Well I am sure that some of you will have received your A4C letters outlining your new salary.... for those of your who are not up to speed with the whole A4C fiasco it has taken nearly 3 years for the Service and unions to agree the terms and conditions of this new deal, there has been rumours flying all ways in regards to the payments that staff will receive and how staff will be better off because they are now getting paid for working "Unsocial" hours (between 7pm and 7am Mon to Fri and all day Sat and Sunday), disturbed meal breaks and public holidays. Well the big day arrived on Saturday and the brown stuff well and truly hit the rotating thing at a great speed... basically as a qualified Technician within the SAS you can expect to earn £22,271.00 basic salary, with my weekend hours I get a further £495.56 that gives me a grand total of £22,855.65 now that sounds not bad so you would expect that the A4C payment would match or better this.... Well my new basic salary is £19,248.00 YES that is £3,023.00 less than what I currently earn, once I receive my "Unsocial" payments which because I am relief is calculated on a 3 monthly period unlike the permanent board members who receive 25% flat rate payment, I come out with 17% which equates to £3,272.16 giving me a new grand total of £22,520.16, now for those of you who can count that is £335.40 less per year than what I currently earn so I have that difference protected. This means that I am no better off and potentially I will lose out if my "unsocial" % changes in the next 3-month reference period!!!!
We have also been offered a £250 per year payment for having our meals disturbed along with £5 per shift regardless of how many times we are disturbed, this means that technically you could work 12 hours and have 5 or 6 disturbed attempts at a break or no break at all and only receive £5!!! One of my colleagues worked it out that they would get 80 pence per shift if they continue to have their meal disturbed at the current level!! (Can't find anywhere that sells replacement meals for 80p)
As you can gather there is a lot of unhappy staff within the service at the moment and it seems that the unions have taken 3 years to negotiate a pay cut for Technicians!!!!
Thanks guys
Monday, February 20, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
28C01
Well this is the code that means you are going to a patient who is "Not Alert" following a CVA (Stroke).
So we arrive and because of difficulty in parking, I walk to the house with my oxygen and response bag and my colleague follows eventually with the defibrillator, once he can safely park the Ambulance without drivers thinking that they have the right to totally ignore all rules of the road and common courtesy. As I walk towards the house the patient's son tells me "I think my Dad is now dead!" so in I go and true to his word the patient was lying slumped in his wheelchair not breathing and no pulse.
I get the patient on the floor and start my CPR protocol, securing this 78 yr old mans airway with a plastic curved tube called an oro-pharyngeal airway (OPA), breathing for him with a Bag and Mask connected to my oxygen and start jumping up and down on his chest. As I am doing this my colleague walks in and quickly connects the defib to the patient and we find that he is Asystolic (flat line) so my colleague (who is a paramedic) confirms that I have a good airway for the patient and begins to cannulate (place a small plastic sheath and needle into a vein) him, we give some cardiac drugs and continue with CPR, because of the tightness in the house, we decide not to intubate (pass a larger tube into the patient's airway) until we are in the vehicle. Following this decision my colleague gets the son to help him gather further equipment and returns, but whilst my colleague is away the patient decided to change his heart rhythm and I am able to deliver an electric shock to stun his heart (defibrillate) into a rhythm that is able to sustain life! With one shock his heart starts beating normally and he slowly starts breathing!!!
Once in the Ambulance we intubate him to secure his airway properly as he was still not breathing sufficiently on his own, we blue light him into hospital and are met by the full resuscitation team in AE and hand over his care to them.
Upon cleaning and clearing I pop back in to check on his condition and his heart is still beating, he is breathing with less assistance and he is being prepared to be moved for further investigations.... as I walk out the Consultant who was looking after him says "Well done" now I know that it doesn't sound much but when you have worked as hard as my colleague and I did it is nice to feel as if you have at least given the patient and his family a chance!
Will see how he is getting on tomorrow and keep you all updated.... if you want?
So we arrive and because of difficulty in parking, I walk to the house with my oxygen and response bag and my colleague follows eventually with the defibrillator, once he can safely park the Ambulance without drivers thinking that they have the right to totally ignore all rules of the road and common courtesy. As I walk towards the house the patient's son tells me "I think my Dad is now dead!" so in I go and true to his word the patient was lying slumped in his wheelchair not breathing and no pulse.
I get the patient on the floor and start my CPR protocol, securing this 78 yr old mans airway with a plastic curved tube called an oro-pharyngeal airway (OPA), breathing for him with a Bag and Mask connected to my oxygen and start jumping up and down on his chest. As I am doing this my colleague walks in and quickly connects the defib to the patient and we find that he is Asystolic (flat line) so my colleague (who is a paramedic) confirms that I have a good airway for the patient and begins to cannulate (place a small plastic sheath and needle into a vein) him, we give some cardiac drugs and continue with CPR, because of the tightness in the house, we decide not to intubate (pass a larger tube into the patient's airway) until we are in the vehicle. Following this decision my colleague gets the son to help him gather further equipment and returns, but whilst my colleague is away the patient decided to change his heart rhythm and I am able to deliver an electric shock to stun his heart (defibrillate) into a rhythm that is able to sustain life! With one shock his heart starts beating normally and he slowly starts breathing!!!
Once in the Ambulance we intubate him to secure his airway properly as he was still not breathing sufficiently on his own, we blue light him into hospital and are met by the full resuscitation team in AE and hand over his care to them.
Upon cleaning and clearing I pop back in to check on his condition and his heart is still beating, he is breathing with less assistance and he is being prepared to be moved for further investigations.... as I walk out the Consultant who was looking after him says "Well done" now I know that it doesn't sound much but when you have worked as hard as my colleague and I did it is nice to feel as if you have at least given the patient and his family a chance!
Will see how he is getting on tomorrow and keep you all updated.... if you want?
Monday, February 06, 2006
Oh that's got to hurt
Well I was working 7-7 day shift at a neighbouring station today and it was your run of the mill calls, elderly patients who had fallen and possibly fractured their hips etc.
Well all that was to change, at 1330hrs we get the do do do doop noise as we are pulling into Livi to give the outside of the Ambulance a quick clean, so pulling back out of the wash bay we are heading out of the station lights and sirens going to a call at a local industrial estate for a 'Male hit by sheet metal' we arrive to be waved in the direction of the patient, who is lying on the floor beside a very large machine, in obvious pain, but still fully conscious.
I am driving for this half of the shift so my partner goes to assess the patient whilst I gather some extra information from the patients colleagues. My partner shouts to get another crew with a paramedic for pain relief, I head back and gather some further equipment and call up to the EMDC at the same time requesting the second 'paramedic' crew and head back.
Our patient is given entonox for the pain before we even begin touching him, but we can see that this will not work that well and hope that the second crew are not that far from us.
Now the patient is a male in his 30's who has been working at a machine when some sheet metal struck him in both the legs just above his ankles, this caused one of them to snap and the other leg ended up being fractured (#) and the foot was rotated 180 degrees, causing the bones in that leg to tear through the skin.....
The 'paramedic' crew arrived and gave the patient more stronger pain relief, set up fluids because of the blood loss and shock and we then had to gently move the fractured ankle into box splint so that we could then move this leg off the one underneath which was the rotated open fracture (more serious due to the possibility of loosing the foot if the blood supply is restricted beyond the site of the injury).
