Month: March 2019

Friday 29^th March 2019 – 3.45pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.

Two people have been taken to hospital following a multi-vehicle collision on the northbound carriageway of the M5 this afternoon.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the incident between junctions 7 and 6 at 1.48pm and sent two ambulances, a senior paramedic, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, crews discovered two cars and a van that had suffered significant damage, as well as a number of other cars that had suffered minor damage.

“There were two patients, the drivers of the two cars that had suffered the most damage.

“A man was assisted out of his vehicle by members of the ambulance and fire services, whilst a woman managed to get herself out of her car.

“They were both treated for injuries not believed to be serious before being transported to Worcester Royal Hospital by land ambulances.

“No-one else involved in the incident suffered any injuries.”

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Friday 29^th March 2019 – 11am – Jamie Arrowsmith.

Ambulance bosses are appealing for members of the public to help them identify the individual(s) who smashed the window of an ambulance whilst it was responding to a 999 call.

The incident happened on Collector Road in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, at about 8.50pm last night (Thursday).

The crew, who were unhurt in the incident, were travelling on blue lights at the time, responding to a patient with breathing difficulties. A second ambulance was immediately dispatched to the patient by the Trust’s Emergency Operations Centre.

The damaged ambulance had to be taken out of service and remains off the road this morning, awaiting repair which will cost hundreds of pounds.

Emergency Services Operations Delivery Director, Nathan Hudson, said: “It is incredibly frustrating to once again find ourselves questioning why on earth somebody would want to do this to an ambulance.

“Not only that, but given it was using blue lights at the time, whoever did this could clearly see it was responding to an emergency, what if it had been on the way to one of their family members or rushing a loved one to hospital?

“We’re now faced with a vehicle being out of service, a repair bill and not forgetting the horrible nature of this incident for the staff involved. I am extremely thankful no-one was hurt.

“We will be pulling the CCTV from the vehicle and passing it to the police but we would ask for anyone who has any information about this despicable incident to contact West Midlands Police on 101 and quote 20be/75740d/19.”

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Notes to Editors: If used, please credit the image to West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Thursday 21^st March 2019 – 8.00am – Murray MacGregor.

New figures show that West Midlands Ambulance is getting to more patients, more quickly than ever before.

The data, which was published by NHS England shows that the Trust has improved its performance in each of the four categories of calls that it is measured on.  It also remains the only Trust in the country exceeding all of the standards.

Call category	Target	February 2018	February 2019	Improvement
Category 1	Mean response (7mins)	07:03	06:44	-4.5%
	90th percentile (15 mins)	12:06	11:41	-3.4%
Category 2	Mean response (18 mins)	13:14	12:32	-5.3%
	90th percentile (40 mins)	24:22	22:49	-6.4%
Category 3	Mean response (60 mins	41:35	38:42	-6.9%
	90th percentile (120 mins)	1.36:47	1.27:31	-9.6%
Category 4	90th percentile (180 mins)	2.42:23	2.01:34	-25.1%

Trust Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, said: “This is excellent news for patients and is down to the incredible efforts of our staff, who work so hard in often difficult circumstances to ensure patients get the best possible care.

“The new ambulance response standards, which were introduced last year, have allowed us to prioritise those patients in greatest need, while ensuring that every call counts.

“What the figures show is that despite the number of 999 calls continuing to rise, response times have improved considerably.

“These response standards are helping to make real improvements to the way we treat patients, prioritising the people who need us most, for example those having a cardiac arrest.

“However, they have also allowed us to make changes that mean patients with conditions such as heart attacks and strokes get the right treatment much sooner, which is having a real benefit to those individuals long term outcomes, which is great news.

“This is a real team effort to achieve such high standards.  That team starts with the staff who take our 999 calls, those that dispatch the vehicles as well as those who respond.  We are now achieving our aim of putting a paramedic on every vehicle, the only Trust in the country doing so;

“We have the newest fleet of vehicles in the country that brings real benefits for patients and staff alike; and we will continue to invest in the people that support our frontline staff, like those that restock and clean the vehicles, the fleet department who maintain them and those that ensure that we have the right equipment available for our staff to use.

