News

A call came over the New Britain Emergency Medical Services scanner on a recent afternoon for an intoxicated person. Emergency medical technician Matthew May paused briefly to listen, relieved that another ambulance was handling it.

Patients have rated the Great Western Ambulance Service's (GWAS) non-emergency transport scheme as "satisfactory". More than 200 patients took part in the survey, with 54% saying they relied on the service and 89% rating it as satisfactory or better.

The Health Professions Council has been receiving fitness to practice allegations from across the Country which arise from or involve a decision by the paramedic to drive the ambulance and leave a patient in the care of a less qualified ambulance clinician. The letter from the HPC appears in this week's Weekly Briefing 259 on page 13.

Read more on the Operational Notice and click here for the HPC letter.

London Ambulance Service has been held up as a beacon of best practice in Staff Engagement on an online toolkit launched today by the NHS Employers organisation and the Department of Health at the NHS Confederation conference.

The toolkit, engaging your staff: the NHS staff engagement resource showcases good staff engagement in 10 NHS organisations; the London Ambulance Service, seven hospital trusts and two primary care trusts.

Peter Bradley, Chief Executive at London Ambulance Service said: “In any Organisation your staff are your most important asset and you need them on board and signed up to common objectives if the challenges facing the NHS are to be met. At the London Ambulance service we developed a partnership forum to involve staff

in strategic decisions. We encouraged all staff to get involved and we made sure our more senior managers were visible and accessible.”

Director of NHS Employers Dean Royles said: “This new resource is interactive and simple to use, and offers best practice examples and guidance to support organisations in improving levels of staff engagement."