Shaunna Farley – Monday 20th February 2023 – 9.45am.
A teenage boy has sustained life threatening injuries following a road traffic collision in Birmingham this morning.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to a collision involving a car and an electric scooter at the junction of Stoney Lane and Taunton Road at 5.30am. Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and a MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Crews arrived to find the rider of the electric scooter, a teenage boy, with life threatening injuries. Ambulance staff administered advanced life support and advanced trauma care to him at the scene.
“He was conveyed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital with continued treatment from ambulance staff en route.
“The driver of the car did not require treatment.”
Four people have been taken to hospital following a road traffic collision in Birmingham in the early hours of this morning.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to a collision involving a car and a lorry on Highgate Road at 3.38am. Four ambulances, two paramedic officers and a MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Crews arrived to find four patients from the car.
“First, the driver who was extricated from the vehicle by the fire service. He was assessed and had sustained serious injuries. He received advanced trauma care from ambulance staff at the scene.
“The second and third, both passengers in the car, were assessed and had sustained serious injuries. They received treatment from ambulance staff at the scene.
“All three patients were conveyed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further treatment.
“The fourth, a man who was a passenger, was assessed and had sustained non-life threatening injuries.
“He received treatment at the scene before being conveyed to Sandwell District Hospital.
“The driver of the lorry did not require treatment.”
Shaunna Farley – Thursday 16th February 2023 – 9.15am.
A woman has sadly died following a road traffic collision in Worcester last night.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to a collision involving a car and a pedestrian on Malvern Road in Powick at 6.45pm. Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and two Midlands Air Ambulance Critical Care Cars and a BASICS emergency doctor attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Crews arrived to find the pedestrian, an elderly woman, to have sustained life-threatening injuries. Ambulance staff administered advanced life support to her at the scene.
Unfortunately, despite the best efforts it became clear that nothing more could be done to save her and she was confirmed deceased at the scene.
“The driver of the car did not require treatment.”
Jamie Arrowsmith – Wednesday 15th February 2023 – 9am
Two people have been injured and taken to hospital following a collision between a van and a HGV this morning.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the A429 in Tredington, Shipston on Stour, near to Glebe Farm, at 4.18am and sent three ambulances, two paramedic officers, a MERIT trauma doctor and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance Critical Care Car to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival crews discovered a van on its side and a HGV, both of which had front end damage.
“The driver of the van, a man, was treated by ambulance staff for serious injuries and taken to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire. The doctor travelled with the patient to continue treatment enroute.
“The passenger from the van, also a man, was treated for potentially serious injuries before being taken to the same hospital.
“The lorry driver, a man, was assessed at the scene and was going to make his own way to hospital as a precaution.”
Claire Brown – Tuesday 14th February 2023 – 9.10am.
A motorcyclist and a pedestrian have been injured following a road traffic collision in Birmingham last night.
West Midlands Ambulance Service received multiple 999 calls to Great Hampton Street in the Jewellery Quarter to reports of an RTC involving a motorcycle and a pedestrian at around 6.00pm yesterday (Monday). Two ambulances and a critical care car from the Midlands Air Ambulance attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Ambulance staff arrived to find police and bystanders caring for two patients. A pedestrian, a man, had sustained serious injuries in the collision and received emergency treatment on scene before being conveyed on blue lights to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for further trauma care.
“The motorcyclist, a man, was given treatment on scene for his injuries before being conveyed to Sandwell Hospital for further treatment.”
Claire Brown – Monday 13th February 2023 – 3.20pm.
A motorcyclist, who has been involved in a road traffic collision in Hereford this afternoon, has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
West Midlands Ambulance Service received several 999 calls reporting a collision between a car and a motorcyclist on Station Approach, Hereford at around 12.30pm. An ambulance, paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham with medics on board attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “When ambulance staff arrived on scene they found a motorcyclist, a teenage boy, who had been involved in a collision with a car and was being cared for by bystanders.
“Upon assessment, the teenager was found to have sustained serious injuries which required trauma care on scene. Once in a stable condition, the teenager was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for further specialist trauma care.”
Shaunna Farley – Tuesday 7th February 2023 – 11.30am.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is celebrating over 2,400 apprentices past and present, who have been employed by the Trust this National Apprenticeship Week.
National Apprenticeship Week is marked across the 6-12th February and aims to display the amazing work being done by employers and apprentices across the country.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is one of the first Ambulance Trusts approved as an Apprenticeship Main Training Provider with the Education and Skills Funding Agency for Higher Level Apprenticeships. It remains the most productive organisation in the West Midlands region, and within the ambulance sector, for developing our staff through the delivery of the apprenticeship standards with the largest provision of student paramedic registered apprentices.