Once we had the # ankle supported and moved out the way we could then see the full extent of the injury and begin to manipulate it back into line (we had to remember and turn it the right way!!), now the feeling of crepitus is not a nice one and I have only felt it once before, but today I was supporting this limb as my colleagues applied traction above and below and we all turned together, straightening the patients knee out and making sure the foot was pointing in the same direction as his knee, my hands were under the fracture, holding on the sterile dressings to control the bleeding and supporing the bones and I can honestly say if you want to feel crepitus then get some chicken bones, snap them and then rub them together in your hands!!
Once our both the legs were stabilised and the patient was feeling the effects of the pain relief medication he was lifted onto the trolley bed in the Ambulance and the 'paramedic' crew transported him to hospital, leaving me and my colleague to tidy and re-stock our vehicle and reponse bag because we found out that the 'paramedic' had used all our equipment! Thanks mate!
Oh well I guess that the patient will now be lying in a hospital bed, possibly following surgery today and looking forward to a fairly lenghty recovery process, well at least we managed to do something good for a change :)
Well all that was to change, at 1330hrs we get the do do do doop noise as we are pulling into Livi to give the outside of the Ambulance a quick clean, so pulling back out of the wash bay we are heading out of the station lights and sirens going to a call at a local industrial estate for a 'Male hit by sheet metal' we arrive to be waved in the direction of the patient, who is lying on the floor beside a very large machine, in obvious pain, but still fully conscious.
I am driving for this half of the shift so my partner goes to assess the patient whilst I gather some extra information from the patients colleagues. My partner shouts to get another crew with a paramedic for pain relief, I head back and gather some further equipment and call up to the EMDC at the same time requesting the second 'paramedic' crew and head back.
Our patient is given entonox for the pain before we even begin touching him, but we can see that this will not work that well and hope that the second crew are not that far from us.
Now the patient is a male in his 30's who has been working at a machine when some sheet metal struck him in both the legs just above his ankles, this caused one of them to snap and the other leg ended up being fractured (#) and the foot was rotated 180 degrees, causing the bones in that leg to tear through the skin.....
The 'paramedic' crew arrived and gave the patient more stronger pain relief, set up fluids because of the blood loss and shock and we then had to gently move the fractured ankle into box splint so that we could then move this leg off the one underneath which was the rotated open fracture (more serious due to the possibility of loosing the foot if the blood supply is restricted beyond the site of the injury).
Once we had the # ankle supported and moved out the way we could then see the full extent of the injury and begin to manipulate it back into line (we had to remember and turn it the right way!!), now the feeling of crepitus is not a nice one and I have only felt it once before, but today I was supporting this limb as my colleagues applied traction above and below and we all turned together, straightening the patients knee out and making sure the foot was pointing in the same direction as his knee, my hands were under the fracture, holding on the sterile dressings to control the bleeding and supporing the bones and I can honestly say if you want to feel crepitus then get some chicken bones, snap them and then rub them together in your hands!!
Once our both the legs were stabilised and the patient was feeling the effects of the pain relief medication he was lifted onto the trolley bed in the Ambulance and the 'paramedic' crew transported him to hospital, leaving me and my colleague to tidy and re-stock our vehicle and reponse bag because we found out that the 'paramedic' had used all our equipment! Thanks mate!
Oh well I guess that the patient will now be lying in a hospital bed, possibly following surgery today and looking forward to a fairly lenghty recovery process, well at least we managed to do something good for a change :)
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Paramedic practical
Well I have just returned from the one of the most stressful set of assessments that you would want to sit during an afternoon. There were two, one was a medical and the other a cardiac arrest scenario. I completed both and have found out that I have PASSED!!!! So now I have to attend an interview with the Training Manager, Training Officer and Hospital Consultant to see if I am a suitable candidate to complete the paramedic training course.
Fingers crossed!
YIPEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! :D
Fingers crossed!
YIPEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! :D
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Can't sleep
Well here I am, sitting in my dressing gown, Kal is in bed, fast asleep and I am wide awake, I can't sleep... I don't know if it was all the coffee, the nerves about my forthcoming paramedic exam (2nd part) or what, but I just can't manage to close my eyes.
I have felt this before, but tonight, no matter what I do I just end up looking at the ceiling of my room, Kal is there beside me, warm, cosy, all sleepy and there I am turning in bed fighting with the pillows feeling all alone. I don't want to disturb him as he is teaching in the morning maybe I am overtired. I finished nights on Friday morning and managed to get a good sleep I then met up with Kal and two other friends and went to laser quest then bowling, via pizza hut for something to eat. It was a lovely night I was driving so I didn't drink, everyone else was indulging and then it was an early rise this morning as I was teaching on the First Responder Course in Penicuik.
I arrived at 0845hrs in Penicuik with Kal in tow, more rough than I because of the mix of red wine and beer. The class finished at 1430hrs, popped over to my folks to visit then back to the flat for tea, eventually sat down at 2030hrs and watched some TV before making pudding at 2100hrs, coffee was flowing and now here I am at 0005hrs on Sunday morning wide awake and feeling totally fed up and probably slightly jealous that Kal can climb into bed and within 5 minutes of his head hitting the pillow is breathing heavily and off deeply in sleep!!!
Oh well may I will try a horlicks to see if that helps, but knowing my luck it wont!
I have felt this before, but tonight, no matter what I do I just end up looking at the ceiling of my room, Kal is there beside me, warm, cosy, all sleepy and there I am turning in bed fighting with the pillows feeling all alone. I don't want to disturb him as he is teaching in the morning maybe I am overtired. I finished nights on Friday morning and managed to get a good sleep I then met up with Kal and two other friends and went to laser quest then bowling, via pizza hut for something to eat. It was a lovely night I was driving so I didn't drink, everyone else was indulging and then it was an early rise this morning as I was teaching on the First Responder Course in Penicuik.
I arrived at 0845hrs in Penicuik with Kal in tow, more rough than I because of the mix of red wine and beer. The class finished at 1430hrs, popped over to my folks to visit then back to the flat for tea, eventually sat down at 2030hrs and watched some TV before making pudding at 2100hrs, coffee was flowing and now here I am at 0005hrs on Sunday morning wide awake and feeling totally fed up and probably slightly jealous that Kal can climb into bed and within 5 minutes of his head hitting the pillow is breathing heavily and off deeply in sleep!!!
Oh well may I will try a horlicks to see if that helps, but knowing my luck it wont!
Monday, January 23, 2006
Let your fingers do the tapping!
You should check this out, it is fun... Song Tapper, it is where you can find the name of that tune that is stuck in your head.
Now everyone knows that is a good idea!
Now everyone knows that is a good idea!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
NIght shifts
Well I am working the full weekend nights this week and it has been a fairly eventful set of shifts so far.
Friday Night:
It started out quietly, with our first call being that of an anaphylactic female, she was treated with epinephrine, salbutamol and oxygen and transported to hospital for further care. Our next call was some 2 1/2hrs later, now this is unusual for a Friday night, but it sometimes happens.
The calls started to pick up and the night started getting busier, we were sent to stand by at one of the designated dispatch points and after being there for a whole 15 minutes we were winging our way to a reported hit and run on a busy street near by, 4 minutes later we are pulling up to be met by a group of excited people standing around a male who is lying on his back with facial (minor) injuries. The Police quickly arrive on mass and we quickly assess and treat the patient, placing him on a rescue board and securing his head with a rigid collar and head blocks, once he was secured he was taken into the back of the Ambulance and was examined further to see if he had any other injuries. This patient was lucky and he had relatively minor injuries. We transported him to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary due to the mechanisms of his injury.
