Archive

News archive from October 2015
Side of RRV with lozenge
Save your pennies with NHS offers
For staff working in Norwich, Bikram Yoga Norwich offers very generous discounts to all NHS workers.
31 October 2015
Ipswich recruitment event web
Talking all things paramedic in Ipswich
Staff and volunteers have been thanked for their involvement in a successful recruitment event in Suffolk at the weekend.
31 October 2015
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Entonox stolen in Watford
Earlier this week our Entonox store at Watford station was broken into and emptied.
30 October 2015
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CEO visits - w/c 2nd November
The CEO visits for this week.
30 October 2015
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Welcome to our area clinical leads
We’re really pleased to announce our new area clinical leads, who will be working alongside you as staff to advance all things clinical in your area!
30 October 2015
Yellow kit bag
Missing medicines? Report them via our anonymous helpline
Earlier this year Need to Know reported that some medicines were going missing across the Trust.
30 October 2015
Robert Morton ambulance OPT
Moving in the right direction: an update from CEO Robert Morton (29th October)
A few weeks ago I talked about the pressure facing our patient-facing staff with the increasing numbers of 999 calls, especially red calls.
29 October 2015
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Invest in staff, give us good leaders, and make us sustainable: what you told us at our engagement event
With healthy eating classes, mindfulness workshops and post-it notes galore, last week’s ‘Shaping the future’ engagement event was a fun-filled and interactive day.
29 October 2015
Staff pic   para epaulettes
Paramedics wanted for new cardiac arrest trial
Do you want to be at the forefront of cardiac arrest research?
29 October 2015
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Free coroners court training
Working in healthcare, it’s fairly likely that you’ll be asked to attend coroner’s court at some point in your career.
29 October 2015
Manual handling ambulance  credited to SCAS
World Stroke Day: our role and our research
It’s World Stroke Day today (29th October)!
29 October 2015
Yellow kit bag
Carrying controlled drugs in belts and pouches
The security of our controlled drugs is paramount - in the wrong hands, the medicines and drugs we use could do more harm than good.
29 October 2015
EEAST RRVs and amb on scene
Nearly 83% of you haven’t yet had your say
So far just 17% of you have completed your staff survey – meaning only 17% are in with a chance of winning £250 worth of gym, spa and training vouchers!
29 October 2015
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Have a say on the future of ECPs and CCPs
Are you an EEAST specialist practitioner like an ECP or CCP?
29 October 2015
Woman filling in form
Reminder: changing personal details on GRS and ESR
Whenever you need to change your personal details like your name, address or marital status, you need to complete a HR2b form.
29 October 2015
HR ezine image OPT
Vacancy and transfer list – 29th October
This week’s HR e-zine, with the latest job vacancies and transfer opportunities, is now available to view online.
29 October 2015
Pt meet up Geoff Poore Oct 15
Press release: "These heroes saved my life"
It’s the kind of scenario you’d be hard pushed to write as fiction, let alone fact. Welwyn Garden City resident Geoff Poore spent 10 years teaching CPR - but little did he know that three of this students would one day save his own life.
28 October 2015
Staff pic   para epaulettes
Employee assistance programme: support when you need it most
Did you know that the trust offers a free and confidential service, offering extra support whenever you need it?
27 October 2015
Hands typing on keyboard
GRS will be offline Tuesday
The GRS software is being upgraded on Tuesday (27th), so will be offline from 9am - 1pm.
26 October 2015
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Norfolk man jailed for damaging ambulance trolley
A man has been jailed after damaging an ambulance trolley in west Norfolk.
26 October 2015
Swaffham trolley dash for CFRs  web v
Trolley dash raises funds for CFR group in Norfolk
A Supermarket Sweep-style event has raised hundreds of pounds for a life-saving group in Norfolk.
25 October 2015
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Mandatory training handbooks are on their way
The new 2015-16 Mandatory Training Handbook and Assessment books are now arriving at locations across the Trust.
24 October 2015
Jemma and Sandra graduating Leadership Academy web v
Swapping greens for gowns for Sandra and Jemma
Two members of staff from the Essex locality swapped their greens for gowns when they recently graduated from the NHS Leadership Academy programme.
