London’s Air Ambulance
ready to save
more lives continued
Gareth is convinced of the benefits of businesses operating within the same approach. “You know exactly what level you are speaking to and it’s a quick way to get round the issue of not knowing names and ranks. It has been very helpful at incidents, in particular on the railway, where they have mimicked this structure.”
Dealing with harrowing incidents
It’s clear that London’s Air Ambulance is treating the most seriously injured and ill people in London and the wellbeing of the teams involved is critical. “Some of the scenes we witness and what has happened to the people involved are quite harrowing. It is important we acknowledge and address this,” says Gareth and continues, “We have a healthy, open culture where we debrief every mission and go over every detail from top to tail, seeing how we could do it better, what we could improve. During the debrief people are able to express their feelings, this is an inherent part of our culture and the process.”
Gareth believes the London’s Air Ambulance teams find the best support comes from each other. “If you’ve been underneath a train with a patient who has been trapped there for an hour, in cramped and dangerous conditions, you want to talk to someone who knows how scary and isolating this is.”
Working in Partnership
London’s Air Ambulance is supported by Barts Health NHS Trust and London Ambulance Service. Gareth emphasises the strength to this approach. “The service can’t work in isolation – the charity works in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust, whose support includes remunerating the doctors, and the London Ambulance Service, which provides all the paramedics.”
The partnership is completed with the financial support coming to the charity. “There is a complete spectrum of support that individuals and corporates can offer. We like to think of all patients as members of our family,” says Gareth. “The sponsorship we receive is part of that partnership and that family.” As part of this, CIS Security have established a fundraising partnership with
18 © CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – WINT E R 2015/16
London’s Air Ambulance. In place since October 2014, it has helped raise over £24,000 between company donations, events and staff fundraising.
Carl Palmer, Executive Chairman at CIS, says, “I was moved to support the charity by the incredible difference that it was making to the lives of people in London.” He added, “Every other person I speak to seems to know someone whose life has been touched by the Air Ambulance, and that means lives have been saved, or in some cases, extended to allow loved ones to say goodbye. That, to me, is a powerful thing.”
Gareth was keen to thank all the supporters of the charity. “We simply wouldn’t be here without them. We’d be waiting in emergency departments for people to be brought in a much worse state.”
It’s clear that all those living and working in London in return would like to say a big thank you to London’s Air Ambulance for their invaluable life-saving work.
To find out how you can support London’s Air Ambulance, please contact:
Lucy Brooks London Air Ambulance Charity Corporate Development Manager.
T: 020 7220 4923 E:
l.brooks@
londonsairambulance.co.uk
www.londonsairambulance.co.uk
How can Security Teams help?
Security teams are in operation at many of the business and work places where London’s Air Ambulance missions are located and are keen to assist the London’s Air Ambulance team.
Gareth highlights the importance of their help. “All our patients have a time- dependent injury or illness, and so we need to get to their side as quickly as possible to start treating them. We have the same drugs and equipment that are available in an emergency department. Every second or minute we waste can affect the outcome for the patient – this speed is a big part of their care.”
He explains some of the simple things the security community can do to help his team get to the patient quickly:
• It is important that we identify the right building – addresses can be very confusing. Have a clear representative at the entrance who can indicate the block or specific location. Also have someone nominated to take our team through the security processes or bypass them. Make sure the entrance staff are expecting us. If they are not, it can cause confusion and delay.
• Identify and clear an area where the patient can be treated, perhaps moving desks and equipment out of the way.
• It’s not just getting in that is important. A clear exit is key. We may need to carry a stretcher and other medical equipment. You can help us by establishing a dedicated route out of the building, perhaps by commandeering the lifts and clearing the way.
www. c i t y s e cur i t yma ga z ine . com
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