We were heading back after doing some 999 calls in Edinburgh and stopped to fuel up the Ambulance, as I was in paying for the fuel my colleague signalled that we had a call, this time it was a car that had left the road and rolled down an embankment landing on its roof with a report of 5 people trapped. When we arrived we were the second crew on scene and quickly found out from the fire service that there were only two trapped and a third patient in the back of one of the fire engines, my colleague went to check the person who was not trapped and I started to gather together all the necessary equipment for our trapped male patient.
Now picture the scene, dark slippery embankment with clio sized car on its roof, 8 firemen, myself and one paramedic all in the car with the two patients, it was like a Guinness book of records challenge for how many people you could get into one car... The male was eventually extricated from the car, placed onto a rescue board and with collar and straps etc all applied carried out and up the embankment to the warmth of our waiting Ambulance where we did a head to toe check to rule out any other obvious injuries.
The female was removed in much the same fashion and was taken to the other vehicle for a check over and she and the patient in the fire engine were re-united and both transported to hospital. Our patient was taken to the same hospital, I however did not travel, because the patient was requiring paramedic interventions en route (pain relief etc) I jumped on with the third vehicle which had arrived (bringing my replacement paramedic) and LS (paramedic) travelled with my colleague and patient.
Now by this stage it was 0545hrs and I was wet and muddy, once clearing on scene and updating the EMDC I was asked if we were able to do an urgent call or if we wanted our now long forgotten meal break.... as you can guess I plumped for the meal break so that I could get cleaned and warmed up.
Saturday Night:
This started out once again with us being sent out at the start of the shift for a diabetic male who had taken unwell whilst driving his car, when we arrived he was starting to respond to the chocolate that his father had given him, his blood sugars were still low so he was given an injection to raise his levels and we transported him to Livingston (St. John's Hospital) for further care.
Back on station for our vehicle check and once this is complete coffee!
The following calls were all relatively small in comparison to the night of car accidents, we did still manage to get a call that took us into Edinburgh and we were then captured for a couple of calls, one was a male found confused and wandering around in his underwear in the common stair well of his block of flats. We transported him to hospital to get him examined and to see if they could find out what had happened to him, as he was not showing any physical injuries.
We eventually got back on station at about 0400hrs and had our second break (tea and toast) and then got the chance to clean the outside of the vehicle and re stock for the day shift coming in. We were lucky that we did not get called out again and managed to finish on time this morning....
Oh well only one more to go then off until Tuesday NIGHTSHIFT!
Friday Night:
It started out quietly, with our first call being that of an anaphylactic female, she was treated with epinephrine, salbutamol and oxygen and transported to hospital for further care. Our next call was some 2 1/2hrs later, now this is unusual for a Friday night, but it sometimes happens.
The calls started to pick up and the night started getting busier, we were sent to stand by at one of the designated dispatch points and after being there for a whole 15 minutes we were winging our way to a reported hit and run on a busy street near by, 4 minutes later we are pulling up to be met by a group of excited people standing around a male who is lying on his back with facial (minor) injuries. The Police quickly arrive on mass and we quickly assess and treat the patient, placing him on a rescue board and securing his head with a rigid collar and head blocks, once he was secured he was taken into the back of the Ambulance and was examined further to see if he had any other injuries. This patient was lucky and he had relatively minor injuries. We transported him to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary due to the mechanisms of his injury.
We were heading back after doing some 999 calls in Edinburgh and stopped to fuel up the Ambulance, as I was in paying for the fuel my colleague signalled that we had a call, this time it was a car that had left the road and rolled down an embankment landing on its roof with a report of 5 people trapped. When we arrived we were the second crew on scene and quickly found out from the fire service that there were only two trapped and a third patient in the back of one of the fire engines, my colleague went to check the person who was not trapped and I started to gather together all the necessary equipment for our trapped male patient.
Now picture the scene, dark slippery embankment with clio sized car on its roof, 8 firemen, myself and one paramedic all in the car with the two patients, it was like a Guinness book of records challenge for how many people you could get into one car... The male was eventually extricated from the car, placed onto a rescue board and with collar and straps etc all applied carried out and up the embankment to the warmth of our waiting Ambulance where we did a head to toe check to rule out any other obvious injuries.
The female was removed in much the same fashion and was taken to the other vehicle for a check over and she and the patient in the fire engine were re-united and both transported to hospital. Our patient was taken to the same hospital, I however did not travel, because the patient was requiring paramedic interventions en route (pain relief etc) I jumped on with the third vehicle which had arrived (bringing my replacement paramedic) and LS (paramedic) travelled with my colleague and patient.
Now by this stage it was 0545hrs and I was wet and muddy, once clearing on scene and updating the EMDC I was asked if we were able to do an urgent call or if we wanted our now long forgotten meal break.... as you can guess I plumped for the meal break so that I could get cleaned and warmed up.
Saturday Night:
This started out once again with us being sent out at the start of the shift for a diabetic male who had taken unwell whilst driving his car, when we arrived he was starting to respond to the chocolate that his father had given him, his blood sugars were still low so he was given an injection to raise his levels and we transported him to Livingston (St. John's Hospital) for further care.
Back on station for our vehicle check and once this is complete coffee!
The following calls were all relatively small in comparison to the night of car accidents, we did still manage to get a call that took us into Edinburgh and we were then captured for a couple of calls, one was a male found confused and wandering around in his underwear in the common stair well of his block of flats. We transported him to hospital to get him examined and to see if they could find out what had happened to him, as he was not showing any physical injuries.
We eventually got back on station at about 0400hrs and had our second break (tea and toast) and then got the chance to clean the outside of the vehicle and re stock for the day shift coming in. We were lucky that we did not get called out again and managed to finish on time this morning....
Oh well only one more to go then off until Tuesday NIGHTSHIFT!
Friday, January 13, 2006
What seat first?
This is the question I pose when working with a colleague for the first shift, it means what role am I fulfilling for the first part of the shift (work 12 hrs normally and therefore you change role halfway with your colleague to give them / get a break).
I asked that question today and was told, "You are in the back first" = I am in the attendant seat and have responsibility of the patient care. So it started well, kettle on after the vehicle being checked stocked and made ready for the road. Settled down in the reclining leather (ish) chairs and waiting on the phone to go... and waited and waited and waited.... zzzzz Ring ring! SMM, Nee Naw station (cheers Nee Naw for the noise!) It was the Police looking for information in regards to a call a few days ago, unfortunately I was not able to help but gave him the number of someone who could (The EMDC :) ). 1000hrs and the phone goes again, it is the EMDC Dispatcher booking us off for our meal break... porridge for both of us for our breakfast.... zzzzz 1130hrs Ring ring, Hi I have an urgent call (this is a call where a Doctor has been out (normally) to see the patient and has placed a time scale on them being into hospital for their care). Finished this call and cleared now in Edinburgh in the Western Triangle (You always get caught for a call when you clear at the Western General Hospital) and we are given the RTB = Return To Base Station, just as we are pulling out ... Do do doop! Another urgent call this time to go to Stirling Royal Hospital with a patient who is unwell and needs to be in hospital within 1hr.
We collect the patient, get her settled into the Ambulance and off to the hospital, upon arrival in the unit we are met with what looks like a scene from Casualty with patients lying all over on trolleys, sitting in chairs and relatives walking about, we are eventually spoken to by the nurse in charge of the bed in the hospital and she advised that our patient has a bed in a ward, now you would think this is good news and it is but not for us, we have to because of the lack of trolleys request permission from our EMDC to take the patient to the ward. This is not policy and when we advise the nurse of this she has a lot to say about the policy, we listen and then take our patient to the ward, explaining to the family what is happening.
