TVAA conducts HEMS training course
More pre-hospital emergency medicine trained paramedics and doctors will be available in the South Central region of England following a five-day clinical HEMS crew course held at the Thames Valley Air Ambulance (TVAA) training centre.
More pre-hospital emergency medicine trained paramedics and doctors will be available in the South Central region of England following a five-day clinical HEMS crew course held at the Thames Valley Air Ambulance (TVAA) training centre at RAF Benson at the end of May. The course was developed by Dr Syed Masud, who is the clinical team leader for the helicopter air ambulance charity and also a consultant in emergency medicine and pre-hospital care at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
From 25 to 28 May, eight paramedics (from both TVAA and Hampshire and Isle of White Air Ambulance), six emergency medical doctors and one consultant nurse from the John Radcliffe hospital prepared for helicopter emergency medical services, training together to build the ‘paramedic physician partnership’ that is essential for a truly gold standard delivery of pre-hospital emergency medicine, said the charity. On each day, lectures were followed with advanced ‘on-scene’ training scenarios. Subjects covered included full general anaesthesia and open surgery at the roadside, immediate pre-hospital blood transfusion and advanced ultrasound techniques to diagnose patients quickly. The new recruits will directly transfer these skills to the field when they join TVAA’s air crew full time, said the service.
Dr Masud commented: “Trauma happens from the second an incident occurs, and it is vital that our crews are at the cutting edge of pre-hospital emergency care in order to treat and stabilise patients at the scene. The course pushes the boundaries of medical intervention and demonstrates that what people thought could only be done in hospital is now being done in minutes by the roadside.”
Mark McGeown, TVAA CEO, added: “This course shows that our charity and the South Central Ambulance Service are committed to developing and enhancing the helicopter emergency service in our region to provide the highest level of care for patients who need us.”