Welsh Ambulance Service volunteer 999 responders part of overhaul
There are some things that ambulance call handlers cannot detect over the phone - and that's where Jackie Hatton-Bell comes in.She is one of 130 volunteers in Wales trained to attend the scene of 999 calls to provide "eyes and ears" observations for staff in the control room.Her role is part of a raft of changes being brought in by the Welsh Ambulance Service from Tuesday, including a new "purple" category for calls.The aim is to improve patient outcomes in a country where less than 5% of people survive having an out-of-hospital cardiac or respiratory arrest, compared to 9% in Scotland, 10% in England and as many as 25% in some European countries.
Jackie and the other volunteer community welfare responders receive two days of training.They cannot provide treatment, but Jackie's actions have already helped to save lives.On one occasion, the "observations" she was trained to take – blood pressure, oxygen levels or spotting signs of a stroke – determined a patient was actually having a heart attack.
"We spoke to the clinical desk and in six minutes the paramedic turned up," Jackie recalled.On the flip side, she said the information she had gathered has also "de-escalated" some calls to more appropriate options in the community.
What else is the Welsh Ambulance Service changing?
A new "purple" category for calls to patients in suspected cardiac and respiratory arrest A "red" emergency category for major trauma or other incidents which could lead to cardiac or respiratory arrestsFor both new categories, it is expected crews will arrive in an average time of between six and eight minutesThe primary measure for purple calls will be the percentage of people to have a heartbeat restored after a cardiac arrest, until arrival at hospital
Another change is the creation of a new position in the control room - called "clinical navigators" - who closely monitor the list of those waiting for an ambulance.Head of service, Gill Pleming, explained that these trained paramedics and nurses would screen the calls to decide if some needed "enhanced clinical triage".They may also call patients back to check for symptom changes where appropriate, re-prioritise their place in the queue or, when necessary, deploy community welfare responders like Jackie.
"I see it as instead of a patient having to wait a number of hours where it's potentially not such a serious condition, we can go out and be the eyes-on," said Jackie, who volunteers for a minimum of eight hours each month.The information she gathers is then fed back to paramedics and nurses in the control room to make a clinical decision."That's saving the ambulances going out to absolutely everything," she explained.Covering a large chunk of rural west Wales, Jackie said many in the traditional farming community were "made of tough stuff" which meant they could down-play their symptoms.On the day the BBC spent with Jackie in Pembroke Dock, a call came in at lunchtime for a patient in their mid-50s who had fallen overnight and vomited."You start thinking there has been a head injury, because of the vomiting," said Jackie, 53."But when I got to the patient there was a significant injury. It had happened in the night and they rang 999 at midday, so [they] had waited all that time in severe pain."The detail given to call handlers by a relative had not conveyed the full extent of the injuries but Jackie was able to elevate the call, with an ambulance and fire service arriving within an hour to help safely transfer the patient to hospital."We don't go to the most serious and we won't go to under-18s, but we will take anything in between," she added.
It is a far cry from Jackie's previous career in human resources, and more latterly running a restaurant with her husband in Pembrokeshire.Being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 changed her outlook and she decided not to return to work.Instead, she answered an advert seeking Welsh Ambulance Service volunteers and expected to be driving patients to and from hospital."I turned up to the interview and there was a lot of equipment, manikins and defibs and I suddenly realised it wasn't driving patients," she laughed."I thought 'I'm going to give it a go', and it's the best mistake I've ever made."She said friends and family were surprised by the move, as she had always been quite squeamish."But you put this uniform on and you don't see that, you just see the patient. It's given me the confidence to go forward to be a first responder, which is what I'm doing next."
Improving survival
Over time, it is hoped that these changes will help to improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac and respiratory arrests in Wales.Anthony Crothers, from Cardiff, said he was well aware that he was "one of the lucky ones" after he had a cardiac arrest last October near the café at Three Cliffs Bay, Swansea.Between his friend, the café owner and – by chance – a passing doctor, they were able to use the nearby defibrillator and get his heart beating using CPR. A paramedic was also on the scene within 15 minutes, followed by the Air Ambulance.