We clear and are now returned to station for our second meal break (now 1530hrs), just as we pull up outside the station door Do do doop! An emergency call for a female who, when we arrive it turns out has been unwell for 4 months and decided that she did not want to wait any longer for her Doctor to refer her to hospital for an out-patient review of her chronic condition. We clear (now 1645hrs) and back for our second attempt of our second meal break.
Back in the station on the recliner again and just relaxing when (1800hrs) Ring ring.. Hi I have a fire call with persons reported inside.. Off we go again lights and sirens going, we arrive and park behind the 3 Fire engines and 2 police cars and make our way to the patient, who is a female not wanting to travel, we check her out and she still refuses to travel so we clear. Back in the vehicle we think 1830hrs and still a chance to finish on time, just as we get out of the village Do do doop, the same address that we have just been at, we call the EMDC to confirm if we are still to attend, they advise that a second patient has been found, so around the round about and back again.
When we arrive we are told that there is now a male with difficulty breathing, we check him and offer to take him to hospital for a further follow up and with this we also offer the original female patient the same again, this time she agrees so with two patients on-board we set off to the hospital. We eventually arrived back at station 45 minutes late and our colleagues were out in the spare, oh well hope they have a better quieter night!
I asked that question today and was told, "You are in the back first" = I am in the attendant seat and have responsibility of the patient care. So it started well, kettle on after the vehicle being checked stocked and made ready for the road. Settled down in the reclining leather (ish) chairs and waiting on the phone to go... and waited and waited and waited.... zzzzz Ring ring! SMM, Nee Naw station (cheers Nee Naw for the noise!) It was the Police looking for information in regards to a call a few days ago, unfortunately I was not able to help but gave him the number of someone who could (The EMDC :) ). 1000hrs and the phone goes again, it is the EMDC Dispatcher booking us off for our meal break... porridge for both of us for our breakfast.... zzzzz 1130hrs Ring ring, Hi I have an urgent call (this is a call where a Doctor has been out (normally) to see the patient and has placed a time scale on them being into hospital for their care). Finished this call and cleared now in Edinburgh in the Western Triangle (You always get caught for a call when you clear at the Western General Hospital) and we are given the RTB = Return To Base Station, just as we are pulling out ... Do do doop! Another urgent call this time to go to Stirling Royal Hospital with a patient who is unwell and needs to be in hospital within 1hr.
We collect the patient, get her settled into the Ambulance and off to the hospital, upon arrival in the unit we are met with what looks like a scene from Casualty with patients lying all over on trolleys, sitting in chairs and relatives walking about, we are eventually spoken to by the nurse in charge of the bed in the hospital and she advised that our patient has a bed in a ward, now you would think this is good news and it is but not for us, we have to because of the lack of trolleys request permission from our EMDC to take the patient to the ward. This is not policy and when we advise the nurse of this she has a lot to say about the policy, we listen and then take our patient to the ward, explaining to the family what is happening.
We clear and are now returned to station for our second meal break (now 1530hrs), just as we pull up outside the station door Do do doop! An emergency call for a female who, when we arrive it turns out has been unwell for 4 months and decided that she did not want to wait any longer for her Doctor to refer her to hospital for an out-patient review of her chronic condition. We clear (now 1645hrs) and back for our second attempt of our second meal break.
Back in the station on the recliner again and just relaxing when (1800hrs) Ring ring.. Hi I have a fire call with persons reported inside.. Off we go again lights and sirens going, we arrive and park behind the 3 Fire engines and 2 police cars and make our way to the patient, who is a female not wanting to travel, we check her out and she still refuses to travel so we clear. Back in the vehicle we think 1830hrs and still a chance to finish on time, just as we get out of the village Do do doop, the same address that we have just been at, we call the EMDC to confirm if we are still to attend, they advise that a second patient has been found, so around the round about and back again.
When we arrive we are told that there is now a male with difficulty breathing, we check him and offer to take him to hospital for a further follow up and with this we also offer the original female patient the same again, this time she agrees so with two patients on-board we set off to the hospital. We eventually arrived back at station 45 minutes late and our colleagues were out in the spare, oh well hope they have a better quieter night!
Sunday, January 08, 2006
I survived!
Well my first night back on after my accident and I managed to survive and not have a panic attack or prange the Ambulance. I was working with a female paramedic who, informed me at the start of my shift that I would be driving second half of the 12 hrs, which is what I had done on the shift when I had crashed. She was considerate enough to ask if this would be ok after we had checked the vehicle and had our cuppa.
I did have a few moments of ...."Oh my god I remember this bit... this is where..." and "Are the wheels sliding again?" but I am happy to say that I survived and hope that this will be the last time I feel like this when driving on the Motorway, but I am not sure if it will be......
I did have a few moments of ...."Oh my god I remember this bit... this is where..." and "Are the wheels sliding again?" but I am happy to say that I survived and hope that this will be the last time I feel like this when driving on the Motorway, but I am not sure if it will be......
This is what saved my life....
You can't see it that well, but this is the wire barrier that stopped me from shooting across into the other cariageway.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Thanks for not hitting me....
That is the thoughts that were going through my head as I was being strapped to the spinal board yesterday morning, you may wonder why I was think this or even in fact why I was being strapped to a board, but it was because I was involved in a collision in my Ambulance returning back from a call as I lost control on the un-treated M9 motorway, spun 3 times on ice and collided with the crash barrier causing the passenger door to blow open and nearly ejecting my partner, who luckily was wearing his seat belt.
This all occurred at 0647hrs, 13 minutes before we were due to finish our night shift.
As we were sitting in the Ambulance we both called our respective “loved ones” to let them know what had happened, this was after we had placed a priority call to the EMDC informing them what had happened and that we were now facing on-coming traffic, in the outside lane of the motorway with only our roof blue lights working (Not very good considering the freezing fog gave you a visibility of 100 meters!)
The EMDC Dispatcher asked if anyone was injured and if we needed another Ambulance etc, we were both shook up and sore so we confirmed that this would be appropriate and that we urgently needed the Police to make the area safe. After several more phone and radio calls the cavalry arrived in the form of the Day shift at our station (I was never so glad to see the blue lights and flashing head lights of an Ambulance). They parked in the Fend-off position to protect us, put on all their outside lights to try and illuminate the scene and prevent any further vehicles nearly colliding with us. Whilst we were sitting waiting on the crew arriving we had witnessed 4 vehicles stomping along at high speed in our lane, heading straight for us and only noticing at the last moment that there was in fact a smashed up Ambulance facing them, they all managed to swerve to avoid us, both my shift partner and I had various moments of terror seeing this happening and we both discussed which would be safer, staying with the vehicle, belted in or getting onto either the hard shoulder or central reservation and taking the chance of being hit or aggravating any possible injuries further…. We decided to sit tight and pray for a quick response.
Once the first crew arrived, it was apparent that both of us were going to get the full treatment and would be collared and boarded as a precaution and because we were both complaining of neck / back and I had right shoulder pain. The second crew arrived and I was transferred to their vehicle for further care, whilst my colleague was secured to a spinal board, checked over and transported to Stirling Royal AE (Because we were facing that direction on the Motorway). I was given the same treatment, collar applied to my neck, placed on a board, blood pressure, ECG and Oxygen levels monitored, I even trusted my colleague who was attending to me to cannulate my arm and give me some stronger pain relief for my shoulder. I was taken on a strange journey to AE, when I say strange it felt strange because I was the patient, I was the one lying there being cared for and not being able to do anything but just lie there. When I arrived at AE I was undressed, examined and x-rays were taken, I had the AE Consultant looking after me, which was comforting, as I knew I was in very safe hands.
