The provision of an efficient
ambulance service is a major factor in reducing the severity of injuries and
ensuring the survival of more casualties.
The ability to rapidly respond to the notification of an incident and when at the scene being able to stabilize the casualty’s condition are of paramount importance.
The current initiative within the Scottish Ambulance Service across Scotland is to have one paramedic as part of each front – line ambulance team to meet the need for more rapid pre – hospital care.
The introduction of new microwave
radio systems and hand held radios for Accident and Emergency ambulances should,
along with Automatic Vehicle Location System (GPS positioning), allow for better
response times with obvious benefits for the casualties.
Accident and Emergency Services
Accident
and Emergency services provide the first point of contact between casualties and
the wide range of services available within hospitals.
The development of an efficient service which draws on the particular skills of the ambulance service, accident and emergency service and primary health care teams will increase the number of people who survive accidents and reduce the numbers who suffer long term illness.
Fife Rapid Response Units (RRU's)
Fife had taken delivery of two RRU's in august 2002, a Land Rover Freelander and a Ford Mondeo estate.
The Freelander is based at Glenrothes Station and covers central Fife and the Mondeo is based at Cowdenbeath and covers the west of Fife.
The RRU's are single manned by Paramedics or Technicians, they are normally despatched to an incident as a first response.
East Fife is covered by The First Responder Scheme, A project setup using R.A.F volunteer personnel from Leuchars Airbase in 2003.
A First Responder Unit (FRU)
Ambulance Paramedic Grant Skinner immobilising a patient prior to extrication
A fire Officer at the scene of a road accident, photographs a trapped patient in a rolled car and sends it to the receiving hospital via a Nokia Camera Phone. The receiving hospital then downloads the photograph into a computer and assesses the mechanisms of injury and the extent of a casualties injuries prior to a patients arrival at the trauma unit via ambulance.
Left Picture: EMT, Walter Hutton assesses a patients injuries with the assistance of Fife Fire & Rescue personnel at an RTA
Right Picture: Ian Dinnel (LAP), Tom Robertson (HSO), Sheila Cooney (LAP) Walter Hutton (EMT)
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