Anthony woke up two-and-a-half weeks later in the intensive care unit of the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.He had always been fit and healthy, but a scare earlier in the year had flagged that he had angina.He also had a familial risk of heart attacks and had made lifestyle changes to improve his health - but the cardiac arrest came as a huge shock."I was apparently in the right place at the right time, surrounded by all the right people," he said. "If I'd been down on the beach – as I was half an hour before – it might have been a very different outcome."He said he was eternally grateful to his friend Glyn who reacted so quickly, as well as the bystanders walking past who "jumped in and did something"."I've consequently learned that doing something is better than nothing. The training for CPR takes about 15 minutes and I think we should all have some appreciation of what to do."Wales' health secretary, Jeremy Miles, said the changes were intended to "save more lives"."Until now, cardiac arrests have been categorised in the same way as less critical problems like breathing difficulties. This new approach ensures ambulance teams prioritise people with the most urgent needs," he added.Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "The ambulance service of today provides much more sophisticated care, so shifting the focus to how many people survive a life-or-death emergency because of our interventions, rather than how many minutes it takes us to arrive, is an important step to reflect that."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Ban trans women from female lavatories now, Starmer tells hospitals
Sir Keir Starmer has told hospitals and universities to obey the law and ban transgender women from female lavatories 'as soon as possible'. The Prime Minister said public bodies must stop dragging their feet and comply with April's Supreme Court ruling, which found that trans women are not legally women. The judgment on the meaning of the word sex in the Equality Act means that amenities such as toilets and changing rooms have to be separated by biological sex and not by self-identified gender. But two months on, dozens of NHS trusts and other organisations up and down the country have failed to change their guidance, meaning biological men are still being allowed in women's lavatories and changing rooms. Women's rights groups say this puts female staff at risk because most sexual abuse is carried out by biological men. Now, Sir Keir has lost patience with organisations that are still failing to comply with the law. 'We've accepted the ruling' The Prime Minister said: 'We've accepted the ruling, welcomed the ruling, and everything else flows from that as far as I'm concerned. 'Therefore all guidance of whatever kind needs to be consistent with the ruling and we need to get to that position as soon as possible.' Soon after the ruling, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued interim guidance that said that in places such as hospitals, shops and restaurants, 'trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women's facilities'. It is now consulting on the details of its guidance, but Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairman, has said the main thrust of the advice will not change. Despite this, most NHS organisations and universities have said they are waiting for the EHRC guidance before updating their policies. But Sir Keir's comments indicate he has little sympathy with this argument. 'No need to wait for further guidance' Maya Forstater, chief executive of the women's rights charity Sex Matters, said: 'This is an important intervention from the Prime Minister, given the huge number of public bodies failing to implement the Supreme Court judgment and therefore operating outside the law. 'Political leadership is essential if women whose rights are being stolen are not to be forced to turn to the courts, where public bodies will end up losing, at great expense to taxpayers.' She added that the law is clear and there is 'no need to wait for further guidance from the EHRC or anyone else'. A growing number of public bodies are changing their guidance in light of the judgment. The Football Association, for example, has said trans women would be banned from women's sport. The Houses of Parliament announced last week that it had changed its position, saying that visitors should use 'the facilities that correspond to their biological sex'. Trans people were instructed to use gender-neutral lavatories on the estate. However, a large number of public organisations have still not changed their guidance. The ruling is of particular importance for universities, many of which organise sports teams and continue to allow biological men to participate in female sports. 'Not making changes' Leeds University said: 'For the avoidance of doubt, we are not making any changes to how we provide campus facilities. 'We will not do so unless there is clear legal obligation, and we have meaningfully consulted with those most directly impacted. This is about getting things right – not about rushing to respond.' Liverpool University said: 'Any practical implications in applying the ruling to our facilities and activities are not yet clear and along with other universities, we now need to wait for more detailed guidance. 'As such, there are no immediate changes to any university policies.' As for the NHS, a group of eight nurses in Darlington is challenging their health trust's policy over allowing a trans colleague to use the female changing rooms at work. The national body – NHS England – is still to publish guidance on the Supreme Court ruling. The NHS Confederation, which represents trusts, has withdrawn pro-trans guidance but has not yet updated it. Several other regional organisations have indicated their advice will not change, at least for the time being. NHS Sussex said: 'There should be no change in terms of how services are delivered as the NHS nationally considers the judgment. 'Further to this, we understand that the update provided by the Equality and Human Rights Commission has led to concern. NHS Sussex will fully participate in a code of practice consultation when it launches to ensure that the protections of the Equality Act endorsed by the Supreme Court are upheld.'