Throughout the entire process my Station Officer (Area Service Manager) was floating between me and my injured colleague seeing if we were ok and if we needed anyone contacted. My flat mate was the first to arrive as Kal had called her telling her what had happened and she offered to come to the AE until he arrived (Because the M9 was now completely closed and she could come via the back roads until Kal arrived by train). Kal arrived fairly soon after I had been assessed and was with me before I went for x-rays, My Station Officer went to my colleague to keep him company until his wife arrived. We were both given the all clear after our x-ray results had been checked and were discharged with information re ongoing care for neck / back pain.
I went home, via the station to collect my car, had a very long hot shower and a big mug of tea and went with Kal to Edinburgh to visit my folks, I dropped him off at his work (for which he was now 5 hours late) and spent the rest of the day with my parents being pampered and fed numerous cups of tea etc.
I met Kal after his work (for which he had stayed late to catch up on the stuff he should have done during his time in AE with me) and we had a lazy night in front of the TV with a Chinese take away and that is when it hit me, what had happened, what might have happened and how it could have turned out horribly different. I was glad to be safe in his arms, maybe a bit sore, but still safe….
This all occurred at 0647hrs, 13 minutes before we were due to finish our night shift.
As we were sitting in the Ambulance we both called our respective “loved ones” to let them know what had happened, this was after we had placed a priority call to the EMDC informing them what had happened and that we were now facing on-coming traffic, in the outside lane of the motorway with only our roof blue lights working (Not very good considering the freezing fog gave you a visibility of 100 meters!)
The EMDC Dispatcher asked if anyone was injured and if we needed another Ambulance etc, we were both shook up and sore so we confirmed that this would be appropriate and that we urgently needed the Police to make the area safe. After several more phone and radio calls the cavalry arrived in the form of the Day shift at our station (I was never so glad to see the blue lights and flashing head lights of an Ambulance). They parked in the Fend-off position to protect us, put on all their outside lights to try and illuminate the scene and prevent any further vehicles nearly colliding with us. Whilst we were sitting waiting on the crew arriving we had witnessed 4 vehicles stomping along at high speed in our lane, heading straight for us and only noticing at the last moment that there was in fact a smashed up Ambulance facing them, they all managed to swerve to avoid us, both my shift partner and I had various moments of terror seeing this happening and we both discussed which would be safer, staying with the vehicle, belted in or getting onto either the hard shoulder or central reservation and taking the chance of being hit or aggravating any possible injuries further…. We decided to sit tight and pray for a quick response.
Once the first crew arrived, it was apparent that both of us were going to get the full treatment and would be collared and boarded as a precaution and because we were both complaining of neck / back and I had right shoulder pain. The second crew arrived and I was transferred to their vehicle for further care, whilst my colleague was secured to a spinal board, checked over and transported to Stirling Royal AE (Because we were facing that direction on the Motorway). I was given the same treatment, collar applied to my neck, placed on a board, blood pressure, ECG and Oxygen levels monitored, I even trusted my colleague who was attending to me to cannulate my arm and give me some stronger pain relief for my shoulder. I was taken on a strange journey to AE, when I say strange it felt strange because I was the patient, I was the one lying there being cared for and not being able to do anything but just lie there. When I arrived at AE I was undressed, examined and x-rays were taken, I had the AE Consultant looking after me, which was comforting, as I knew I was in very safe hands.
Throughout the entire process my Station Officer (Area Service Manager) was floating between me and my injured colleague seeing if we were ok and if we needed anyone contacted. My flat mate was the first to arrive as Kal had called her telling her what had happened and she offered to come to the AE until he arrived (Because the M9 was now completely closed and she could come via the back roads until Kal arrived by train). Kal arrived fairly soon after I had been assessed and was with me before I went for x-rays, My Station Officer went to my colleague to keep him company until his wife arrived. We were both given the all clear after our x-ray results had been checked and were discharged with information re ongoing care for neck / back pain.
I went home, via the station to collect my car, had a very long hot shower and a big mug of tea and went with Kal to Edinburgh to visit my folks, I dropped him off at his work (for which he was now 5 hours late) and spent the rest of the day with my parents being pampered and fed numerous cups of tea etc.
I met Kal after his work (for which he had stayed late to catch up on the stuff he should have done during his time in AE with me) and we had a lazy night in front of the TV with a Chinese take away and that is when it hit me, what had happened, what might have happened and how it could have turned out horribly different. I was glad to be safe in his arms, maybe a bit sore, but still safe….
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
The vampire shifts...
Well I have been the lucky one and over the Christmas and New Year period I had the pleasure of working NIGHTS.
I know that I should be happy because I got to go up North to see Kal and his family and friends between the shifts finishing on Tuesday 27th Dec and starting again on Sat 31st of December, and I am, it was a very pleasant trip north, the food was good, the alcohol was even better but most of all the company was amazing. I come from a family where less is sometimes more... i.e. SMM Mum "How has your day been SMM?" Me "Oh ok busy with calls etc, managed to get finished on time so that is a bonus" SMM Mum "Oh that is good, so what's your plans for your days off?" and so it goes on. Kal and his family on the other had have discussions that go off on tangents and force your brain to actually work and it is wonderful seeing how they interact as a unit, the discussions, the body language, the knowing.... I find it challenging at times to keep up with the two or three conversations that are happening at once (Yes I know men can't multi-task very well...I am slightly better than most I think because I have to at work), but it is enjoyable, fulfilling and enthralling to be part of this and you are definitely made to feel welcome with your comments, but be prepared to explain why you think something, or clarify your answer to the questions that are being posed.
I always look forward to my time up there because of the atmosphere and the people along with the beauty of the place and especially because I get to spend lazy time with Kal.
I know that I should be happy because I got to go up North to see Kal and his family and friends between the shifts finishing on Tuesday 27th Dec and starting again on Sat 31st of December, and I am, it was a very pleasant trip north, the food was good, the alcohol was even better but most of all the company was amazing. I come from a family where less is sometimes more... i.e. SMM Mum "How has your day been SMM?" Me "Oh ok busy with calls etc, managed to get finished on time so that is a bonus" SMM Mum "Oh that is good, so what's your plans for your days off?" and so it goes on. Kal and his family on the other had have discussions that go off on tangents and force your brain to actually work and it is wonderful seeing how they interact as a unit, the discussions, the body language, the knowing.... I find it challenging at times to keep up with the two or three conversations that are happening at once (Yes I know men can't multi-task very well...I am slightly better than most I think because I have to at work), but it is enjoyable, fulfilling and enthralling to be part of this and you are definitely made to feel welcome with your comments, but be prepared to explain why you think something, or clarify your answer to the questions that are being posed.
I always look forward to my time up there because of the atmosphere and the people along with the beauty of the place and especially because I get to spend lazy time with Kal.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Festive Tears
Today I was working as part of a double crew with a female Paramedic, well our day started out well, we had just finished out our tea and coffee and the phone went … it was the Dispatcher asking for us to go out and stand-by at a tactical deployment point (TDP). Now TDPs are designed to allow us to reach areas within a specific time scale, which, because of the distance from the station we would not normally be able to achieve if an emergency call were to come in.
So we arrive at the TDP and settle down, turning on the TV in the room and watching some daytime TV. The mobile rings and we are allocated onto an emergency call for a patient with chest pains, off we go, lights and sirens going. We arrive and handle the patient, carrying out a 12-lead ECG and making the patient more comfortable before heading into Accident and Emergency.