24 October 2015
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Vacancy and transfer list - 23rd October
The latest vacancy and transfer opportunities here at EEAST.
23 October 2015
Ambulance on motorway
New motorways guidance available online
The National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) has released new advice on attending incidents on the motorway network.
23 October 2015
EEAST RRVs and amb on scene
Free wellbeing training for managers – last few places
There are only a few places left for the Blue Light manager training programme, which is a national initiative that aims to better support the mental health of people working in the emergency services.
23 October 2015
Robert Morton with HART staff small
Empowering our people: update from Robert Morton (22nd October)
You are this service’s most valuable resource – quite simply our people are what make our ambulance service.
22 October 2015
Yellow kit bag
Medicines management is changing: standardised drug bags on the horizon
Making sure that patient-facing staff have the drugs and medicines they need to do their jobs is vital.
22 October 2015
Steth and keyboard OPT
Share your views on EEAST’s GP advice line
The University of East Anglia is evaluating the GP advice line and enhanced triage scheme, to look into developing future alternative patient care pathways.
22 October 2015
Bedford EOC 1
Work continues for CAD update
We will be implementing the new Cleric CAD in Bedford EOC in the early hours of Wednesday, 18th November.
22 October 2015
Staff with patient on stretcher at accident and emergency
Taking a patient directly to a ward?
As a gentle reminder, when conveying a patient directly to a hospital ward please remember to press the ‘other’ button rather than the ‘A&E’ one on the MDT.
22 October 2015
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John Littledyke
It’s with great sadness that we share news of John Littledyke, an ex-EEAST paramedic, who died on Monday, 12th October after a period of illness.
22 October 2015
NHS computer
The latest on ePCR
Back in May our electronic patient care record (ePCR) system was upgraded to Windows 7.
22 October 2015
Stoptober logo
Are you taking the Stoptober challenge?
Stoptober is the campaign challenging smokers to go through October without sparking up.
21 October 2015
EMT to Para course web v
First group of EMT to paramedics pass university course
Congratulations to the first intake of emergency medical technicians, who have completed the paramedic pathway at the University of Northampton.
21 October 2015
Staff with patient on stretcher at accident and emergency
Ward moves for mental health in Beds and Luton
The following temporary ward moves have taken place in Bedfordshire and Luton.
20 October 2015
SP30
Congratulations to new student paramedics
Well done to the Trust’s latest group of student paramedics who have passed their initial clinical training at Welwyn Garden City.
20 October 2015
Heather Wilson receives her ASI award from John Newman
All about awards for Norwich EOC
The excellence of two ambulance control room staff has been celebrated!
19 October 2015
Tying surgical apron
Nurse revalidation – have you been contacted?
All nurses and midwives will have to revalidate to maintain their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
18 October 2015
Ambulance side shot
And the winner of the CPR competition is…
Congratulations to Dave Thurgood, Community First Responder from Harlow, for winning the best two minutes of CPR as part of a series of cardiac fun days across the Trust.
17 October 2015
Luke Hindmarch   half marathon web 2
Watford student para completes his first half marathon
Congratulations to Student Paramedic Luke Hindmarch who has completed his first half marathon.
16 October 2015
Glove box OPT
IPC – what are standard precautions?
Continuing on from last week’s infection prevention and control (IPC), this week we will be looking into standard precautions.
16 October 2015
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SPOC number changing next month
The prefix for the Trust’s single point of contact (SPOC) number is changing.
15 October 2015
Clinical Quality Matters (CQM) logo
Welcome back to Clinical Quality Matters
It’s with great pleasure that we welcome back Clinical Quality Matters this month – an EEAST publication dedicated 100% to clinical learning.
15 October 2015
Andy Ashman OPT
Andy honoured by ambulance colleagues
Last Friday (9th October) ambulance personnel from across the country came together to pay their respects at the funeral of our much-missed colleague, Andy Ashman.
15 October 2015
ECA EMT course web
One step closer to becoming EMTs
A group of ambulance staff have cause to celebrate after progressing to the next stage of their clinical careers.
15 October 2015
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Have you received your NHS staff survey email?
