Agenda item

(To receive a report from Lincolnshire Integrated Volunteer Emergency Service (LIVES) which provides information on the emergency response service, provided by trained volunteers, to medical emergencies throughout Lincolnshire.  The service supported the service provided by the East Midlands Ambulance Service as the statutory ambulance service provider.  Dr Simon Topham (Clinical Director – LIVES), David Hickman (Training Manager – LIVES) and Stephen Hyde, Marketing and Fundraising Manager – LIVES) would be in attendance for this item)

A report by Lincolnshire Integrated Volunteer Emergency Service (LIVES) was considered which gave information on the emergency response service, provided by trained volunteers, to medical emergencies throughout Lincolnshire.  The service supported the services provided by the East Midlands Ambulance Service as the statutory ambulance service provider.

Dr Simon Topham (Clinical Director – LIVES) and Stephen Hyde (Marketing and Fundraising Manager – LIVES) were both in attendance for this item.

Dr Topham gave a presentation to the Committee which included the following slides:-

·       Who are we?;

·       Charitable Aims;

·       What does this look like?;

·       Activity and Performance;

·       LIVES Calls (Making a Difference);

·       So you short up EMAS then?;

·       Finance;

·       Clinical Governance;

·       LIVES New in the Last Year;

·       LIVES The Future;

·       Challenges;

·       Summary.

The charitable objectives of LIVES were:-

          To provide Immediate Medical Care to any person injured in an accident or involved in any medical emergency in the area of Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire or any area reasonably close to.  To advance the principle of Pre-Hospital Emergency Care on a national basis; providing advice and guidance in all aspects of such care, including the delivery of training and provision of approved emergency equipment.

There were over 160 responder groups across Lincolnshire, with approximately 700 active LIVES Community First Responders (CFRs) and LIVES Medics. 

LIVES Medics may attend the following incidents:-

·       Life-threatening medical emergencies;

·       Cardiac arrest;

·       Paediatric emergencies;

·       Road traffic collisions;

·       Major trauma;

·       Major incidents;

·       Responding to requests for on-scene advanced clinical support.

LIVES medics offered skills appropriate to their level of professional. The highest level medic members were able to offer some, or all, of the following skill sets:-

·       Advanced airway management and management of the difficult airway including pre-hospital emergency anaesthesia ("medically induced coma");

·       Advanced ventilatory strategies;

·       Advanced vascular access techniques;

·       Sedation and advanced analgesia;

·       Senior clinical support and decision making;

·       Major incident management; and

·       Further critical care interventions.

Members were given the opportunity to ask questions, during which the following points were noted:-

·       Congratulations were given to LIVES for the successful defibrillation rates;

·       LIVES had not needed to recruit actively over the last three years as numbers had been maintained.  There was a cost to recruitment and funds were limited so could only expand the service when funds allowed.  In relation to medics, volunteers were only accepted who were in certain areas of needs to ensure better coverage;

·       The resilience of individuals within their own home was not necessarily what happened within an acute situation.  Having shadowed a paramedic, it was found that repeat visits were made to the same house for the same reason therefore an acknowledgement that services need to increase communications to ensure better utilisation of resources;

·       A suggestion that District Councils may be able to support recruitment of volunteers in their own areas was welcomed.  It was reported that the south of the county was a particularly challenging area where new responders were needed;

·       During the presentation, LIVES reported that they had responded to 9.3% of all EMAS Red1 calls in Lincolnshire which contradicted the figures quoted by EMAS during their presentation.  The Committee requested that the Health Scrutiny Officer seek clarification from both organisations;

·       The First Responders were deployed by the Emergency Centre at Bracebridge Heath on contact by the ambulance service so they were aware of the level of responder required and attending the scene.  It was explained that if a level 3 responder was deployed but the administration of drugs was required (which only level 4 and up would carry) then they would look to have an EMAS responder go earlier;

·       Although first on the scene, responsibility for that patient would be handed over to a medic and finally to an EMAS employed member of staff.  If the responder was a doctor they would have a duty of care under the General Medical Council (GMC) to ensure that the patient received the best possible care available;

·       Community responders carried adrenaline from level 3 and up;

·       There were 28 level 4 responders throughout the county, 17 of which were medics.  Level 1 was an introduction to the service so volunteers moved to level 2 within a matter of weeks and these responders provided defibrillation, oxygen therapy and life support.  Level 3 responders had additional skills, for example they were trained in attending Road Traffic Collisions;

·       The membership had been surveyed to ask for indications of particular interest of care provision so that responders were allocated appropriately for their level of confidence.  180 volunteers had indicated that they wanted to be CAS responders but there was a degree of frustration due to telephony and technology issues for CAS.  Should responder be on a CAS call but a RED calls comes in to their area, they would give apologies to the CAS call and attend the RED call, returning to the CAS call afterwards;

·       Congratulations were given on the new scheme of engaging with and teaching Year 10 students in Lincolnshire emergency procedures.  The training was for bystander CPR within LIVES following successful trials in Sweden, where it was proven that 15/16 year olds could be trained to help collapsed and non-breathing people.  100 students at Boston College had been trained, all of whom confirmed that they would now feel confident in helping someone who had collapsed;

·       When asked when this would be rolled out across all schools in Lincolnshire, it was explained that funding was needed to be able to do that, unfortunately.  A grant had been acquired for schools in North Lincolnshire and the Committee suggested that the seven Lincolnshire MP's be approached to support this initiative;

·       It was thought that Lincolnshire could lead this initiative as LIVES was recognised nationally and, for a minimal amount of funding, could roll this out to all secondary schools across Lincolnshire;

·       The Committee were invited to undertake this training.  The Health Scrutiny Officer would contact all members and seek to arrange a suitable date;

The Chairman thanked LIVES, on behalf of the Committee, for the work that they and their volunteers do in order to work in partnership with EMAS to deliver a fantastic service for the people of Lincolnshire.

RESOLVED

          That the report and comments be noted.

At 12.40pm, Councillor B W Keimach left the meeting and did not return.