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Eight Sleep Pod 4 review: This smart mattress topper kept me cool on the hottest night of the year
What is the Eight Sleep Pod 4? There are lots of smart beds, cooling mattresses and sleep trackers, but the Eight Sleep Pod combines these features into one system comprising a temperature-regulating mattress cover, a hub and an app. The cover looks like a standard mattress topper but hides a grid of thin water channels. These connect to the central hub which, placed by your bed, heats or cools the water between 12C to 43C to help create an environment for a good night's sleep. Sensors in the cover monitor your body and room temperature and adjusts itself accordingly. Each side can be set to suit different preferences. In the app, you can control the temperature, set an alarm and track your sleep and health data. You can also change the temperature screen-free by tapping the side of the bed. There are three different models. The Pod 4 reviewed here is the original model starting at £2,249 for a double. The highest spec version, the Pod 5 Ultra, retails at £4,449, but is sometimes discounted at £200 off. JUMP TO: How we test cooling sleep tech While testing eight cooling mattresses, I came across the Eight Sleep Pod 4, which presented a cooling option like nothing else I've seen on the market. With the ability to precisely change your bed temperature when needed, it's a far cry from your standard cooling mattress. I placed a king size version of this smart mattress topper on my Simba Hybrid Ultra mattress that I share with my partner, with the hub alongside the bed. I was keen to see how easy it was to set up and use. I tried it on both hot and cool nights to assess its comfort and effectiveness at improving my sleep by getting my body to the optimum temperature. I was also curious to see the relevance of the sleep data provided in the app. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best sleep product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. All opinions are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. Set up Score: 8/10 Firstly, I downloaded the Eight Sleep app on my smartphone and linked the system over Wi-Fi. I encountered none of the usual glitches involved with linking smart devices, highlighting the attention to detail Eight Sleep put into this premium mattress topper. Then, I followed the app's step-by-step guide for setting up the mattress cover and electrical hub, where the water tank is located. The king size cover fits a mattress up to 40cm thick – just enough to fit my 34cm-deep Simba Hybrid Ultra (just check compatibility – the Pod may damage memory foam mattresses over time). Putting it on was much like making the bed with a mattress protector. My mattress fits snugly on the frame so there was just enough room to fit the cover down the sides; you need space to fit it properly, ensuring the water tube at the top (the one that connects to the hub) lies flat and free from any twists and turns. Just like connecting to the app, the setup was smooth, meaning I could quickly start filling the water channels ready for my first night's sleep. Tech features and app Score: 9/10 The app has a yearly subscription service starting from £199. Embedded sensors in the cover send sleep analytics straight to it, so you can track your sleep stages, movement, heart, respiratory rates and even snoring. The data was interesting as it showed how much I woke at night. Obsessing over sleep data isn't for me though, so I wouldn't assess it regularly. The best thing about the app is how easy it is to adjust the mattress temperature, especially when I set it to a breezy minus five on one of the hottest nights in June (it's adjusted by levels rather than degrees). I also programmed a wake up alarm on my side of the bed, so as to not disturb my partner and the cover vibrated at a set time each morning. This was a novelty, until tapping the bed to turn it off became annoying. You can control the basics without your smartphone. By tapping the cover side, you can adjust the temperature up and down. But this was frustrating to work out; there's no indication on the hub or cover of what temperature is being set. Score: 9/10 Without a cooling pillow or a cooling blanket to hand, I was keen to see how well the Eight Sleep Pod 4 performed on a balmy summer night. I tested it throughout early June, including on June 13th, one of the hottest days of the year so far according to The Met Office. It kept me comfortably cool while sleeping. The mattress cover's black fabric feels padded due to the water channels inside. But this is soft and tactile underhand, and nice to lie on even without a sheet. When the temperature of the mattress cooled, I was more aware of the thin water channels inside the bed and found myself thinking it was a little odd to sleep on. On the nights that I wanted a warmer feel, I noticed it less. Overall, however, it's hard to tell that there's any piping within the cover. As soon as I told the app information about my size and sleeping preferences, Autopilot (the name of its AI tech) has been getting to know my sleep patterns and automatically adjusting the mattress temperature to improve my sleep. Every morning it gave me my sleep score, charting how much time I spent awake or in light, deep or REM sleep. It highlighted how much I had – or hadn't – snored and monitored when I went to bed too, making me feel a little ashamed about staying up too late. My