Ambulance workforce boost in Essex
Six new ambulance transport care assistants have joined the East of England Ambulance Service to improve care for non-emergency patients.
Jonathan Westwood-Saltmarsh and Kay Clare, based at Broomfield ALO
Based in ambulance liaison offices (ALO) at Broomfield (Chelmsford) and Southend hospitals, the team are trained in manual handling, patient assessment, dealing with patients that have dementia, driving skills, and how to deal with a patient in an emergency situation.
The group has spent four weeks in robust training at the service's Essex HQ in Broomfield, which has also included First Person On Scene training - basic first aid including basic life support and defibrilation. They were presented with certificates by Liz McEwan - general manager of non-emergency and patient transport services - at the training centre on Friday.
Course director Gerry Brown, who was joined in training the group by tutor Martin Armstrong, said: "This has been a great group to teach; they did very well in their exams and practicals and it's been very fulfilling to see them develop skills and confidence over a short space of time."
Clinical learning and development manager John Hewitt added: "It's been great to see this course come to fruition. We're sending out commited and hard-working people to deliver the high quality of care and attention our non-emergency patients quite rightly expect."