“As a Trust, we will continue to do everything possible to ensure we provide the highest quality of care to every patient.”

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Wednesday 20^th March 2019 – 12.45pm – Claire Brown.

A man and a woman have been seriously injured following a road traffic collision in Oswestry this morning.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the junction of the B5069 St Martins Road and West Place in Gobowen, Oswestry at around 9.30am this morning (Wednesday). Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and two Midlands Air Ambulances, one with a MERIT trauma doctor on board, attended the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Crews arrived to find two pedestrians, a man and a woman, who were being cared for by passers-by following a reported collision with a van. Ambulance staff assessed both patients and discovered they had sustained serious injuries. The man and the woman received advanced trauma care from the team of ambulance staff at the roadside before both pedestrians were airlifted to Royal Stoke University Hospital for further trauma care.

“The van driver didn’t require hospital treatment.”

ENDS

Tuesday 19th March – 1pm

Delegates at the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives’ annual conference (#ALF2019) gathered together this morning (19th March 2019) to form a human ‘NZ’ to show their support for, and solidarity with, their New Zealand colleagues who responded to the deadly terrorist attack in Christchurch last week, as well as the families and friends of the victims.

Anthony Marsh, National Strategic Adviser of Ambulance Services, Chief Executive of West Midlands Ambulance Service and Chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives said: “We are extremely proud of our colleagues in New Zealand and we wanted to do something highly visible to show our solidarity, express our gratitude to those who responded to this horrific event and send our love to them, as well as the families and friends of the victims.”

ENDS

Notes to editors
▪ The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) provides ambulance services with a central organisation that supports, coordinates and implements nationally agreed policy. It also provides the general public and other stakeholders with a central resource of information about NHS ambulance services.
▪ Attached is a photo showing delegates at the Ambulance Leadership Forum 2019 in Warwickshire, UK forming a human ‘NZ’ in support of their ambulance colleagues in New Zealand.
▪ More information available from Carl Rees, AACE Media Consultant, via email to carl.rees@kognitive.co.uk or phone +44(0)7958 547 727.

Friday 15^th March 2019 – 11.07am – Murray MacGregor.

A woman motorcyclist has died after a crash late last night.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Hawes Lane in Rowley Regis in the Black Country at 11.40pm on Thursday evening.

Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and the MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic were sent to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, ambulance staff found a woman who had suffered very serious injuries.

“Ambulance staff provided advanced care at the scene before she was taken on blue lights to the major trauma centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, but sadly was confirmed dead shortly after arrival.”

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Friday 15^th March 2019 – 11am – Jamie Arrowsmith.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to reports of a gunshot incident at a property on Wheeleys Lane, Birmingham at 5.04am this morning. One ambulance, two paramedic officers and a MERIT trauma doctor were sent to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, crews discovered a man in cardiac arrest.

“CPR was already being performed, which ambulance staff took over and also administered advanced life support.

“However, despite everyone’s best efforts it sadly became apparent nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene.”

Ends.

Friday 15^th March 2019 – 9.02am – Murray MacGregor.

Two children have died and a woman has been injured after a two car crash.

The tragic incident happened at the junction of Lawnswood Avenue and Birmingham New Road in the Ettingshall area of Wolverhampton at around 8.45pm last night (Thursday).

An ambulance arrived on scene five minutes after the initial 999 call and was backed up by a second ambulance, the MERIT Trauma doctor and critical care paramedic and two paramedic officers.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival ambulance staff found a number of members of the public tending to those involved in the crash.

“There were three patients who all came from the same car.  Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that nothing could be done to save the two young boys who had been badly hurt and they were confirmed dead at the scene.

“A woman who had been driving the car was assessed and treated at the scene by ambulance staff before being taken to the major trauma centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.  Her injuries are not life threatening.

“There were no other patients.”

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Wednesday 13^th March 2019 – 1pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.

Two people have been treated by ambulance staff and taken to hospital following a collision between a bus and a van this morning.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the incident on Lode Lane, Solihull, at 10.26am and sent two ambulances, a senior paramedic, a paramedic officer, two BASICS doctors and the Midlands Air Ambulance Critical Care Car to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, crews discovered a bus and a van that had been in collision, both of which had front end damage.