After clearing we are sent back to station, where we re-stock the equipment and drugs used and settle down to chat to some colleagues, the emergency phone rings again and we are off, this time for an elderly female who has fallen in the house. Upon our arrival we find the house secured and hunt to see if we can gain access to the property but to no avail. Just as we are about to request the Police arrive to assist in gaining entry a neighbour tells us that the patient has a key safe, which contains a spare front door key, we find the safe, get the code number from the patient (after shouting through the letter box again) and make our entry into the house. We are met by an elderly female, who is stuck on the floor with no obvious injuries, we check her for any pain / injury etc but after giving her a quick head to toe we assist her into a chair. We settle the lady down and make sure that she is happy to stay at home until her home help arrives and after getting the necessary paperwork completed we bid goodbye to the woman and return to our vehicle. We advise the EMDC that we are clear and they tell us to return for our lunch break (11am).
After our break we are allocated onto another emergency call and whilst en route the Dispatcher advises that this call is possibly for a child in cardiac arrest, we arrive within 3 minutes of the call being allocated to us and hear screams coming from the house that tells us this is not just a child who is fitting or has been holding their breath.
We are met by a distraught neighbour who tells us that her mum is a nurse in a Glasgow A&E department and that she is in the house with the mother and child, we walk in with all our equipment to be met by a hysterical female who is begging us to help her child, the child who is lying on the sofa, still and doll like, the neighbour’s mother is looking at us willing us to do something and we do, we take over from her, check the child and discover that this 2 year old boy is lifeless, not breathing and has unfortunately been dead for some time.
This is the worst part of the job, telling a relative that there is nothing we can do for their loved one. It is especially hard when it is a child who has died, now this is only my second death of a child and the last one was still viable; unfortunately this was not the case in this call.
Our focus of patient care moved from the child to the mother, the mother who is screaming and sobbing and begging for us to help, we comfort her and tell her that we unfortunately cannot help her child. My colleague is consoling the mother and I make my way to the vehicle to set in motion all the necessary support mechanisms (Police attendance, Family Doctor etc). The Police arrive soon after us and start with their procedures, by this stage the Gran and Great Gran-mother arrive and I meet them in the hallway of the house and break the news that they are not wanting to hear, they go and comfort their daughter / grand daughter.
My colleague and I console and comfort the three women, whilst maintaining a professional image, even although we both want to walk away and cry.
Some time passes and because of the nature of the call, we agree with the Police to transport the mother and deceased child to hospital (this is not normal but because the mother was not wanting to be separated from her child we gained authorisation from the Duty Manager in the EMDC). Upon our arrival a Doctor and Nurse met us at the doors to the Accident and Emergency unit and take the mother, deceased child and gran as a group to a relative room to allow them some time to come to terms with what is happening. We hand over the care of this group to the staff and went to our vehicle to sit and review what had just occurred over the last 90 minutes. We were comforted by two of our colleagues, who spoke to us in the vehicle and when we were returned to the station we were booked out of the system for a stress break. This is when it really hit us, my colleague and I went our separate ways and broke down, the release of emotion was overwhelming it turned us both into walking crying wrecks, we were consoled by our colleagues and station manager and given time to reflect and discuss the call.
I am sitting here, some 9hrs on still numb but I know that I will, over the next few days, cry whilst thinking about the call… I cannot imagine how the family are feeling just now and I don’t know that I would want to feel the emotions that they are experiencing.
All I can hope is that they know that we did everything we could for them. Unfortunately I know it was not enough.
God bless.
SMM
So we arrive at the TDP and settle down, turning on the TV in the room and watching some daytime TV. The mobile rings and we are allocated onto an emergency call for a patient with chest pains, off we go, lights and sirens going. We arrive and handle the patient, carrying out a 12-lead ECG and making the patient more comfortable before heading into Accident and Emergency.
After clearing we are sent back to station, where we re-stock the equipment and drugs used and settle down to chat to some colleagues, the emergency phone rings again and we are off, this time for an elderly female who has fallen in the house. Upon our arrival we find the house secured and hunt to see if we can gain access to the property but to no avail. Just as we are about to request the Police arrive to assist in gaining entry a neighbour tells us that the patient has a key safe, which contains a spare front door key, we find the safe, get the code number from the patient (after shouting through the letter box again) and make our entry into the house. We are met by an elderly female, who is stuck on the floor with no obvious injuries, we check her for any pain / injury etc but after giving her a quick head to toe we assist her into a chair. We settle the lady down and make sure that she is happy to stay at home until her home help arrives and after getting the necessary paperwork completed we bid goodbye to the woman and return to our vehicle. We advise the EMDC that we are clear and they tell us to return for our lunch break (11am).
After our break we are allocated onto another emergency call and whilst en route the Dispatcher advises that this call is possibly for a child in cardiac arrest, we arrive within 3 minutes of the call being allocated to us and hear screams coming from the house that tells us this is not just a child who is fitting or has been holding their breath.
We are met by a distraught neighbour who tells us that her mum is a nurse in a Glasgow A&E department and that she is in the house with the mother and child, we walk in with all our equipment to be met by a hysterical female who is begging us to help her child, the child who is lying on the sofa, still and doll like, the neighbour’s mother is looking at us willing us to do something and we do, we take over from her, check the child and discover that this 2 year old boy is lifeless, not breathing and has unfortunately been dead for some time.
This is the worst part of the job, telling a relative that there is nothing we can do for their loved one. It is especially hard when it is a child who has died, now this is only my second death of a child and the last one was still viable; unfortunately this was not the case in this call.
Our focus of patient care moved from the child to the mother, the mother who is screaming and sobbing and begging for us to help, we comfort her and tell her that we unfortunately cannot help her child. My colleague is consoling the mother and I make my way to the vehicle to set in motion all the necessary support mechanisms (Police attendance, Family Doctor etc). The Police arrive soon after us and start with their procedures, by this stage the Gran and Great Gran-mother arrive and I meet them in the hallway of the house and break the news that they are not wanting to hear, they go and comfort their daughter / grand daughter.
My colleague and I console and comfort the three women, whilst maintaining a professional image, even although we both want to walk away and cry.
Some time passes and because of the nature of the call, we agree with the Police to transport the mother and deceased child to hospital (this is not normal but because the mother was not wanting to be separated from her child we gained authorisation from the Duty Manager in the EMDC). Upon our arrival a Doctor and Nurse met us at the doors to the Accident and Emergency unit and take the mother, deceased child and gran as a group to a relative room to allow them some time to come to terms with what is happening. We hand over the care of this group to the staff and went to our vehicle to sit and review what had just occurred over the last 90 minutes. We were comforted by two of our colleagues, who spoke to us in the vehicle and when we were returned to the station we were booked out of the system for a stress break. This is when it really hit us, my colleague and I went our separate ways and broke down, the release of emotion was overwhelming it turned us both into walking crying wrecks, we were consoled by our colleagues and station manager and given time to reflect and discuss the call.
I am sitting here, some 9hrs on still numb but I know that I will, over the next few days, cry whilst thinking about the call… I cannot imagine how the family are feeling just now and I don’t know that I would want to feel the emotions that they are experiencing.
All I can hope is that they know that we did everything we could for them. Unfortunately I know it was not enough.
God bless.
SMM
Exams
Well as you will know if you have read my blog, I am not a big fan of exams and I have recently completed my finals for my Technician qualification. So I can now put the prospect of exams to the back of my mind.... NO instead I decide to put myself through the stress of the Paramedic Pre Entry exams. Now these are two papers, one multiple choice (MCQ) and the other consisted of 5 short written answers, now these sound simple but they are in fact 5 questions with 2 or 3 sub questions in each and you have to answer all the questions within 2 hours.
