A woman has suffered serious injuries following an RTC in Shropshire this morning.
The incident occurred on the B4368, near to Clun, Craven Arms at around 9.50am. An ambulance, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews arrived to find a woman, believed to be in her 60’s, trapped in her vehicle after being in collision with another car.
“The woman received emergency treatment for her serious injuries whilst still trapped. She was extricated from the vehicle with the help of the fire service and was transferred to the Air Ambulance which had landed in a field adjacent to the road.
“Unfortunately, the woman went into cardiac arrest at the scene but was successfully resuscitated by medics.
“The woman was then airlifted to University Hospital North Staffordshire for further emergency treatment. Unfortunately, her injuries were extremely serious.”
Wednesday 2nd July 2014 – 4.15pm – Murray MacGregor.
An ambulance crew who helped a mother who had just given birth in a busy Birmingham City Centre street have been speaking about the cheers that the first sight of the baby brought.
The unusual birth happened outside Primark in New Street at about 1.55pm on Tuesday afternoon.
The woman was initially helped by a doctor who was passing the scene. The baby was born within seconds of the doctor’s arrival.
A rapid response vehicle was on scene within six minutes of the call and was backed up by two ambulances who arrived a few minutes later.
Paramedics Jonathan Eades and Kirsty Wilcox helped the other ambulance staff to cut the chord and make sure mother and baby were fine before taking them to City Hospital.
Kirsty said: “Mum was very embarrassed by what had happened but local shop staff held up blankets to give her some privacy.
“A few people did give her some money and she was presented with a bunch of flowers but she was understandably most interested in the health of her new daughter.”
Jonathan added: “There was quite a cheer when I lifted the baby up to take her to the ambulance. Mum was doing really well all things considered.”
A motorcyclist has been seriously injured following an RTC in Oldbury this morning.
The crash occurred on the New Birmingham Road, at the junction of Hill Road and Regent Road at around 11.45am. Two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, a paramedic officer and two air ambulances, one from Strensham and one from Warwickshire and Northamptonshire attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews arrived to find a motorcyclist trapped under a car after being in collision with a different vehicle.
“With the assistance of the fire service the car was quickly lifted off the patient. The man had suffered serious chest, pelvic, abdominal and leg injuries in the crash.
The man, believed to be in his 30’s, received emergency treatment at the scene and was anaesthetised by the trauma Doctor. He was then transferred by land ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Major Trauma Unit with treatment continuing en-route.
“A team of medics were on standby at the hospital awaiting the patient’s arrival. Unfortunately, the mans injuries were considered life threatening.
“A woman, believed to be in her early 20’s, who was a passenger in the first car the motorcyclist collided with received treatment at the scene for a minor head injury and shoulder pain. She was transferred to Russells Hall Hospital for further treatment.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service can confirm it was called to a garage in Bartholomew Street in Birmingham at around 7.30am today (July 2) after a member of staff there found a man sleeping rough in an office who wouldn’t wake up.
Paramedics attended and managed to wake the man who then assaulted two members of ambulance staff and damaged three vehicles, one being an ambulance, before running off.
Police were called and officers detained a 31-yer-old man nearby. He was arrested on suspicion of two assaults and three counts of criminal damage and remains in police custody.
West Midlands Ambulance Service will not tolerate any staff member being assaulted and will ensure the full weight of the law is brought to bear on people who do. It is simply not acceptable.
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We have no further details on this incident due to on-going police investigation.
A lorry driver was fortunate to escape significant injuries earlier this morning when a wooden post speared through his front window and impaled itself into the passenger seat.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to scene on the M42 northbound, between junctions 10 and 11, just after 6.30am and sent an ambulance and a paramedic area support officer to the incident.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The driver, a man in his 40s, was incredibly lucky to avoid being seriously injured in the incident.
“His lorry had overturned and left the motorway prior to the post entering the cab and although we do not know why that happened, we do know there were no other vehicles involved in the incident.
“Ambulance crews assessed the man, who had managed to get himself free from the vehicle, at the scene before taking him to Queens Hospital, Burton, as a precaution.
“The incident did lead to a significant build-up of traffic in the area.”
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Notes to Editors:
If used, please credit the picture to West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Two young men have been flown to hospital, one having been seriously injured, after the car they were in overturned in Warwickshire.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Merevale Lane between Atherstone and Baxterley at midday today.
Two ambulances, two rapid response vehicles and the Midlands Air Ambulances from Cosford and Staffordshire attended.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Both men, who are in their twenties, were out of the car when ambulance personnel arrived.
“One of them had head injuries. The doctor on board the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford anaesthetised him at the scene and maintained his airway as he was flown on alert to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.
“The other man had a number of minor cuts. He was immobilised and was flown to the same hospital.”
Tuesday 1st July 2014 – 1.25pm – Murray MacGregor.
Literally dozens of lives have been saved across the West Midlands through better treatment of patients who have suffered traumatic injuries. What’s more, the West Midlands is one of the most innovative areas in the country.
New figures from an independent audit of trauma care show that across England, about 600 more patients have survived from their major trauma injuries since changes to services mas in April 2012.
Major traumas are the biggest cause of death in children and adults under the age of 40. In all, some 37,000 are seriously injured in England annually.
