Ambulance crews that aren't properly qualified
Dear East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust,
I understand your Trust are at times using crews that aren't fully qualified and experienced to deal with serious 999 calls.
Apparently student "paramedics" who have just completed their basic training and are effectively at the level of trainee technicians are being crewed together or with an emergency care assistant who will have received even less training.
Previously, trainee technicians could only have worked with an already qualified technician or paramedic but it seems in the rush to accommodate so many new staff, this sensible and safe rule has been ignored. This has the potential to cause serious harm to very ill patients.
It also begs the question as to who is guiding the student?
It is obvious you have a real shortage of paramedics and have poor response times so you can not always guarantee to send one immediately to help if needed.
Can you tell me how many times you have crewed up either a student paramedic with another one or with an ECA?
Also can you publish the job description for these students?
Have their been any occasions when either a student paramedic or an ECA has worked alone on a response car and if so, how many times?
As almost always, just facts and figures, no added "spin".
Yours faithfully,
J Lowe
Dear J Lowe
Thank you for your email dated 17th October 2014 where you requested information regarding the East of England Ambulance Service.
Your request will be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and we will respond to you within twenty working days. Your request has been allocated the following reference: F18619 and I would be grateful if you could quote this reference in any future correspondence with the Trust.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Dear J Lowe
Further to your request dated 17th October 2014, please find the Trust's response below.
Can you tell me how many times you have crewed up either a student paramedic with another one or with an ECA?
The Trust’s Global Rostering System is not routinely populated with the on the day changes where staff are moved around and therefore does not record accurately the actual skill mix. To work through these figures, check them, and collate the data requested would take over 18 hours. Alternatively this information is recorded more accurately on our Computer Aided Dispatch system, however in order to pull the relevant information would require a developer to write a program which would be a time consuming process, again over 18 hours’ worth of work to undertake the whole process and bring back the correct data. As a result of this the Trust will be applying exemption s.12 to this part of your request.
Also can you publish the job description for these students?
Please find the job description and person specification attached.
In context these are what we recruit to but clinical practice for them on their development is different as they are not paramedics until registration but we recruit against it to ensure the relevant areas of the Person Specification are selected.
Have their been any occasions when either a student paramedic or an ECA has worked alone on a response car and if so, how many times?
We only roster qualified staff to work on response cars, there are rare occasions when students or ECAs could be sent out solo on an Ambulance. These circumstances are only likely to occur from unplanned or unknown issues such as the result of instances of short notice sickness and then a life threatening call comes in that needs an immediate response, yet one member of the crew has reported sick leaving a student or ECA alone. We always strive to team up single crew members, but there could be times when they may be alone when such a call comes in, such as waiting for a replacement crew member to arrive with them. Please see above in relation to data production re numbers of occasions.
I am obliged to advise you that if you are dissatisfied with the Trust’s response to your request you have a right to complain to the Trust and should set out your concerns to the Freedom of Information Officer, EEAST, Hospital Approach, Broomfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 7WS or by email to [East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust request email]. If you remain dissatisfied following this, you have a right under Section 50 of the FOIA to seek a determination from the Information Commissioner on whether the Act has been properly applied by the Trust. For more information, please see www.ico.gov.uk.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.
Kind regards
FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Dear East of England Ambulance Service
I actually asked for the job description for the student paramedics, not fully qualified paramedics so kindly produce that. I assume it should be the same as for trainee technicians.
From your response it seems as if these trainees are being sent out together at times although I note yet again you have applied an exemption under the foi act in order not to reveal the true extent.
So you can comply, I will accept the figures for Essex only and for the months of Sept and Oct 2014. This should not take anywhere near 18 hours but kindly inform me immediately if you think it will so I can ensure at least some information is put into the public domain
Yours sincerely,
J Lowe
Dear East of England Ambulance Service
Can you confirm you will respond to my amended request of 2nd Dec 2014?
If not then I will raise a new foi request.
Yours sincerely,
J Lowe
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