I finish the MCQ with 30 minutes to spare and decide that I should not read over my answers but just submit and leave, then after 90 minutes in the short written I am once again finished and decide that I have done as much as I can. I wait for my colleagues who were also sitting the exams and chat then head away home thinking "Oh well if I fail I can sit it again in the future".
Now I get on station today for a day shift 7-7 and find a letter in my pigeon-hole telling me that I have in fact actually passed and that the next stage of the process will be in January and will involve me participating in practical assessments... so wish me well and keep your fingers crossed in January!
I finish the MCQ with 30 minutes to spare and decide that I should not read over my answers but just submit and leave, then after 90 minutes in the short written I am once again finished and decide that I have done as much as I can. I wait for my colleagues who were also sitting the exams and chat then head away home thinking "Oh well if I fail I can sit it again in the future".
Now I get on station today for a day shift 7-7 and find a letter in my pigeon-hole telling me that I have in fact actually passed and that the next stage of the process will be in January and will involve me participating in practical assessments... so wish me well and keep your fingers crossed in January!
Monday, December 19, 2005
Festive Time
Well I have been given my shifts for the next two weeks and I am working night shift over Christmas and New Year, I do not mind working Christmas as I have no children and Kal is going North to his folks over the festive period so I will get time to spend Christmas with my folks (briefly between my nights) and then I am driving up to meet him at his parents. We are both then working New Year, Kal is volunteering with the British Red Cross at the Edinburgh Hogmanay street party whilst I am working 7-7 nights at my station so it will make for a logistic challenge to meet up.... (hint hint Kal).
I am looking forward to the shifts, yes I know this sounds strange, but the staff that are on will be fun to work with and as you can imagine it will be busy, but when you have a good bunch of people to work with it makes it slightly easier.
I am looking forward to the shifts, yes I know this sounds strange, but the staff that are on will be fun to work with and as you can imagine it will be busy, but when you have a good bunch of people to work with it makes it slightly easier.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
I've read your blog!
That was what I heard when I answered the phone the other evening at the station. I was working nights and the phone rang, my colleague answered it and said it was for me.
I took the phone and I was told by one of the EMDC Dispatchers "I have been reading your blog for the last 3 days, thanks for making it so interesting" Well I didn't know what to say, but thanks to the EMDC Dispatcher for being honest, I hope that you enjoy it and will continue to enjoy it, but you shouldn't sit still for that long, you might get a DVT!
:)
I took the phone and I was told by one of the EMDC Dispatchers "I have been reading your blog for the last 3 days, thanks for making it so interesting" Well I didn't know what to say, but thanks to the EMDC Dispatcher for being honest, I hope that you enjoy it and will continue to enjoy it, but you shouldn't sit still for that long, you might get a DVT!
:)
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Nollaig chridheil huibh
Well it it getting close to that time of year, therefore I thought I would wish each and everyone "Nollaig chridheil huibh", "Nadolig Llawen", "een plesierige kerfees" or in plan simple terms......
Merry Christmas
I hope that you have a good one and a peaceful New Year.
Merry Christmas
I hope that you have a good one and a peaceful New Year.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Weekend Overtime
Well I was meant to be off over the weekend, but with nothing much planned and Kal being busy I decided to accept the offer of some extra shifts working with the SORT (Special Operations Response) Team. I roll into their base at 1855hrs on Friday night all flustered and flapping as I had been out Christmas shopping and then went to the cinema to see the new Harry Potter (Very very good). I am met by my colleague who looked slightly less stressed, but had spent nearly 90 minutes trying to get into work as well so we were both in a good mood...not, anyway I was made a coffee by one of the "Decontamination Operatives" and chilled out whilst checking the "Dog Van" (That's the name given to their small rapid response van which looks just like the police dog vehicles) equipment and booking on with the Dispatcher. We were chilling out watching some TV after checking the kit with PS who was my "Driver and Runner" for the evening (well until midnight when he then went on call) and discussing how I like to operate at calls etc when the phone rang and we were off, speeding our way down one of the main streets to a patient with chest pain. We arrived about 5 minutes after the call and a double-crewed Ambulance arrived at the same time, so we checked with them if they were happy to attend themselves and cleared.
Back at the station we settled down again to the TV and 15 minutes after our second coffee we were asked by my other colleague to deliver some new information to the EMDC and Divisional HQ for specific managers, so off we went again. We delivered the information and letters and collected some other equipment from the station around the corner and headed back to our base for our meal break (take away Chinese buffet! yum yum), having just finished the phone went again for a patient who was having a diabetic hypo in the street, when we arrived the patient was fitting and had an un-recordable blood sugar level, PS and myself started treating him and he was given a Glucagon injection to raise his blood sugars, although the first one did not raise the level enough so a second one was given. The patient started to respond to this one just as the crew arrived to back us up and he was handed over to their care.
Back at base again and 35 minutes before PS was due to finish the phone went again, this time for a 17 yr old who had "? drink spiked" off we went, lights flashing, arriving 6 minutes later we are met by a frantic mother, calm / stern looking father and a very sheepish 17 yr old sitting on the toilet seat after decorating the bathroom with vomit! The crew arrived 2 minutes after us and they took over the care of the patient and once again we were clear and started heading back to drop off PS for his finish time.
I was now a single crewed RRU and on a Friday night I expected to be busy.... and I was not wrong, getting sent and stood down to numerous calls, picking up drunks, holding hands of elderly and at one stage being driven by a very helpful police constable to the A&E department with a patient in the back seats of the "Dog van" because of the lack of ambulances and number of outstanding calls. After about my 4th call I was up at the EMDC having a well needed coffee and chat with some old EMDC colleagues, sitting in the EMDC made me realise that I did not miss that aspect of my career, but the people who work hard in the department.
Several calls later I eventually get the RTB (Return to Base) message from my Dispatcher that night and head back, fuelling the vehicle en route. At 7am I walk out the door and think to myself "MMMMM bed".... then I remember that I am still on call for the team until Sunday night at 7pm when I commence my next SORT shift.
Sunday night and I go in early to get fitted for some new equipment which is being issued to all operational staff, I have my coffee after the test (you are exposed to the same tastes as that of the stuff you put on your nails to stop biting them!) and head out, via the shop to the EMDC as it was my turn to take the biscuits up when I was dropping of mail. I meet my Dispatcher, who is relatively new to me, we chat and I explain that I hate sitting doing nothing, so I would be happy to attend anything that she needs help with, prior to me arriving in the EMDC she had sent me to a patient who had been assaulted and turned out to be a minor injury, therefore allowing the EMDC to down-grade the response of the ambulance to a "COLD" (not using lights and sirens) emergency call.
After coffee again, I am off to a 4 month with a non - blanching rash who is floppy, a male who does not know where he is except in the middle of Holyrood Park (A very large area, taking me 20 minutes driving around to discover nothing), I get back to the EMDC and he calls again, this time with better information and I eventually find him, once again no ambulances available so off we go with the "Dog van" to the A&E. I also get the chance that night to respond to a patient fitting in an area covered by Community First Responders, who I had previously been involved with their training, it was good to see the scheme in action and working so well. I was returned to the EMDC to give cover to that side of the town, as the resources for that side of the city were all dedicated, so I was it, at 0545hrs I head back to base, once again re-fuelling en route and topping up my caffeine levels once back at base.
7am Monday morning and our relief crew walk in, we chat and this time I think..."BED all mine and NO PAGER!!!"
