Respond And Be Responsible

[spock]

The computer monitoring detected the story on Manx Radio:-

 

 

First responders move closer

11/12/2007 08:24:04

 

A potentially life-saving initiative has moved a step nearer in the south of the Island.

 

Eight volunteers have come forward to help set up a neighbourhood first responder scheme.

 

Schemes are operated by St John Ambulance in partnership with ambulance trusts in the United Kingdom, and they are already successfully up and running in Ramsey and Peel.

 

Rushen commissioner Adrian Tinkler (pictured) says the wheels are now in motion (audio file attached):

 

Adrian Tinkler is secretary of the southern authorities' health care trust committee.

 

Not being conversant with your legal system we have considered this in conjunction with the situation of the volunteer marshalls in the motor bike racing held on the IOM. Is there a legal adviser on the forum who is able to comment on the liabilities of anyone who volunteers for this service should a situation not be correctly dealt with per the training manual ?

[Mr. Sausages]

You're copycat, right?

[spock]

You're copycat, right?

 

Mr Sausages you seem to be suffering the effects of prolonged dilithium exposure so I suggest you visit Nurse Chapel in Sickbay and stay there until she considers you fit to return to duty.

[pongo]

If there is a need for volunteer ambulance / paramedic people then does this mean that the state ambulance / paramedic service is facing difficulties ?

 

If that were the case then I would rather be asked to pay a bit more tax and have an adequately funded ambulance / paramedic service.

 

I don't see a role for volunteers. But I've possibly misunderstood the point of the original article.

 

---

 

PS - I used to work with someone in St Johns Ambulance. He was very creepy -> a nerdish fan of TV programmes about doctors and nurses who would tell us all what they'd got wrong in the details of nonsense like Casualty. He nearly exploded with excitement one day when there was a minor accident outside in the road and he had the chance to slip on his rubber gloves and take command of the situation.

 

I'm sure they aren't all like that.

[nipper]

The Rushen Emergency Ambulance has been going a few decades now.

 

AFAIK I think you need to know their number to get a response, as it is nothing to do with the 999 ambulance which will come from Nobles.

 

Perhaps someone can correct me or tell us more?

[player]

I think you will find that First Responders once trained up by St John Ambulance, (who are conducting the training on behalf of the Ambulance Service) will be automatically covered under the St John Ambulance insurance scheme, similar to the situation that exists where First Aiders who have successfully passed the St John Ambulance training are also covered.

 

Once Rushen Ambulance members are trained up as First Responders, Rushen Ambulance would be integrated into the DHSS Ambulance Network and be able to respond to emergency calls. Further down the line, with additional resources and training, Rushen Ambulance could become a fully accredited paramedic service which would then mean they are again fulfilling the original role they enjoyed (!) up to a few years ago.

[spock]

But if they are only volunteers then logically they are not employed so also logically they will not be covered by employers liability insurance. So if anything went wrong at an incident doesn't logic dictate that the volunteer could be personally laible for any claims etc. Can the legal mind respond to this please.

[Gladys]

Employers' liability insurance compensates the employee for injury at work caused by the employer failing to provide a safe place and method of work. It does not cover making a balls of the 'service' provided, that would probably be covered by public or third party liability insurance and whether volunteers' actions would be covered would be a matter for the terms of the policy.

 

Non-point, I fear.

[Albert Tatlock]

There's always been an inherent worry and risk of being sued if you try and help someone. Personally, I have 'jumped in' on several occasions and would hope that if someone found me in the street in similar circumstances people would help me, rather than worry about the compo culture.

 

More people should take up first aid, because put simply - lots of people die prematurely because many people don't have any knowledge of first aid e.g. don't know how to deal with a heart attack victim, go about resucitation, don't know how to stop bleeding, deal with burns/scalds - or jump in with little knowledge and do silly things like take helmets off bikers when they may have spinal injuries and could end up doing more damage etc.

 

I would recommend anyone with kids, or with anyone over 50 living in the house to go on a basic first aid course - or at least make themselves aware of e.g. the symptoms of a diabetic, epileptic or heart attack and how to deal with scalds/burns etc.

 

More often, you find you need first aid training when you least expect it - but by then it is usually too late...and you'll find that there's many a person sat on their own thinking 'if only I'd...'.

[Grianane]

First aid training is a must for everyone, I did some sport related training a few years ago and was surprised just what you remember when confronted with a real situation when I was. Not only can training save a life it can minimise the impact of injury or illness when it is used.

[Grumble]

If you're all that's between me and a premature demise, let me die. Don't touch me or I'll take you with me.

[Grianane]

the last words you hear may be "I can help"

[Lonan3]

There's always been an inherent worry and risk of being sued if you try and help someone. Personally, I have 'jumped in' on several occasions and would hope that if someone found me in the street in similar circumstances people would help me, rather than worry about the compo culture.

They'd probably light a cigarette and stick it in your mouth before calling for a priest to perform the last rites.

[Hermes]

I understand the need for a 'first-responder' scheme in isolated rural areas, but we do not in general have such isolated areas in the IOM. Our access to a (usually) fully trained paramedic ambulance crew is superlative.

The SJA is certainly a noble cause, but - speaking advisedly - they do sometimes seem to attract a certain type of slightly obsessive individual who thrives on the drama of emergency situations. Some have failed to get into healthcare roles by the usual routes, and there is a risk of unsuitable persons assuming roles that they might otherwise have been vetted out of, or discouraged from.

It is of paramount importance that the first-responder system is not used in any sort of assessment role to determine the need for an ambulance to attend. I feel that these 'ancillary' ambulance services are already overused in certain motorsport settings when they are sometimes transporting critically injured patients across the island from the site of sporting accidents. The quality of care that is being received by the patient in these cases is arguably less than that which would be provided by the fully trained Ambulance Service crews in the same situation. I'm not talking about the TT or MGP here, either.

[Silentbob]

Everyone stand back, dont worry, I am an Aromatheripist!

 

(excellent Billy Connelly sketch sprang to mind when I read this)