The Trust first introduced apprenticeship programmes in 2010, when it brought in the very first apprenticeship, the Motor Vehicle Apprenticeship, which still runs at the Trust today. To date, the Trust currently has several apprenticeships to offer, ranging from level 2 to level 7.
In October 2012, the Trust introduced its Non-Emergency Patient Transport Scheme and 289 apprentices have been recruited onto the scheme over those ten years. 15 are currently on programme while many others have progressed to permanent positions with the Trust. 24 of are now Paramedics with us, 20 are technicians, seven are progressing within the Student Paramedic pathway, four are involved in the training of our staff and 40 are employed within our Patient Transport Scheme and other departments.
People Director, Carla Beechey said: “Apprenticeships are central to assist the Trust to build our future workforce. I would like to thank everyone involved in supporting our apprenticeship schemes and assisting with the development of our staff.”
The Trust will be celebrating National Apprenticeship Week on @OfficialWMAS social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by sharing the stories of some past and present apprentices and celebrating their hard work and progression with the Trust.
Four people were taken to hospital after a serious RTC in Birmingham yesterday.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to reports of a collision on Brandwood Road in Kings Heath at 4.56am on Sunday 5th February.
Four ambulances, three paramedic officers, the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team, a MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic were sent the scene. On arrival, they discovered one car had left the road and collided with a building and a skip.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “The driver of the car, a woman, was in a critical condition on arrival. Fire colleagues worked to remove her from the vehicle and ambulance staff provided advanced trauma care before conveying her on blue lights to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for further treatment.
“Three males, all passengers in the car, were assessed by the team of ambulance staff and were found with varying serious injuries. All three received emergency treatment on scene before being conveyed to the same hospital for further trauma care.”
A woman has been airlifted to hospital in a critical condition following a road traffic collision in Herefordshire this afternoon.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Ledbury Road, Ross on Wye, just after 3.00pm today (Wednesday) following reports of a collision involving a pedestrian and a minibus. Two ambulances, two paramedic officers, a community first responder, a Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS) BASICS doctor, the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham with two critical care paramedics on board and a Great Western Air Ambulance Charity helicopter with a medic on board attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “When ambulance staff arrived on scene they found a pedestrian, a woman, in a critical condition being cared for by bystanders.
“The team of ambulance staff worked quickly to administer advanced trauma care to the woman on scene to stabilise her condition before she was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol for further trauma care.”
Murray MacGregor – Wednesday 1st February 2023 – 3.00pm.
Ambulance bosses are welcoming a two-year jail term for a man who broke the jaw of a paramedic who had gone to help him.
It was the first time that body worn camera footage was provided to the police in the West Midlands region as part of an investigation into an assault of a member of the ambulance service.
The incident happened at around 9.00pm outside Shooters Bar in Leominster on Friday 4th March 2022.
Yesterday (Tuesday 31st January) at Worcester Crown Court, Henry Steven Allun Grain (20 years) of Worcester Road, Leominster was sentenced to two years imprisonment in a youth offenders institution after earlier pleading guilty to Grievous Bodily Harm with intent and two counts of criminal damage.
Paramedic Steve Raven, who was assaulted, said: “We had been tasked to a report of an unresponsive man in a public house.
“After initial treatment, we took him out to the ambulance where he became aggressive, so we activated the ambulance CCTV system and our body worn cameras.”
Grain then punched Steve in the face breaking his jaw. He also damaged one window and broke one of the ambulance door hinges taking the vehicle off the road for repairs.
Steve said: “I love my job, but this incident has had a profound impact on me. As well as the time for my bone to heal I have been left with facial numbness and hearing loss. It has also affected me psychologically – I get very nervous when I attend similar situations.
“Often we don’t feel that the law provides us with enough protection, but I was pleased that the judge in his summing up was quite strong in his disgust at what Grain did. He understood that this was an assault on someone who had gone there to help a patient and ended up off work for weeks, robbing the public of a paramedic at a time when it is incredibly challenged.
“When I started this job in 2015, the thought that I would need to wear a body worn camera for my protection would have seemed absurd, but I am so glad that both the vehicle and our staff have that option. I feel sure that being able to capture what happened made all the difference when it came to the prosecution and I would urge all my colleagues to use the system every time they go out, you just never know when you might need it.”
WMAS Emergency Services Operations Delivery Director, Nathan Hudson, said: “I welcome this sentence as it shows how seriously the court took the violence against Steve.
“Ambulance staff are there to help people in their hour of need. We know that the vast majority of the public find violence against our staff to be abhorrent.
“The impact that violence against our staff has on their lives can be profound: we have seen cases where colleagues are left scared to be alone with a patient; some get flash backs and other mental health impacts.
“These often long term effects are on top of the recovery that is needed for their physical injuries that may stop them being able to work for days, weeks or months.
“Violence is not acceptable and we all need to work together to stop it happening.”