Back at the station we settled down again to the TV and 15 minutes after our second coffee we were asked by my other colleague to deliver some new information to the EMDC and Divisional HQ for specific managers, so off we went again. We delivered the information and letters and collected some other equipment from the station around the corner and headed back to our base for our meal break (take away Chinese buffet! yum yum), having just finished the phone went again for a patient who was having a diabetic hypo in the street, when we arrived the patient was fitting and had an un-recordable blood sugar level, PS and myself started treating him and he was given a Glucagon injection to raise his blood sugars, although the first one did not raise the level enough so a second one was given. The patient started to respond to this one just as the crew arrived to back us up and he was handed over to their care.
Back at base again and 35 minutes before PS was due to finish the phone went again, this time for a 17 yr old who had "? drink spiked" off we went, lights flashing, arriving 6 minutes later we are met by a frantic mother, calm / stern looking father and a very sheepish 17 yr old sitting on the toilet seat after decorating the bathroom with vomit! The crew arrived 2 minutes after us and they took over the care of the patient and once again we were clear and started heading back to drop off PS for his finish time.
I was now a single crewed RRU and on a Friday night I expected to be busy.... and I was not wrong, getting sent and stood down to numerous calls, picking up drunks, holding hands of elderly and at one stage being driven by a very helpful police constable to the A&E department with a patient in the back seats of the "Dog van" because of the lack of ambulances and number of outstanding calls. After about my 4th call I was up at the EMDC having a well needed coffee and chat with some old EMDC colleagues, sitting in the EMDC made me realise that I did not miss that aspect of my career, but the people who work hard in the department.
Several calls later I eventually get the RTB (Return to Base) message from my Dispatcher that night and head back, fuelling the vehicle en route. At 7am I walk out the door and think to myself "MMMMM bed".... then I remember that I am still on call for the team until Sunday night at 7pm when I commence my next SORT shift.
Sunday night and I go in early to get fitted for some new equipment which is being issued to all operational staff, I have my coffee after the test (you are exposed to the same tastes as that of the stuff you put on your nails to stop biting them!) and head out, via the shop to the EMDC as it was my turn to take the biscuits up when I was dropping of mail. I meet my Dispatcher, who is relatively new to me, we chat and I explain that I hate sitting doing nothing, so I would be happy to attend anything that she needs help with, prior to me arriving in the EMDC she had sent me to a patient who had been assaulted and turned out to be a minor injury, therefore allowing the EMDC to down-grade the response of the ambulance to a "COLD" (not using lights and sirens) emergency call.
After coffee again, I am off to a 4 month with a non - blanching rash who is floppy, a male who does not know where he is except in the middle of Holyrood Park (A very large area, taking me 20 minutes driving around to discover nothing), I get back to the EMDC and he calls again, this time with better information and I eventually find him, once again no ambulances available so off we go with the "Dog van" to the A&E. I also get the chance that night to respond to a patient fitting in an area covered by Community First Responders, who I had previously been involved with their training, it was good to see the scheme in action and working so well. I was returned to the EMDC to give cover to that side of the town, as the resources for that side of the city were all dedicated, so I was it, at 0545hrs I head back to base, once again re-fuelling en route and topping up my caffeine levels once back at base.
7am Monday morning and our relief crew walk in, we chat and this time I think..."BED all mine and NO PAGER!!!"
Thursday, December 01, 2005
29B05 Traffic / Transportation Accident - Unknown Status
Well it was a fairly usual mid-week night shift; we had just cleared from a call and were heading back to station via the BP to fuel up. As we turned onto the final straight back to the station the radio sprang into action with its "do do doop" noise and there it was "Outside Jet Garage, Main Street... MY VILLAGE!!" My colleague asked what it was and I told him, so lights on and off we went. Further "Do do doops" tell us that the call that we are attending is a two car accident with the Police en route and then the radio starts ringing (indicating that the EMDC Dispatcher wants to speak with us... He tells us that they are being told that the car has rolled and that there are reports of persons trapped and requested an update ASAP... I advised that we would be on scene within the next 30 seconds and would update as soon as.
With this we swing around the corner and see a warning triangle in the middle of the road and beyond in the glow of the garage lights a car on its roof with other cars scattered around and people milling about. As we slow through the cones that were places to protect the scene (Thanks to the Jet garage for their supply!) We are flagged by a bystander who updates that everyone is out and have been taken into the garage. I jump out and my colleague goes to check the car for damage etc.
As I enter the garage I am met by what can only be described as a blood bath... which is coming from one of the 4 occupants of the car, there is blood pouring from his left arm and his hysterical girlfriend is waving her bleeding hand around. I update the EMDC Dispatcher and request a second vehicle. I got the two most seriously bleeding patients into the ambulance so I could check them out properly.
The lad had multiple lacerations to his left arm, which turned out to be the side that had came into contact with the road for the period of time the car had slid along. There was lots of glass fragments in his arm and hair, this was cleaned to the best of our ability. My colleague treated his girlfriend and she was complaining of neck pains, because of this we treated her as a possible spinal injury and she was placed on a rigid spinal board and a collar applied with head support blocks.
By this time the second ambulance had arrived and they began dealing with the other two patients (who had minor injuries) and one of the crew popped his head into our vehicle to see if we needed further help, his offer was declined and we started to get ready to leave.
Because of the nature of the incident, we could not take any of the patients to the local A&E and had to travel to the larger A&E centre in Edinburgh. We arrived there 22 minutes later and both patients were taken into the Immediate Care section of the department and handed over to the nursing staff. We then had the task of cleaning the vehicle, which to anyone passing would resemble a butchers shop with the amount of blood on the floor, walls and seats. 30 minutes later and a nice clean ambulance we were ready for another call... We got one; it was a voice call from the EMDC Dispatcher offering us our meal break.
With this we swing around the corner and see a warning triangle in the middle of the road and beyond in the glow of the garage lights a car on its roof with other cars scattered around and people milling about. As we slow through the cones that were places to protect the scene (Thanks to the Jet garage for their supply!) We are flagged by a bystander who updates that everyone is out and have been taken into the garage. I jump out and my colleague goes to check the car for damage etc.
As I enter the garage I am met by what can only be described as a blood bath... which is coming from one of the 4 occupants of the car, there is blood pouring from his left arm and his hysterical girlfriend is waving her bleeding hand around. I update the EMDC Dispatcher and request a second vehicle. I got the two most seriously bleeding patients into the ambulance so I could check them out properly.
The lad had multiple lacerations to his left arm, which turned out to be the side that had came into contact with the road for the period of time the car had slid along. There was lots of glass fragments in his arm and hair, this was cleaned to the best of our ability. My colleague treated his girlfriend and she was complaining of neck pains, because of this we treated her as a possible spinal injury and she was placed on a rigid spinal board and a collar applied with head support blocks.
By this time the second ambulance had arrived and they began dealing with the other two patients (who had minor injuries) and one of the crew popped his head into our vehicle to see if we needed further help, his offer was declined and we started to get ready to leave.
Because of the nature of the incident, we could not take any of the patients to the local A&E and had to travel to the larger A&E centre in Edinburgh. We arrived there 22 minutes later and both patients were taken into the Immediate Care section of the department and handed over to the nursing staff. We then had the task of cleaning the vehicle, which to anyone passing would resemble a butchers shop with the amount of blood on the floor, walls and seats. 30 minutes later and a nice clean ambulance we were ready for another call... We got one; it was a voice call from the EMDC Dispatcher offering us our meal break.
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