WINTER 2008 The News letter for the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust relieved couple have paid a heartfelt tribute to the ambulance and then I heard the baby crying – that is a fantastic feeling. We controller who talked the dad through delivering his baby deal with some very unpleasant calls so it’s nice to get something son at home. like this where you feel you’re making a difference.” ADan James says that emergency medical dispatcher Victoria Oliver, 7lb 13oz, was born at 12 noon on Friday, November 23, Barrell, from Goitre, near Pontypool, did a brilliant job as she but after a measured start to proceedings when Alison went into helped bring little Oliver into the world. labour at 6.30 in the morning, it all developed very quickly. And now Dan is going to get a keepsake of his moment of glory Dan, 30, a property developer, said: “By about 11am the from the Welsh Ambulance Service in the form of a recording of the contractions were about every two or three minutes and we were phone call between him and Victoria, including the moment when advised by the hospital to wait about an hour but by 11.30am they Oliver opened his lungs for the first time. were less than a minute apart. It was baby number two for mum Alison Maunder, of Clos “I dialed 999 and got through to Victoria and by 12 noon the Gradog, Penarth, but a first live birth for Victoria, a 25 year-old baby was here and within a few minutes the ambulance was here who has been working in the control room at Mamhilad, near too and they cut the cord. Pontypool, for just over a year. “But Victoria was excellent and very impressive. She was very clear And Victoria said that Dan had more than done his bit as well: and very concise and managed to talk me through it very effectively. “You expect people to be a bit panicky, especially at first,” she said: “It’s about ten minutes later you start shaking.” “But he was quite calm and did a great job. Partner Alison, 28, a teacher, said: “Dan’s the real star of the show. “I think I was on the phone for 23 minutes and the baby was born He was fantastic and so was Victoria.” after about 16. And Dan added: “Alison is very proud of me but she was amazing. “It was the first time I had done it. You do get quite a few She had no pain relief or anything – I was just there to catch him. pregnancies but usually the ambulance crew or the midwife arrive in “But it was quite funny because Alison’s sister, Ceri, was with us, time to take over . holding her hand and she is due in about a month and when she “I just advised that when the head was showing to press down ran out to meet the ambulance crew one of them said, ‘You look as firmly and support the head if you’ve got a while to go yet’.” page 2 page 8 page 10 In a state Replacement friend On call Alan Murray WE’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE Says... n ambulance crew who brought a us have to shock someone 12 times. It’s n ex-paratrooper made it home for see he was in a state. at the scene. Dear Colleague, man back from the dead 12 times incredible really. Christmas thanks to the skills of a “There was blood covering his leg and They checked Nesta’s general condition Thank you to everyone who took the time to have received the grateful thanks of “When we got there he didn’t look too Welsh Ambulance Service paramedic his right ankle was facing the wrong way – and as she had come round and come complete the NHS Staff Survey form. We received Ahis wife – and a big bag of Jaffa cakes. bad, a bit grey and sweaty, but once we put Awho saved his life after an horrific there was so much blood around it I wasn’t downstairs they put a tiny amount of a the results in January and since then we have been Keith Rosser from Treharris was given the electro-cardiograph on him it told a paragliding accident. sure whether it had been severed. glucose jelly substance in her mouth which, working with trade union representatives on an an electric shock 12 times and also treated different story – basically he was having a Adrian Key spent five months in hospital “I had backup from the Aberdare when mixed with saliva, she was able to action plan to address the issues raised. with a clot-busting injection before massive heart attack in front of us. after suffering a dreadful catalogue of ambulance crew of Julian Cummings and swallow. The results are very challenging for us and being airlifted to Morriston Hospital for “I charged up the defibrillator and we injuries in the incident in July. Martin Price and we tried to make him as She recovered very quickly and didn’t demonstrate that many relationships between emergency surgery. shocked him and his pulse came back but it He lost the sight in his left eye and comfortable as we could while we waited need to be taken to hospital, but Debbie colleagues are not working as well as they might. In The 58-year-old director of a building was only moments later that it went again suffered a bleed to the brain and multiple for the Sea King helicopter.” and Ieuan stayed with her long enough to many respects we were not surprised by this, given maintenance firm is now recovering at and so I charged the defibrillator and gave broken bones including his jaw, his pelvis in Adrian still faces a long, hard road to ensure that her blood-sugar level was back the enormity of the TTMD programme and, of Keith another shock, once again resulting home and wife Susan said: “It’s thanks two places, both thighs and his right shin, recovery but he’s determined to make it: to normal and her condition remained course, knowing where we started from. to the ambulance crew that my husband in a pulse. and he dislocated both knees and his right “I’ve got titanium rods in my legs holding stable. survived.” “He kept suffering cardiac arrests – it ankle. me together so I wouldn’t stand much Ieuan, 42, from Coedpoeth, an When the survey was carried out we were less than The couple were on a caravan holiday at happened about ten times followed by a In all his right leg was broken in 50 chance of getting past an airport metal ambulance technician for two and a half a year into our five year modernisation programme Lydstep Haven, near Tenby, when Keith pulse.” different places and he has spent 20 hours detector,” he said. years, said: “It was a potentially very and the Trust had been going through some major became ill with chest pains on Saturday Even after the thrombolysing clot-busting on the operating table as surgeons have put dangerous situation but luckily we were changes. I appreciate that everyone is working hard morning, September 1. injection, Mr Rosser arrested twice more his body back together again. Flintshire woman who has suffered called and we were able to deal with it. under immense pressure to improve the service and Susan dialed 999 and within eight with Gareth and Roger shocking him again But if it hadn’t been for Merthyr from diabetes for over 30 years this kind of work and commitment has made it minutes the crew of paramedic Gareth before he was stable enough to carry into paramedic Simon Morgan the six foot two can look to the future with more hen paramedic Neil Phelps, below possible to introduce service improvements across Jones, below left, and technician Roger the ambulance. ex-para knows he wouldn’t have been home Aconfidence thanks to the expertise of an second left, was called to an Wales. Hubbard were on the scene. Keith, who survived a heart attack seven to spend Christmas with wife Jane and ten- ambulance crew. address in the Rhondda it turned Managers have been among those working She said: “He had a massive heart attack years ago, said: “I remember them coming year-old son Lloyd. Nesta, 52, and husband Richard, of Wout to be one he knew well – he used to exceptionally hard on these issues. In recognition and they had to resuscitate him and shock in but I don’t recall much after that but I’m “He quite simply saved my life,” says Swaine Avenue, Buckley, are able to deliver their papers. of this the Trust is launching a new management him 12 times – they worked on him for just so grateful to them. Adrian, 35, who got home to Little Mill, recognise the warning signs when her sugar This time the Rapid Response Vehicle learning programme, part of which will focus on the about 40 minutes to save his life. “I remember Roger Hubbard saying to near Pontypool, from hospital on Monday: levels are running low, and know what paramedic saved the life of 73-year-old need for good communication and the importance “The professionalism and expertise of me, ‘Don’t go now, stay with us’ and I said, “It’s down to him and what he did on that action to take. retired builder Derek Williams who had of building strong working relationships.