The Trust is very saddened to report that our colleague Trevor Hearn, an ambulance fleet assistant at Peterborough, passed away on Sunday after a period of illness.

Globally, about 11 million people seek medical treatment, and 300,000 die, from burns each year. But how should we deal with burns?

Your weekly message from the Trust Chief Executive.

Following the introduction of the new healthcare referral team desk in Chelmsford EOC, there will be some changes to talk groups.

With the introduction of the health care referral team (HCRT) to the 999 service, a new dispatch desk will be staffed in Bedford and Chelmsford control rooms to deploy these resources.

Please note the middle room used for meetings at Barton Mills will not be available from the 1st November until further notice, due to on-going refurbishment.

The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) is planning a four-day continuous strike from 6pm on Friday (October 31) until 6pm on Tuesday (November 4).

This year’s flu vaccinations have now been delivered to the Trust and are working their way around the region, so look out for a clinic at your station soon.

The Trust’s tenth group of student paramedics finished their training last week and today (3rd November) are beginning life on the frontline.

Your weekly update from the Trust Chief Executive.

A gang of thieves, known by police as the Falcons, have been targeting NHS premises to steal belongings from staff.

The NHS pensions choice exercise began in January 2010 and gave eligible members the chance to move their pension from the 1995 section of the scheme to the 2008 section.

As you will have recently seen, we are migrating to a new regional model for the display and functionality used on our mobile data terminals.

The Norfolk Local Resilience Forum, which EEAST is part of, has launched a free phone app to help the public know what to do before, during, and after an emergency.

Call handler Tom Mcrae has achieved his silver award for consistent call-handling excellence, which means he has passed 50 consecutive call audits.

The following case comes from London Ambulance Service and is used to illustrate the need to consider the patient in a holistic manner, and not just from the aspect of their presenting symptoms.

High quality airway care remains one of the most fundamental skills of any out-of-hospital practitioner, but how this should be achieved, and what skills and equipment should be available to paramedics practicing within the UK, remains a controversial subject.

The way we treat patients with single limb fractures has improved from February to July, according to the latest clinical performance report.

Paramedic David Dixon has raised more than £400 for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) by selling cakes across Bedfordshire.

The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) is a feedback tool which allows people who use health services to provide feedback on their experience, which should be used to improve services for patients.

As mentioned in the latest ebola advice article last week, action cards have been produced for all staff who may be involved in dealing with a patient with suspected viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF).

A message from interim Director of Clinical Quality, Tracy Nicholls.

Following two further cases where 10% glucose has been given in place of 0.9% saline solution, all bags of glucose will have a red sticker applied to the back of the pack to assist with identifying the product.

In line with best practice and national recommendations the swabs within the maternity packs will be changing.

The Trust’s latest groups of student paramedics finish their course tomorrow (24th October), meaning there will be 41 more frontline staff on the road next week.

Simon Stevens, the new chief executive of NHS England has set out a five-year plan for the NHS today.

Did you ever wonder what happened with ATLANTIC, the study EEAST participated in which evaluated the safety and effectiveness of paramedic-led ticagrelor for STEMI patients?

We’re all familiar with the term ‘safeguarding’, but how many of us fully understand what it means, what our responsibilities are in the ambulance service, and what we’re obliged to do to help protect vulnerable people?

The invitations have been sent, the preparations are being made and excitement is building – the Trust’s awards ceremony is now less than a month away!

Further to the recent article on senior paramedic and senior EMT roles, several staff have emailed in with their questions. Here we share some of the most asked questions, and more importantly their answers!

Each month the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) publishes key information and learning related to medicines. In a recent edition, they highlighted two areas that can be considered relevant for ambulance clinicians.

Paper copies of the NHS staff survey are being delivered to stations this week – so make sure you have your say and take part in the annual organisation-wide review.

Heart attack centres we work with have told us that they are not always able to identify a pre-hospital ECG due to the lack of patient detail.

Following the recent cases of imported ebola in Spain and the USA, the Department of Health has emphasised the need to remain vigilant for possible cases of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) in this country.

To help with the early identification of suspected ebola patients, the Trust’s 111 service in Norfolk has updated pathway questions to investigate potential symptoms.

This week several codes have been updated in the Trust’s MPDS (Medical Priority Dispatch System) system, as per national requirements and following a trial.

