Trust works with stakeholders such as local authorities, MPs, the voluntary sector and other parts of the NHS will also be a key part of the role. She will also work in partnership with others to develop and implement policies and strategies for the Trust. Diane will act as an Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer in the event of implementation of a Regional Gold Cell or Gold Commander role. Diane said: “I am delighted to return to West Midlands Ambulance Service and look forward to working with colleagues to ensure the success of the organisation through a challenging period leading to Foundation Trust status and the anticipated winter pressures.”

Happily Ever After Once upon a time, in a Brierley Hill ambulance control room, two EMD dispatchers met and fell in love. After a whirlwind romance, and just five months on, Amy Rushton and Neil Hart got engaged in Shanghai. Eight months later the loved up couple recently married in an intimate ceremony in a beautiful Secret Garden on the Isle of Wight, in the company of family and friends. After afternoon tea Mr and Mrs Hart had a beach-themed reception overlooking the sea, complete with fish and chips, a gorgeous heart-tiered cake with shells, daisies and pearls, and an ice cream van! The newlyweds have already enjoyed a mini-moon in St Ives and are now planning their 'official' honeymoon in Thailand. Mr and Mrs Hart would like to thank Team 1 in EOC for the brilliant cuckoo clock, gift voucher, chocolates, balloons, champagne, cards, and of course, the obligatory tin cans on their Beetle!!! The couple are looking forward to living their fairytale happy ever after.....the end.

Autumn Edition of ‘Your Choice’ Magazine If you haven‟t been onto the Health and Wellbeing section of the Intranet lately, you won‟t have seen that you can now download the Autumn Edition of YourChoice magazine. It provides staff with access to great lifestyle content, fantastic benefits and discounts. Check out the chat with actress Anne Hathaway about her latest film which includes a Yorkshire accent and an exclusive interview with George Michael. Plus, the magazine brings you expert tapas tips from the Barrafina cookbook in Flavours. Not only that, you can browse all the exclusive discounts on the website and check out the great giveaways up for grabs in the competitions area too. Go to „Workforce & OD‟, then „Health & Wellbeing‟ and finally „Staff Information‟. Alternatively, click on www.nhsmagazine.net/ne/ from a home computer.

Paramedic Educators Conference A paramedic conference, The Future Today: Innovations in Teaching and Learning in Paramedic Education, will be taking place at University of Hertfordshire on the 7th September 2011. For more information please turn to the back of the briefing.

Live Music for ‘Help For Heroes’ Organisers of a live music day at The Wheatsheaf pub in Frankwell, Shrewsbury are hoping to raise £4,000 for the charity „Help For Heroes‟. Advance tickets (£5) for the event of Sunday 28 th August have sold very well and are still available from Becky Godfrey Ford on 07540 334 229 or Matt Newell on 07866 519 555 or the Wheatsheaf pub. Alternatively you can just turn up on the day (admission also £5). The music will start at 12.30pm and will feature Steel Monkey‟ (which includes WMAS staff members Tony Wormsley and Rich Farrington), „My Left Foot‟, „Witness‟ and „Bad Hair Day‟. There will also be real ales and ciders as well as the usual bar, and a marquee if the weather is bad!! All admission proceeds will go to the charity.

Gym Membership Offer Stratford Manor Leisure Club, Warwick Road, Stratford-upon-Avon is offering a new „999‟ corporate membership for WMAS staff. The annual (up-front) fee is £250, compared to the £407 cost of a normal membership. As a member, you would have use of the club‟s 15m heated swimming pool, steam room, gym and tennis courts. For more information, call Tel : 01789 739393 or email [email protected]. Charity Casino Night What‟s your gamble? Is it red on roulette? Or all in at poker? If a cheeky flutter is your idea of a good night out then why not join Midlands Air Ambulance at G Casino in Birmingham. The exclusive Charity Casino night takes place in Broad Street on Thursday 22nd September. It‟s a perfect networking opportunity while helping to raise much needed funds for MAA. There‟s a champagne reception, followed by a dinner buffet, before tuition by professional players who will show you how and when to place the right bets and gain a better understanding of Black Jack, Poker and many more games. Tickets are just £20 including free Casino Registration with all proceeds going to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. If you‟d like to attend, please call 0800 8 40 20 40 or register online at www.midlandsairambulance.com Please gamble responsibly. Want to Get Fit? Want to Lose Weight? Extreme Evolution can help; whether you are looking for one to one sessions or group training we offer you a friendly and effective service at a great price! Every session is delivered by a genuine former Royal Marine‟s Commando and is designed to be accessible to all ability levels, whilst still ensuring that everyone enjoys a challenging workout. These sessions are fun and highly motivating, enabling you to put 100% in and get 100% out. Personal trainer sessions start from £15, with a free consultation and you can even train from home! Why not try an online trainer from £19.99 per month and get fitness programmes and nutritional plans direct to your inbox. All emergency services staff are entitled to a 10% discount, so what are you waiting for! For more information visit www.extreme-evolution.co.uk, email [email protected] or email 01384 378611.