The independent audit produced by the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN), shows that patients in England have a 30% improved chance of surviving severe injuries after the introduction of Regional Trauma Networks across England in April 2012.
Trauma Lead for West Midlands Ambulance Service, Shane Roberts, said: “The reality is that many more people are surviving serious injuries. This starts with the ambulance staff at scene identifying the trauma injuries immediately; stabilising the patient’s condition; and then transporting them straight to one of the major trauma centres. There, the specialist trauma teams can start treating their life-threatening problems more quickly.
“The aim of the Network is to ensure that patients get the best possible care from the scene of their injury right through to their rehabilitation at home and eventual discharge.
“Every day our staff make use of the trauma network to ensure patients get the best possible treatment. What is so satisfying is that we now see patients coming back to meet our staff who only five years ago would simply not have survived.”
The West Midlands has one of the most advanced networks in the country. It includes provision of the MERIT team which is made up of a dedicated trauma doctor and critical care paramedic, who are available 24 hours a day either flying on the Midlands Air Ambulance based at Cosford or on a dedicated specialist road vehicle during the hours of darkness.
In addition, all ambulance staff have received additional trauma training and more specialist equipment to deal with serious injuries.
Backing them up is a 24 hours a day regional trauma desk with dedicated specialist paramedics who can provide help and advice to crews on scene or even set up a conference call with a trauma consultant at one of the major trauma centres (MTC) in the region.
There are three adult MTCs in the West Midlands at University Hospital North Staffordshire, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire. In addition, there is a paediatric trauma centre at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Professor Chris Moran, National Clinical Director for Trauma for NHS England, said: “People are rightly quick to point out where the NHS falls down, but this report shows our NHS at its best.
“By any international standard, these figures speak for themselves – we are saving more lives than ever before.
“One thing that has surprised us is that major trauma doesn’t just affect young men on motorbikes. The NHS is now successfully treating large numbers of patients who have retired but remain fit and active and suffer injuries similar to young people.”
On Sunday 22nd June, eleven people completed the latest training course for Community First Responders (CFRs) in Shropshire.
CFRs are everyday members of the public who are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service in a number of assessments and lifesaving techniques.
Two of the eleven are Katie Harris from Cleobury Mortimer and Catriona Kidd from Chirbury.
Pictured above left to right: Katie Harris and Catriona Kidd.
Katie explained why she decided to become a Community First Responder: “I’m involved with First Aid through my job and I have a bit of spare time so I thought I would put it to use. The course was good, not too hard. Each step was broken down step-by-step to allow us to learn it and it was revisited to allow us to digest it and understand each part.”
AUDIO: Katie Harris:
Catriona outlined what the course covered: “Everything from trauma situations to medical; diabetes, asthma attacks and basic life support. There is a lot to take in. I find it very interesting myself. I just enjoyed it.”
AUDIO: Catriona Kidd:
Having completed the training, the eleven have to undertake observational shifts with ambulance crews before they can join the already established 122 fully active CFRs in the county.
Then, when they have some spare time, they can make themselves available to be contacted by the ambulance service’s control room.
They may be asked to respond to medical cases in their area while an emergency ambulance vehicle is en-route.
The numbers of Community First Responders in Shropshire will continue to grow with the training of a further fifteen at a fully-booked course in July.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is now recruiting for a further training course in September. It is appealing for volunteers in Shrewsbury, Wem, Shawbury, Ellesmere, Clun Valley, Ludlow, Clee Hill, Market Drayton, Newport, Shifnal, Albrighton and Cleobury Mortimer.
Community Response Manager Cliff Medlicott said good CFRs are “people who are committed to providing the best possible care for members of their community at the worst times in their life.”
AUDIO: Cliff Medlicott speaking on Saturday 21st June:
For more information about becoming a Community First Responder, contact West Midlands Ambulance Service Community Response Manager Cliff Medlicott on 07884 050 877 or the Community Response Department on 01384 215 855 or CFRAdmin@wmas.nhs.uk
A motorcyclist has been injured in a collision with a car in the Northfield area of Birmingham.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Hanging Lane at 8.25am today.
A paramedic in a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance crew attended.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The motorcyclist, a man in his twenties, had a fractured pelvis and pain in his right leg and right shoulder.
“He was immobilised with the use of a scoop stretcher and neck collar and was intravenously given pain relief. He was taken on alert to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.”
Monday 30th June 2014 – 11.55pm – Murray MacGregor.
Four people have been injured after a two car crash that left one car in a field and the other with massive damage.
The crash happened at the junction of the B5027 Uttoxeter Road and the B5066 Hilderstone Road / Sandon Road to the east of Stone in Staffordshire.
An off duty paramedic came across the crash and stopped to offer assistance. Two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Staffordshire were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “There was a mother and son in the first car which ended up in the field. The mother, who was estimated to be in her 20s had a suspected fractured right wrist.
“Her seven year old son was essentially uninjured after being protected by his car seat. He was complaining of some seatbelt pain across his chest. Both were taken to Stafford Hospital.
“There were two men in the second car. It had suffered very significant damage to its front and had leaked fuel and water all over the road.
“The first man who was in his 30s had suffered a head injury and was airlifted to University Hospital North Staffordshire, though his injuries are not thought too serious.
“The second man, who was in his 20s had shoulder pain and was clearly shaken by the incident. He was taken by land ambulance to the same hospital.”