More than 300 of you have completed the annual NHS staff survey since it was emailed out to the Trust last week – a big thank you to those who have completed it so far.
15 October 2015
Manual handling ambulance  credited to SCAS
New resuscitation guidelines
New resuscitation guidelines have been published today (15th October) by the Resuscitation Council UK.
15 October 2015
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Vacancy and transfer list – 15th October
This week’s HR e-zine has been published with the latest Trust vacancies.
15 October 2015
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Places still available: Shaping the Future EEAST staff & leadership event
Places are still available on our Shaping the Future event, where our Chief Executive Robert Morton will be setting out his vision for the Trust and we will be asking delegates for their thoughts, views and experiences.
15 October 2015
Sasha Nutley web v
‘Cool as a cucumber’ Sasha awarded for 999 call
A Norfolk girl has been praised for keeping a cool head in an emergency when she found her mum unconscious.
14 October 2015
Defibrillator on wall located at Sea Palling Beach
Do you know somewhere that needs a defib?
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Department of Health have launched a £1m scheme to make public access defibrillators and CPR training more available across England.
14 October 2015
World thrombosis day wording NTK pic
World Thrombosis Day: the numbers behind the condition
It's World Thrombosis Day today - here we take a look at some of the facts and stats behind thrombosis conditions.
13 October 2015
Norwich PTS vehicles
EEAST wins north Essex PTS contract
We are delighted to announce that we have won the patient transport service (PTS) contract for north Essex.
13 October 2015
World thrombosis day NTK logo
World Thrombosis Day: Trust trial sees improvement on PE recognition
An EEAST project to improve the pre-hospital recognition of pulmonary embolism (PE) is being hailed a success after seeing an 11% improvement.
13 October 2015
Paul and Andy NTK OPT
World Thrombosis Day: one patient’s heartfelt thanks to 999 paramedic four years on
‘I don’t think I feel too well.’ Those were the last words that Paul Westerman spoke before he collapsed and almost died four years ago.
13 October 2015
World thrombosis day NTK logo
World Thrombosis Day: would you recognise a pulmonary embolism?
Today marks World Thrombosis Day - but would you recognise a pulmonary embolism?
13 October 2015
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A snapshot of social media: the latest on Twitter and Instagram
We’ve launched several new accounts on Twitter to help complement our main @EastEnglandAmb account and help us to further engage with different audiences
12 October 2015
Glove box OPT
Infection prevention and control: the what, why and who
What is infection prevention and control?
12 October 2015
IMG 1213 web
Congratulations to our Open University students
Well done to the Trust’s Open University (OU) students who passed their module 7 course at Barton Mills last week.
11 October 2015
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NHS staff survey 2015 is available
The annual staff survey is now available for staff to complete online.
11 October 2015
Staff pic   para epaulettes
Student paramedics: requests for university documentation
Recently students have been requesting copies of their course assessment documentation.
10 October 2015
Ambulance line up blue sky
Interview dates for ARU students
Anglia Ruskin University has now supplied dates for interviews as part of the APEL process.
09 October 2015
Robert Morton ambulance OPT
CEO visits – w/c 12th October
Chief Executive Robert Morton is continuing his station and office visits around the patch.
09 October 2015
Side of RRV with lozenge
Payroll documentation requests
Over the last few months the payroll team has been receiving an increasing number of requests from staff for copies of their payslips to help with things like tax returns and mortgage applications.
09 October 2015
Robert Morton CEO visits 140915
Looking to the future: update from CEO Robert Morton (8th October)
It is fitting that I start this message by paying tribute to all those whom have worked tirelessly to progress our recovery and support the community through a very difficult time in the organisation’s lifetime.
08 October 2015
HEOC call handler
New EOC initiatives introduced
There are two trials, aimed at improving responses and better patient outcomes, starting in EOCs.
08 October 2015
Yellow kit bag
Patient focus: A look at lupus
October is lupus awareness month!
08 October 2015
Transparent EEAST crest
CAD progress: Bedford go-live planned next month
Implementation plans for our new CAD system, called CLERIC, are well underway and we are aiming to go live in Bedford EOC in the early hours of Wednesday, 18th November.