Disclaimer WMAS has not reviewed these third party discounts or offers and does not control and is not responsible for any third party, the third party discounts or offers or their content or availability. The Trust therefore does not approve or endorse or make any representations about any third party or discounts or offers, or any results that may be obtained from using them. If you decide to act in relation to an offer, you do so entirely at your own risk.

11 Jobs Update

Vacancies open to internal candidates only; accessible via NHS Jobs

PA to Director of Nursing & Quality / Medical Director – VN036-11-12 Base: Regional Ambulance Headquarters, DY5 1LX Salary: Band 5 £21,176 - £27,625 ** 9 Month Maternity Leave Cover ** This post can be accessed for internal candidates (including BANK, Voluntary & Fixed Term contracts via NHS Jobs) – you must search using this number: 217-VN036-11-12

th Above vacancy closes Monday 5 September 2011

Free of charge careers advice and guidance for all NHS Staff is available at www.careers- advice.org/hlas or 08000 150 850

For an information pack including job description, contact us in one of the following ways:  Complete application form on line at www.jobs.nhs.uk - enter job title or reference number in the search box!  Write to Recruitment Team, Baggeridge House, Fir Street, Gospel End, Sedgley, DY3 4AD  Ring the Recruitment team on 01902 886459

To: All A&E Staff Date: 12/08/2011 Document Number: SN/030

Enhanced Handbrake Operation

Research has shown that the effectiveness of a vehicle can be considerably improved by ensuring that the foot pedal brake is applied and held on before applying the handbrake.

Vehicle handbrakes are required to be 20% efficient to pass an MOT. Our vehicles handbrakes are 24% efficient in standard operation. Tests conducted recently, demonstrated that a 7% gain in the handbrake efficiency when the footbrake was applied first.

Staff are therefore advised to utilise this technique when Notice using the vehicle handbrake. y When parking on a hill, staff are also advised to turn the wheels so that they are facing into the kerb. If the vehicle is not being used on run-lock the vehicle can be left in

gear.

These actions will improve the static braking efficiency Safet and reduce the potential impact in the event of a failure.

Please report any vehicle defects to the Fleet department and complete a vehicle defect form and a WMAS 54.

Any questions, contact: Alan Parfrey, Risk Manager: [email protected]

Produced By: Risk Manager Authorised By: Director of Service Delivery Review Date: November 2012

To: All Operational Staff Date: 15/08/2011 Document Number: SN/035

Checking Vehicle Tyres

Staff are reminded of the need to do a visual inspection of the tyres of the vehicle that they are using as part of the vehicle check prior to commencing use and following any adverse impact (e.g. catching a kerb).

Tyre condition has major impact upon the performance

and safety of a vehicle.

Vehicle tyres used for emergency purposes are subjected to higher stresses and strain than non emergency vehicles, so it is particularly important for the checks to

Notice be conducted on a daily basis.

y Staff should ensure that there is tread across the width of the tyre - i.e. no bald patches / uneven wear.

Any concerns about the condition of a tyre / tyres should be referred to fleet immediately, but the vehicle should not

necessarily be taken off the run. Safet

Any questions, contact: Alan Parfrey, Risk Manager: [email protected]

Produced By: Risk Manager Authorised By: Director of Service Delivery Review Date: November 2012

To: All staff Date: 18 May 2011 Document Number: ON/059

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Solo Responder Backup and Case Reprioritisation

Solo Responders have four options available when requesting back up:

1. RED 1 BACK UP – NO DIVERT – Where a solo responder deems that patients condition is time critical / life threatening. The responding ambulance will not be diverted to another incident unless a closer resource is available, or unless they are the closest resource by some distance to a confirmed Cardiac Arrest.

2. HOT RESPONSE - Where a solo responder deems that transport to hospital is required and they need to remain with the patient until an ambulance arrives; an ambulance will be dispatched under emergency conditions, using blue lights and sirens. (This vehicle maybe diverted to

a Red 1 call or a request for Red 1 back up.)