“There were two patients from the van, one of whom, a man, was trapped as a result of his injuries.

“Ambulance staff assessed him and then worked closely with the fire service to ensure he was safely cut free.

“Once out, he received further treatment for his injuries, before being taken to Heartlands Hospital.

“The passenger in the van, a teenage male, was also taken to Heartlands Hospital. Neither of the patients are believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

“There were no patients requiring assessment from ambulance staff who had been travelling on the bus.”

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Thursday 7^th March 2019 – 5.25pm – Murray MacGregor.

A woman was left trapped for over an hour after the car she was in collided with a tree.

The single vehicle crash happened on Whitemoor Lane, near Astwood Bank to the south of Redditch at about 11.20am on Thursday morning.

An ambulance, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham were sent to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, ambulance staff found a car that had suffered very extensive damage with one wheel a considerable distance from the rest of the car.

“The woman driver, who was the only occupant had suffered multiple injuries and was trapped.  Ambulance staff worked with firefighters to extricate her safely from the wreckage.

“After a full assessment and treatment at the scene, she was taken on blue lights to the major trauma centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham by ambulance with the aircrew travelling with them.”

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Wednesday 6^th March 2019 – 10.30am – Claire Brown.

A cyclist has been seriously injured in Cannock this morning.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the A5 Watling Street in Cannock at around 7.15am today (Wednesday). An ambulance, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford with a MERIT trauma doctor on board attended.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Ambulance staff arrived to find a cyclist and a coach which had been involved in a collision. The cyclist, a man, was being given first aid by police and bystanders. Upon assessment ambulance staff found he had sustained serious injuries. They worked as a team to administer advanced trauma care on scene before the man was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for further trauma care.”

ENDS

 

Monday 4^th March 2019 – 1.20pm – Murray MacGregor.

A seven-year-old boy who went into cardiac arrest at home has visited ambulance staff who helped save his life, just six weeks after the incident.

Tommy Plant became ill at home in the Brandwood End area of Birmingham on the morning of Saturday 19^th Jan 2019.  His condition worsened quickly and when ambulance crews arrived they found his dad Jason doing CPR.

Two ambulances and a paramedic officer were sent to the scene.

Tommy was taken on blue lights to Birmingham Children’s Hospital in cardiac arrest where staff at the hospital took over his care and managed to get his heart restarted.  Unbelievably, just 16 days later Tommy was discharged from hospital.

Today, Tommy and his parents came to meet the crews from Hollymoor Hub who helped to save his life.

Operations manager, Wendy Hands, said: “This was a real team effort, from the staff in the control room who provided CPR advice over the phone, the dispatchers who got the ambulances to the scene so quickly and the staff who took over from Tommy’s Dad.   None of us can believe how well Tommy looks and we’re just so pleased to be able to meet him today.”

Tommy was presented with a Birmingham City shirt with Tommy 999 printed on it as a gift from the Hollymoor staff.  The football club were also kind enough to donated six tickets for Tommy and his family to attend the next match against Millwall.

In return Tommy brought a card, chocolates and biscuits to thank staff for saving his life.  He was able to tell staff about his recollections of the day including “being in the bumpy ambulance”!

Picture shows (L-R): Operations Managers Wendy Hands, Tom George, Michael Francis, Alison, Tommy and Jason Plant, Jordan Lane, Michelle Stubbs and Worcester University Student, Daniel Stokes.

Tommy and his parents are now raising money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.  Speaking on their Just Giving Page, the family say:

“On 19th January 2019, life would never be the same again, our son Tommy suffered a cardiac arrest at home.  Against the odds they managed to get his little heart beating again.

“The staff within the A&E department worked tirelessly to save him, not forgetting the wonderful WMAS who supported him from home to the hospital.  Due to such amazing care, support, dedication and professionalism, Tommy walked out of Birmingham Children’s Hospital on 4th February.

“We owe them everything, so we are wanting to raise not just awareness of the world class care and treatments they provide, we also want to give something back…as much as we can, therefore we are hoping to raise money to support these life savers, to ensure that they can continue in the amazing work they do.

You can go to their fundraising page: http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jason-plant3