Eight new recruits are ready, set and raring to begin taking 999 calls, after they finished their emergency call handler training on Friday (10th October).

Your weekly message from the Trust Chief Executive.

After several recent instances of paperwork being received after cut-off dates, payroll would like to make all managers aware of the cut-off dates for payments.

The next time your ambulance or response car needs filling up with fuel, please remember to think about your closest Trust fuel site first.

Non-clinical workbooks are now available for PTS, EOC, operational support, primary care/111 and all other non-operational staff.

Due to an increase in activity pressure and further forecasted rises in demand on the service, the Trust has moved from REAP level 3 to REAP level 4.

Well done to student paramedics on courses in Cambourne, Chelmsford and Norwich, who have all passed their clinical training in the last few weeks!

An external audit of Great Yarmouth and Waveney patient transport services (PTS) has resulted in a continued positive certification, with all aspects being described as “very satisfactory”.

The Intergraph CAD system upgrade is a significant project for the Trust, involving a critical system with direct impact on service delivery and patient safety.

A community first responder (CFR), who has been a Suffolk village’s only lifesaver for more than a year, has scooped a special 999 award.

A four-day audit at Broomfield Hospital, Essex has found that our crews made the correct decision to take a patient to hospital 96% of the time.

Last Friday the Government announced that nearly £10m of LIBOR fines will be given to emergency services charities, including the Ambulance Service Benevolent Fund (ASBF).

Your weekly message from the Trust Chief Executive.

As you will be aware, a number of unions have indicated that they will be asking their members to strike from 7-11am on Monday (13th October), in response to the 1% non-consolidated pay rise.

The rollout of the 120 new ambulances has begun, with 12 already delivered to stations across the region; meaning we are on course to have a fleet of vehicles all under five years old by the end of March.

Paramedics from Melbourn were thanked in person on Thursday by patient Richard Game, who is still recovering from a horrific arm injury caused by a circular saw in June.

Andrew Selous, MP for south west Bedfordshire, has agreed to volunteer for the ambulance service following his visit to Leighton Buzzard station on Tuesday (7th October).

In the east of England, there is a standard DNACPR policy and form which was rolled out to all sectors and care settings in 2011.

Your weekly message from the Trust Chief Executive.

There are a significant number of reversing-related vehicle accidents each year at the Trust, and recently more than normal, which are often costly to the organisation and impact on service delivery.

Issue 24 of the Pre-hospital Emergency Services Current Awareness Update has been published.

Last week the Trust held two engagement evenings for care home managers and staff to explain the differences between our 111, out of hours and 999 services.

Two members of emergency operations centre (EOC) staff have been awarded for their consistent high levels of quality assurance compliance.

The Norfolk 111 service, which is run by EEAST, was praised in feedback from those who had to use the service in July.

Lee Stephens, a pastor from Northern Ireland, has been given a 16-week suspended prison sentence, after threatening to have paramedics who came to his aid “murdered by the IRA.”

A significant proportion of the Trust’s additional winter funding will be spent on hospital ambulance liaison officers (HALOs), to work closely with our acute colleagues to deliver consistently excellent patient care.

This year Remembrance Sunday falls on 9th November and marks the Centenary of the beginning of World War 1. Staff kindly volunteer each year to represent the ambulance service and remember all those who gave their lives.

At the end of August I updated you over discussions between myself and Fraer Stevenson, UNISON Branch Secretary, over a pay banding agreement for Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians.

In line with the Trust’s priority to direct more resources into frontline services, the IT team will be changing the way some things currently work.

Your weekly update from the CEO.

On Tuesday (29th September), Lt Commander Gaffney delivered a training session to Trust staff, at the Melbourn HART base, around the risks of homemade explosives.

Staff at the Chelmsford and Bedford offices have raised more than £600 for Macmillan by taking part in the World’s Biggest Coffee morning on Friday (26th September).

Essential Blackberry server maintenance will be carried out on Monday (6th October) from 10am – 4pm.

With effect from 1st October, the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will cease producing tax discs for all vehicles in the UK (except those based in Northern Ireland).

The Lucille Van Geest ward, part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust, will be moving from the old Peterborough District Hospital site to the Cavell Centre, Bretton Gate, on Friday, 3rd October.

A press release issued this week on the CFR roadshows across Norfolk in September.

The Health and Care Professions Council have issued a short paper outlining their support for members taking part in clinical research trials.