999 callers who ask for an ambulance could be treated by firefighters
A new scheme in parts of the north east means fire crews will deliver emergency medical services when requested by the ambulance service.
A new six-month trial scheme will see North East Ambulance Service andfour Fire and Rescue Services work together to treat patients.
The trial means that fire crews will act as what is known as 'Emergency Medical Response Units' (EMRs). The emergency medical services they may attend could include calls where people are suffering from chest pain, difficulty in breathing, cardiac arrest and unconsciousness (not due to trauma).
Cleveland Fire Brigade, which has been providing this service for a number of years is extending the service across the Teesside area throughout January.
The trial officially launches this month in Tyne and Wear (11th Jan), Northumberland (11th Jan), County Durham and Darlington (6th Jan - a date to be officially confirmed).
What will EMRs do?
Emergency Medical Responders have been trained to enhance their existing medical care knowledge, including basic life support by managing a patient’s airway, giving oxygen therapy, including assisted ventilation, delivering cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation using a semi-automatic AED and controlling blood loss.
The EMR’s are equipped with a kit which includes oxygen and an automated external defibrillator (AED) to help patients in a medical emergency such as a heart attack, collapse or breathing difficulties.
Demand on the Ambulance Service has increased by nearly 20 per cent since 2007, and during the past ten years, firefighters nationally have been attending fewer fires.
However, this means that firefighters are now responding to more and more medical emergencies.
At the moment, the Fire and Rescue Service is not funded to provide a response to medical emergencies, however some firefighters do carry out first aid on a voluntary basis.
Important statistics about the 'EMRs'
The EMRs are not a replacement for ambulance clinicians. NEAS has been running a recruitment campaign throughout the year for new paramedics alongside the development of existing ambulance technicians and recruitment of additional emergency care assistants to the service.
Cleveland Fire Brigade has operated as Emergency Medical Responders for some time already, however this new six-month trial sees them respond to new life- threatening categories of 999 Ambulance Service calls.
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) covers 3,200 square miles across the North East region.
It employs more than 2,500 staff and serves a population of 2.7 million people by handling all NHS 111 and 999 calls for the region, operating patient transport and ambulance response services, delivering training for communities and commercial audiences and providing medical support cover at events.
In 2014/15 NEAS answered 1.107 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, responded to 302,687 incidents that resulted in a patient being taken to hospital, treated and discharged.
18,144 patients with telephone advice and treated and discharged 81,990 patients at home.
In the same year, emergency care crews reached 134,745 incidents within the national target of 8 minutes.