08 October 2015
Allison Muffett
Do you know a star in Norfolk and Waveney?
The deadline is looming for the Eastern Daily Press’ annual Stars of Norfolk and Waveney Awards.
08 October 2015
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Flu jab programme up and running
Influenza, or flu, is a highly transmissible and serious infection. Last year, 1,184 people in the UK were admitted to intensive care because of it, and more than 10% of those people lost their lives.
08 October 2015
Bedford EOC 1
Inappropriate calls – part II
Earlier this year, the Trust shared some of the most inappropriate 999 calls of 2015 with the public.
08 October 2015
Yellow kit bag
New QA8 form for using clinical trauma kit
Please be aware that there’s a new version of the ‘critical care clinical practice quality assurance form’, or ‘QA8’...
08 October 2015
Grad course October 15 OPT
New grads make the grade
Congratulations to our latest group of graduate paramedics who passed their induction training with us last Friday (2nd October).
08 October 2015
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Vacancy and transfer list – 8th October
This week’s HR e-zine has been published with the latest Trust vacancies.
08 October 2015
Staff pic   para epaulettes
New to critical appraisal?
Do you want to be able to critically appraise a journal article but don’t know where to start? Do you want to find the latest published evidence in pre-hospital clinical practice?
07 October 2015
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Ambulance charity launches rehab pilot
The Ambulance Services Charity (TASC), which provides support to ambulance staff and their families, has launched a rehabilitation pilot to help staff who have been injured return to work.
06 October 2015
Transparent EEAST crest
Reminder: bay doors broken? Call for help!
We have had instances recently of staff attempting to free garage doors when they have failed due to a mechanical or electrical fault or vehicular impact.
05 October 2015
Bedford EOC 1
Staff thanked for 999 pick-up time improvements
Our call handlers and IT teams have been thanked this week for their part in improving our 999 call pick-up times by nearly 20 seconds in under a year.
04 October 2015
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Need your car washed? Garry is your man
Garry Clark, Senior Paramedic from Brentwood, will be trading his stethoscope for suds this month in aid of a charity car wash in Brentwood.
04 October 2015
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Late finishes survey: one week left
You’ve got just over a week left to complete our survey on late finishes, well-being and morale.
03 October 2015
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Catch up on September’s Board meeting
Missed the Board meeting on Monday (29th September)? Catch up on what happened by looking over our tweets…
02 October 2015
Robert Morton ambulance OPT
CEO visits – w/c 5th October
Our Chief Executive Robert Morton is continuing his station and office visits around the patch to meet with as many staff as he can.
02 October 2015
Robert Morton meets staff in Melbourn
EOC’s ‘perfect storm’: an update from CEO Robert Morton (1st October)
So we continue to be challenged in delivering the expectations of our commissioners.
01 October 2015
Transparent EEAST crest
Free wellbeing training for managers
The Blue Light programme is a national initiative that aims to better support the mental health of people working in the emergency services.
01 October 2015
Side of RRV with lozenge
Changes to clinical waste collections
When clinical waste is collected from our sites, a member of the Trust needs to sign a ‘hazardous waste consignment note’ before it can be taken away.
01 October 2015
Manual handling ambulance  credited to SCAS
New stroke research trial is coming to Peterborough
The Right-2 is a UK-wide ambulance-based study exploring whether lowering blood pressure at the acute onset of stroke (<4 hours), reduces death and disability.
01 October 2015
Aaron Hill   web v3
Aaron beats the Spartan race for little Iyla
With 30 obstacles through woodland, lakes and across steep hills, Suffolk’s 25km Spartan race is recognised as being one of the hardest race events in the UK.
01 October 2015
EEAST RRVs and amb on scene
Out of service
You may have seen the recent article in Need to Know about booking out of service.
01 October 2015
Side of RRV with lozenge
Changes to recruitment approval process
From today (1st October), if you have a team vacancy that sits within your agreed structure and budget you can recruit to it without getting executive management board (EMB) approval.
01 October 2015
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Vacancy and transfer list – 1st October
This week’s HR e-zine has been published with the latest Trust vacancies.
01 October 2015