sleep score is still hit and miss, so I wouldn't say the pod has had a noticeable effect on my nights. But being able to control my bed to suit the weather has felt empowering. One downside is that the hub can get a little noisy when at its highest cooling mode, much like a fan blowing at a low-level. This could be annoying if you need complete silence to sleep. Value for money and quality Score: 8/10 The Pod 4 currently costs £2,249 for a double. This is Eight Sleep's entry level design that comes with a cover, hub and subscription to the app's Autopilot plan for one year. After that expires, the subscription starts at £199 per year. The brand has also launched an updated version, the Pod 5 Core with similar features but newer tech and a price of £2,449. And if you have a bigger budget to play with, you can invest in the Pod 5 Ultra for £4,449. It's only available as a Super King or Emperor and comes with all the features of Pod 5 Core, surround sound and a base which makes your bed adjustable and is designed to limit back pressure and even snoring. With its luxury cover and high-tech hub and app, it's easy to see why this cooling and warming solution comes with a premium price tag. While it's an interesting and effective concept, I think you need to be fascinated with its sleep and health metrics to get the full benefits. Technical specifications The Eight Sleep Pod is singular in its offering, but since the 4's launch, the brand has brought out a more advanced model and version with its own base. Here's how the three stack up. Should you buy the Eight Sleep Pod 4? There's a lot to like about the way the Eight Sleep Pod 4 conveniently heats or cools your mattress. Its instant cooling is a welcome relief on hot nights, while its cushioned design warms your body when temperatures drop. Its app is informative too, especially if you want to monitor sleep metrics without a wearable tracker. But its hub is bulky and you need space to set it up properly, so measuring your room before you buy is key. The hefty price tag is also hard to ignore. Yes, if: You like the idea of a gadget that warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer You're a hot sleeper, and have exhausted all other routes for instant cooling at night You love analysing your sleep data No, if: You're on a budget; it has a high initial outlay and a yearly app subscription fee You have a small bedroom You have a memory foam mattress as using electric blankets or a heated topper can cause damage over time Eight Sleep Pod 4 FAQs Does Eight Sleep use a lot of electricity? You will need to plug the hub in to make use of the mattress cooling and heating capabilities. I measured it at costing around seven pence per hour on the highest setting based on costs at the time of testing. What are the sleep tracking capabilities of the Eight Sleep Pod 4? The cover comes with built-in sensors that track sleep data each night and gives you a 'sleep score' between one and 100. It charts awake time at night, deep, light and REM sleep, snoring, and heart and respiratory rates. How does the Eight Sleep Pod 4 work? The Eight Sleep Pod 4 uses water-based thermal technology, biometric sensors and AI-powered software to track your sleep and make temperature adjustments. How easy is the Eight Sleep Pod 4 to set up on a bed? The Eight Sleep Pod 4 cover comes in four sizes and is designed to sit snugly over your existing mattress. This is easy to set up and links to an electrical hub that sits alongside the bed. Set up is straightforward as the Eight Sleep app will guide you through the process step by step. How does the Eight Sleep Pod 4's temperature regulation work? The cover has thin water channels running through it and links to a hub that sits alongside the bed and circulates water through the channels to heat or cool the mattress surface. Is there a subscription required to use all the features of the Eight Sleep Pod 4? Yes there is an Autopilot subscription required to use all of the Eight Sleep Pod 4 features. The starting cost is £199 per year.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
East End Cancer Relief charity funds Castle Hill Hospital devices
A cancer charity has donated equipment worth almost £10,000 to help palliative care patients enjoy "everyday family life".Easington's East End Cancer Relief Charity (EECR) has provided eight "life-changing" ambulatory syringe drivers to Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, East small and portable devices are used to continually administer a patient's medication over a set period, the charity the devices have recently been used by a woman attending her sister's wedding and by a teenager attending a music festival, a spokesperson added. The charity, which is already planning further fundraising events, raised a total of £9,600 through activities, including a bike ride, craft fairs, raffles and a country and western trustee Andrea Robinson said: "We are immensely proud to be able to provide support in this way and it was fantastic to hear first-hand from the nursing staff the difference the syringe drivers make to patients' lives."I would like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to everyone who has helped at our events and have donated either money or goods to contribute to the funds raised," she was originally set up in the late 1970s and over the years has raised more than £190,000. It became a registered charity in May 2023. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
