Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 06 May 2024 at 19:19
The weekly briefing and Q&A session was then led by our Chief Executive, Tom Abell, who is joined by Juliet Beal, Director of Nursing, Clinical Quality and Improvement.
Q1 - Do the Trust/Exec team have a plan moving forward for what is now becoming the norm for acute hospital, lengthy off-load delays as we know this has now attracted media attention. Patients are dying and becoming clinically more unwell both in the back of queuing ambulances at hospitals and also in the community through unsafe delays. It is now the opinion of many of our front-line clinical staff (myself included) and local management that we are now running a unsafe service to our patients surely as an Exec team a major internal & external incident needs to be declared to ensure NHS England look at this untenable situation.
Q2 - Currently in our division apprentices are being crewed together on a frontline ambulance and sent as first response to 999 calls. (C9, C1, C2 and C3). Sometimes with allocated qualified backup and sometimes asked by control to call CAL when they are on scene for remote clinical support. What is the Trusts position on this? As part the apprenticeship agreement, they must have the appropriate support and supervision to carry out their job role.
Q3 - I haven't had a chance to join the last few weeks, so a little late, but can I say thank you to the team for the message that was sent out regarding the BBC Programme about the incident in Essex a few weeks ago. As someone who responded to the incident, it was nice to have some forewarning and helpful to have some support offered for anyone that may be affected by the programme.
Q4 - Are there any plans for dedicated hospital co-horting shifts? Rather than selecting a day and night DSA to take off the road.
Q5 - Hello are you planning on making a developing LOM role available in all areas. Currently some areas have them and others do not. This does not allow fair and equal opportunities for all staff across the Trust. Thanks.
Q6 - Why does the Trust continue to push staff who are unable to continue in their role due to ill health out of the door when they are still able to do a positive role within the Trust. They are often told we value them followed by senior managers telling them that they will be sacked after going through a capability hearing even though they currently filling temporary roles that are vital to the Trust. Every time they are told this it affects their mental health. We are wasting highly trained staff and are very likely to face industrial tribunals over this which may well mean the Trust is penalised financially instead of making good use of their skills.
Q7 - Are there any plans for SPOC referrals to be made via the new iPads, rather than a telephone call in order to reduce downtime?
Q8 - On the 22nd of September I sent you an email highlighting a number of concerns around the withdrawal of the North Walsham RRV (without consultation with the staff affected) along with an attached letter that I was going to send to my Member of Parliament (since delivered). Within that email I also asked several perfectly reasonable questions around the issues of advance practice regarding drugs, kit and maintaining currency. I have not had a reply to this communication – may I ask please if you or someone else within the Trust are going to respond to my perfectly reasonable communication. Thank you.
Q9 - Are second year student paras, from partner unis going to be able to help in frontline? If so, when?
Q10 - You are running incentives for DSA shifts, some areas are frequently running without LOMS or HALOs. This is the main support network for getting crews meal breaks and home on time. What's the rationale for incentivising only DSAs that are spending more time at hospital than with patients? Some areas have critical RRVs for a specific individual that aren't being covered due to incentive only being provided for DSAs.
Q11 - I note at the start of Covid some CFRRs were trained to drive a DSA. Are there any plans to do this again this winter?
Q12 - We are struggling to put out the expected number of DSAs/RRVs. Where are the staff for cohorting going to come from?
Q13 - With increased pressures at hospitals and regular HALO shortages, will there be training so other clinical managers can assist with this?
Q14 - With all the pressures in all areas and patients waiting a long time, can't you put APUCs out on cars to attend the patients that will most likely stay at home with our support. Every week someone talks about APUC usage and trialling schemes. I've been an ECP/APUC since 2006.... how many times do we as a Trust have to pilot things and try and reinvent the wheel?
Q15 - How can ACA doing PTS, with a C1 license help and do DSA shifts?
Q16 - You have recruited additional HALOs on an adhoc basis at their current banding. Are you going to look at compensating those individuals to the appropriate banding? Even if only 1 shift is completed?
Q17 - Are there any specific clinical developments or rollouts coming to frontline soon? I.e. Penthrox, Lucas machines, bodycams, etc?
Q18 - Hi Tom, I know you have joined EEAST fairly recently, but one of the changes on the board's and especially on your agenda was to change the culture of the organisation. Again, I am not expecting a change happening already but are there any steps defined to drive it or have you come across any barriers to this? Thanks.
Q19 - Any news on increasing the Non C1 fleet for Christmas/winter? We have recruited likely 100’s of student paramedics on a bank basis and have lots of staff without C1 into EMT/ECSW/NQP roles who could be deployed much more effectively if they had access to category B vehicles. Could we utilise any of the PTS fleet in these roles now we are no longer providing another PTS contract?
Q20 - When will the agreed additional kit that should be on the LOM vehicles be provided? I understand one of the senior team has been tasked with this prior to the vans being commissioned and yet we still do not have this kit which is very frustrating.
Q21 - With the Trust remaining on REAP4, and likely to continue as we enter into Winter and beyond, how are we as a Trust going to maintain BAU and elements that are being "switched off" especially when some of these are critical functions?
Q22 - Are there any plans to increase the volume of frontline DSA shifts available at stations? Some people have arranged and offered to work overtime (together, as a qualified crew), but have been told no shifts are available. If it is not a lack of staff - where is the limitation? Number of vehicles?
Q23 - Often focus is on increasing resource in frontline roles to accommodate demand peaks, will there be a review of support services resource increases to support the Trust too?
Q24 - If you only want to do overtime on an RRV can this be booked? RRVs are not being used and only OT on DSA can be booked.
Q25 - Managers in directorates other than operations are not able to claim overtime or the offered incentives as there is a lack of support to agree which budget they come out of. This is resulting in dropped tactical shifts.
Q26 - I appreciate we need to have a sustainability strategy and we are looking to move to hybrid vehicles, but surely it would have been better to have infrastructure in place first. A whole swathe of petrol hybrids is going to be a risk if we have fuel delivery issues again, as we only have bulk fuel.
Q27 - Why can operational officers/managers who respond for the trust not be issued iPads?
Q28 - Given it is Black History Month, what does this mean for EEAST and its own history and contribution from BAME staff?
Q29 - Why are bank workers who regularly undertake shifts not issued with iPads it seems as ever like we are forgotten?
Q30 - I have been declined an iPad as I have a trust laptop, however you cannot complete ePCR entries on the laptop (the battery is not good enough). I am told for every paper PCR I need to do a datix. If this is the case, can I claim overtime for the extra admin time involved in doing this as I am not allowed an iPad even though my budget can pay for it.