Sunday 22nd November 2015 – 7.45am – Chris Kowalik.
A man has been taken to a major trauma centre after he collided with two cars in Herefordshire.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the A40 at Weston under Penyard shortly before 10.15pm onSaturday 21st November.
A community first responder, an ambulance crew and a paramedic area support offer initially attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The pedestrian, a man who is believed to be in his thirties, had head, chest and abdominal injuries. Following initial assessment and treatment at the scene, the ambulance crew took him to Ross-on-Wye to a rendez-vous point with a British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) doctor. It was to this location that the West Midlands Ambulance Service Medical Emergency Response Incident Team (MERIT) consisting of a trauma doctor and critical care practitioner was to arrive a short while later.
“The BASICS doctor who was from the Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS) performed his own examination and found he needed anaesthetic. When the MERIT team arrived, they have him a general anaesthetic, maintained his airway and accompanied the ambulance crew as they took him to the major trauma centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
“While en-route, the man’s condition worsened and the trauma doctor performed the surgical procedure of a bilateral thoracotomy.”
Malcolm Russell was the BASICS Doctor who attended from the Mercia Accident Rescue Service. He said: “This is a good example of why we now have the MERIT team and a major trauma network that integrates with schemes such as MARS. It meant the man had the best integrated care from everyone from the CFR, through the ambulance crews to the specialities of MARS and MERIT and was taken directly to the major trauma centre; the right place for definitive care. Two years ago, this would not have been possible.
“For me, the fact that MERIT accompanied the patient to Birmingham meant I was available for the next emergency.”
Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS) is a group of highly trained and experienced pre-hospital practitioners who provide enhanced immediate medical care to the people of Herefordshire and Worcestershire on a voluntary basis in support of West Midlands Ambulance Service. It currently comprises 15 doctors and two advanced nurse practitioners. The scheme is a registered charity supported by local fundraising and affiliated with the British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS). For more information go to www.marsbasics.org.uk
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