3. COLD RESPONSE - Where a solo responder requires assistance but the patient does not need transport (i.e. lift only); The back up vehicle will be dispatched under normal road conditions.

4. HCR RESPONSE - Where a solo responder deems that transport to hospital is required but does not warrant an emergency response; the solo responder must book the case as a Health Care Referral (HCR) and leave the scene once the referral has been made. Appropriate transport arrangements will then be made by the EOC.

Procedure for Reprioritisation to Health Care Referral Cases (Urgents)

1. Solo responder Paramedics (NOT TECHNICIANS) may re-prioritise 999 calls as HCR and should contact their sector dispatcher to arrange.

erational Notice 2. Technicians may reprioritise incidents by contacting the Clinical Support Desk (CSD) at MP EOC via 01384 246309, where the Paramedic on the

p desk will undertake triage utilising the PSIAM system.

3. Reprioritised calls must be allocated a pick up time of 60 mins, 120 O mins, 180 mins or 240 mins. FCP/ECP/Advanced Paramedics only, may reprioritise up to 240 mins.

4. If a short pick up time is allocated (e.g. one hour) and EOC consider the time to be unachievable, a Green 2 emergency response may be allocated.

5. A PRF copy must be left with the patient by the solo responder upon clearing scene.

6. For all clinicians, the below group of patients must not be reprioritised a. Patient <2 years of age; b. Patient exposed to the elements. c. Patients who have fallen over the age of 65 years with hip pain.

Produced By: Service Delivery Director - Operations Authorised By: Director of Service Delivery Review Date: November 2011 As the tents come down and the wellies are packed away for another year, WMAS medical staff are praised for their exceptional work at the 2011 V Festival.

Almost 200 members of WMAS staff, Doctors and Nurses worked alongside Venture Event Medical Management and St. John Ambulance as the sun shone down on the 85,000 festival goers that descended on Weston Park for this year’s festival.

Although the weather was kind and stayed dry for the majority of the weekend, the medical team was extraordinarily busy. The 24 hour operation kicked off when the gates opened to campers on Thursday 18th and continued through till Monday 23rd August. During this time approximately 1,650 people were treated, 450 more than last year.

A dedicated command and control centre was set up on site, dealing with hundreds of calls and dispatching WMAS ambulance crews to approximately 300 incidents. The majority of patients were treated on site within the main medical centre or at one of the numerous designated medical posts. As in previous years the self contained centre, was equipped to deal with all types of injuries, which helped reduce attendances at local A&E departments and allowed those injured to return quickly to the festival. The vast majority of cases seen were minor injuries, including trips, bumps and falls, with many of them being alcohol-related.

Unfortunately 41 patients did require further hospital treatment, almost double the number compared to last year. Many of these patients were treated for medical issues, with numerous patients having pre-existing medical conditions. Some of the more serious incidents that required further specialist treatment included a woman in her thirties who had suffered burns from a gas stove and a man in his thirties having suffered a suspected heart attack. One patient was also airlifted from the festival on Monday morning with suspected meningitis. A WMAS logistics team was once again in attendance for the duration of the festival providing exceptional support. They worked extremely hard throughout the weekend, ensuring all medical centres/posts were fully equipped, providing a ‘Make Ready’ service both within the centres and on vehicles, as well as becoming everyone’s best friends when dishing out their outstanding catering.

WMAS press office was on site to capture all the action and to organise and facilitate several radio and television interviews. The team issued numerous public health messages prior to the event and continued to do so throughout the weekend, alongside issuing updated casualty figures throughout the weekend via the local media, Twitter, Facebook and the Trust website.

Steve Wheaton, Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer said: "This year was my 10th V festival, having covered both Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park. I am never ever anything short of amazed at how much hard work and effort staff and managers from Ops, including the doctors and nurses we employ, Scheduling, EOC and Logistics put in to ensure that the event is well staffed and equipped, enabling us to deliver first class care to the patients we see.

I am both privileged and grateful to have worked with so many consummate professionals over this weekend and saw our staff highlight why the promoter and our client Venture consider us to be “the best they work with nationally."

“Planning will start for next years festival in just six weeks time.”

Thanks also go out to all staff, day and night, from the Silvers.

2012 Olympic Games Expression of Interests

Staff are invited to express their interest in being part of the West Midlands Ambulance Service’s commitment to 2012 Games workforce in London and Coventry. We are looking for a dedicated cohort of staff to work during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This will encompass working in the Olympic Park and venues and those non sporting celebratory activities that take place in the “urban domain”, e.g. parties in the park and events organised by the various London boroughs.

Planning is underway and the number of non-clinical and support roles required have been establish. We are looking for 30 personnel to work in London and 9 to work in Coventry at the football stadium during the Olympics and 15 personnel to work in London for the Paralympics.

Please note the following information: • The Olympic Games run from the 27 July to 12 August 2012. • Football at Coventry runs from 25 July to 09 August 2012. • The Paralympic Games run from the 29 August to 09 September 2012.

Due to the scale of the event, individuals must be available from mid-June to mid-September 2012 to allow planning and rostering to take place. It is expected though, that those who volunteer to work this event are available for the whole period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games themselves.

Accreditation All staff working in accredited areas will be required to agree to the accreditation process, which will include release of personal information to the Home Office and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).

Technicians and Paramedics Technicians and paramedics are required to work inside accredited venues and other dedicated locations.

Please note that staff who are qualified as emergency care practitioners (ECPs) are also able to apply to work the 2012 Games, however, at this time LOCOG have not expressed a need for the extra clinical skills ECP’s hold so they would be working as part of an operational crew.

Additional staff are required to work on ambulances which will be operated under the direction of event control rather than the emergency operations centre.

Venue commanders There is a requirement for a number of venue commanders to work the 2012 Games. They will be responsible for liaising with the LOCOG venue medical managers, reporting to one of the Service’s four zone commanders and have operational commander (bronze) responsibilities in the event of an incident.

Controllers This position is open to all control room staff who have experience of running a Forward Control (MEOC) or are experienced in running control operations at large events such as V Festival or Cosford Airshow.

A full understanding of the generic approach to major incidents including the command and control arrangements required and an understanding of how multiple talk groups are used in providing the communication infrastructure at a major incident.

It is desirable that applicants will have completed the control room major incident training.

All staff working in accredited areas will be required to agree to the accreditation process, which will include release of personal information to the Home Office and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).

Loggists (Football Only) These positions are open to all staff who have completed the HPA or Trust’s Loggists Course or are willing to undertake such training prior to the end of May 2012.

It is desirable that applicants have had experience of logging at either Bronze, Silver or Gold levels.

For an information pack please contact the Recruitment Team on:

 (01902) 886459

Closing date for return of applications: 23 September 2011

The SUTTON COLDFIELD and TOWER HILL groups

join the trial

The Launch Meeting will be held at SUTTON COLDFIELD Ambulance Station on Wednesday 31st August commencing at 18:00hrs. This will include an introduction to the LUCAS-2 device and “hands on” Training. Unfortunately we cannot pay overtime for this occasion, however food will be provided and attendees will receive Certificate for their CPD portfolio.

Please can we ensure a good turnout as your commitment to this trial is paramount to its success.

In partnership with Warwick University Clinical Trials Unit WMAS is taking part in a randomised control trial (RCT) in the use of mechanical chest compressions in out of hospital cardiac arrest patients. The trial will compare the survival rates (30 day) of patients resuscitated using mechanical chest compressions against those who have standard manual resuscitation. The trial will be using the LUCAS 2 chest compression device which is the new battery operated version of the gas powered device you may be familiar with.

The trial has started at Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton & Dordon, Hob Moor Road, Solihull, Monyhull & Hollymoor, Bristol Road, Henrietta Street and Chelmsley Wood Ambulance Stations and is now being rolled out to other stations across the trust. The trial is also taking place across South Central and Wales and aims to recruit 3700 patients.

If you are able to attend the PARAMEDIC trial launch meeting at Chelmsley Wood please indicate below as we require an estimate of attendees as pizza, refreshments and CPD certificates from Warwick University will be provided.

Any queries contact Andy Rosser on 07824 541050 or email: [email protected]

The Future Today: Innovations in Teaching and Learning in Paramedic Education nd 2 Paramedic Educators’ Conference

7th September 2011 Lindop Building, College Lane Campus, University of Hertfordshire (Registration from 08.45 the Lindop Building Foyer)

9.10 Welcome Dr Julia Williams Professor Malcolm Woollard 9.20. ‘Keep them coming back for more’: post-registration education Director of the Pre-hospital, for Paramedics Emergency, & Cardiovascular Care Applied Research Group Coventry University Nigel Rees 9.50 Advancing Paramedic practice Senior Paramedic Practitioner Welsh Ambulance Service

10.20 Coffee John Martin 10.45 ‘What’s in your bag?’: the future of Paramedic education Consultant Paramedic East of England Ambulance Service John Donaghy 11.15 The changing tide of Paramedic development: research in education Professional Lead Paramedic Science University of Hertfordshire Pete Gregory 11.45 Interprofessional problem based learning and clinical scenarios Senior Lecturer Coventry University

12.15 Lunch Dave Halliwell 13.15 Understanding the differences in Paramedic education: ‘Old people like me, Head of Paramedic Education young people like you’ South Western Ambulance Service

13.45 Education and assessment in clinical practice: current and future challenges Discussion Forum with panel

15.00 Coffee Paul Power 15.20 Learning in a virtual world Senior Lecturer University of Hertfordshire Mark Garratt 15.50 Foundation Degree in Paramedic Studies: an overview of a unique distance Senior Lecturer, learning programme for qualified Paramedics Coventry University

Lynda Sibson Independent Nurse Consultant/Lecturer 16.20 Closing comments John Donaghy

Places are restricted, so please reserve your place by emailing Dr Julia Williams at [email protected]

This conference has been organised by the University of Hertfordshire and Coventry University.

Grateful thanks go to: Journal of Paramedic Practice; Ambulance UK; College of Paramedics for advertising the conference SP Services; the Open University Press/McGraw-Hill Professional for sponsorship. Thank you!

To show our gratitude for your support during the recent disturbances, we are giving emergency services officers in the West Mids 10% off everything over the bank holiday weekend

Please present your valid emergency services photo ID or warrant in one of the participating stores to qualify.

Offer valid 27/08/11 - 29/08/11 in the following stores:

Store_Name Street Kings Heath 38-44 High Street, Kings Heath Chelmsley Wood 40-42 Greenwood Way, Chelmsley Wood Shopping Centre Solihull Mill Lane 59-63 Mill Lane Dudley 179-183 High Street Sutton Coldfield 96-100 The Parade, Gracechurch Shopping Centre Acocks Green 1092-1096 Warwick Road, Acocks Green West Bromwich 106-108 Kings Square, Sandwell Centre Northfield 780-784 Bristol Road South, Northfield Birmingham Priory Square The Priory Square Shopping Centre, 33 Priory Queensway Walsall 11 Bradford Mall, Saddlers Centre Wolverhampton Wulfrun Centre 7-10 Wulfrun Square, The Wulfrun Centre Merry Hill Unit K, Merry Hill Centre, Brierley Hill Coventry City Arcade 41 City Arcade, Queen Victoria Road Birmingham Pallasades Unit 30, The Pallasades Birmingham Union Street Union Street Wolverhampton Bentley Bridge Unit 1/2 Hulme High St, Hulme Castle Vale Unit 5, Castle Vale Retail Park, Chester Road Coventry Gallagher Unit B1, Gallagher Retail Park, Stoney Stanton Road Oldbury Unit 4, Oldbury Green Retail Park, Oldbury Ringway Stechford Unit 5, Flaxley Parkway, Stechford Retail Park, Stechford Halesowen 11-15 Queensway Mall, The Cornbow Centre Solihull Sears Retail Park Unit 3, Sears Retail Park, Oakenshaw Road, Shirley Small Heath Unit B Fordrough (off Heybarnes Circus), Coventry Road, Yardley Birmingham Bearwood Unit 2, Bearwood Shopping Centre, Bearwood Road Perry Barr Unit 5, One Stop Shopping Centre, Walsall Road, Perry Barr Bilston 88-89 Church Street Registered Charity No. 512387

In aid of our local hospice for the West Midlands

Saturday 17th September 2011 We will be selling many high street and designer brands including toys, electricals, tools, hair & beauty products, home & garden items, perfume & jewellery. Everything starts at only £1 So come and get your xmas shopping early.

Woodcross Social Club, Woodcross Road, Coseley, WV14 9BW. Telephone 01902 675530 Auction Viewing from 6pm, Auction from 7pm

Patrick Barnes-Jones, Cradley Heath Ambulance Station needs your help

I am looking for donations for this auction, raffle and tombola. If everyone who reads this was kind enough to donate either a bottle of alcohol, a hand/power tool, toy or piece of home ware then we will be able to make hundreds of pounds for this charity, remember we never know when we may need them.

Please address donations to myself and send/deliver to: Cradley Heath Ambulance Station, Lawrence Lane, Old Hill, B64 6DD

Alternatively if you have a collection at your station call me on 07824 398089 and I will collect. Thanks for your time and I do hope you can help me help this wonderful charity.