BlackVelvet Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 because it's not actually essential West Yorkshire Ambulance service used to run 4 'intensive care ambulances' one has been scrapped and the other 3 converted for middle tier use because the current YAS new vehicles provide the same as standard the the old intensive care Ambulances did ( extra Oxygen, mains inverter allowing you to run 240 vac devices ) ... the main reason for running dedicated ICU vehicles now is to store equipment on the vehicle rather than rely on it all being 'person portable' in packs ... here-here! I understood the old one (WELL past its sell by date) didnt need to be replaced..for the reasons outlined in this post and cant help thinking the sponsored funds could be used for something more vital. Maybe scoop could ask his collegue to quantify the decision to purchase a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoop Posted February 27, 2007 Author Share Posted February 27, 2007 here-here! I understood the old one (WELL past its sell by date) didnt need to be replaced..for the reasons outlined in this post and cant help thinking the sponsored funds could be used for something more vital. Maybe scoop could ask his collegue to quantify the decision to purchase a new one. I'm sorry, I'm confused. What was it that made you think the old ambulance didn't need to be replaced? We are buying a new one because the old one keeps breaking down, it's 10 years old and simply isn't reliable any more. Have you read my last post? I think it gives a very clear explaination of why we need to continue to provide this service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackVelvet Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Well I guess that depends on your definition of essential. We've shown that having a dedicated PICU ambulance cuts our response time dramatically, when you are dealing with children who are literally at deaths door those extra minutes make all the difference. So try telling the parents of a child who needs to get to a paediatric intensive care unit that it's not essential. You also have to remember that we are talking about paediatrics here. We have to be equipped to deal with children from birth to 18 yrs, having our dedicated ambulance means we can carry such a broad range of equipment. . Have you seen the performance those ambulance drivers have when they are swapping over their ambulance with your one? often hindered in my observations by parked cars and delivery vehicles. surely response times would be a lot quicker if they could just use the one they turn up in? dont ALL ambulances carry the equipment needed to save a sick person from birth onwards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackVelvet Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I'm sorry, I'm confused. What was it that made you think the old ambulance didn't need to be replaced? We are buying a new one because the old one keeps breaking down, it's 10 years old and simply isn't reliable any more. Have you read my last post? I think it gives a very clear explaination of why we need to continue to provide this service. sorry, maybe i should clarify that point. I ment why do you need to have a designated vehicle, when the ones YAS have are suitable for the job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoop Posted February 27, 2007 Author Share Posted February 27, 2007 Have you seen the performance those ambulance drivers have when they are swapping over their ambulance with your one? often hindered in my observations by parked cars and delivery vehicles. surely response times would be a lot quicker if they could just use the one they turn up in? dont ALL ambulances carry the equipment needed to save a sick person from birth onwards? No, most ambulance carry basic emergency equipment designed to get a sick person to A&E. The equipment used in the PICU ambulance is far more extensive and specialised. Our paediatric Intensive Care Ambulance is set up with all the equipment that we have around a bedspace in PICU (and alot more besides). This means that we can safely transport a very sick, usually ventilated (on a life support machine) child. As you hinted at in your previous post, the list of items that are needed and we could use the funds for is endless, but this is our top priority at the moment. If we didn't need it, we'd spend the money elsewhere. But the old ambulance does desperatly need replacing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackVelvet Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Yep, now you explained about the equipment side of it, I fully understand the need and will give my support (can this only be done online or can i sponser at SCH?), but please address the struggle those poor paramedics have round the back of the hospital. I once saw them stuck there for ages as some numpty had parked a car right in front of the garage. they couldnt get their own ambulance back out. THAT cant be good for the poorly folk of Sheffield! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoop Posted February 27, 2007 Author Share Posted February 27, 2007 sorry, maybe i should clarify that point. I ment why do you need to have a designated vehicle, when the ones YAS have are suitable for the job? Because our set up is designed so that all equipment is completely compatible with that used within the hospital. Modules for the monitors can be swopped over, so that there is no break in the history of the childs vital signs. All equipment belongs to the hospital, so there is no issue of restocking equipment that belongs to the ambulance service. Also, as I've already said, beacause we are dealing with children, we have to carry alot more equipment due to the size range that we have to carry, it would be impossible to carry all the necesarry equipment on the person as we would have to do if we didn't have a dedicated ambulance. Also, on the occasions when we have used generic ambulance (due to ours being in for repair) we have had enormous difficulties with (for eample) incompatible trolley docking, insufficient oxygen supplies, insufficient temperature control within the ambulance (hypothermia can kill critically ill babies) etc. There is also the issue of demand for the service, not having a dedicated ambulance means that we would have to ge in line with all others who needed to use the service, which brings us back the problem of response times. Another issue is staff familiarity. It's recognised that working in a familiar environment is safer for the patient as the staff are obviously better able to work when they know exactly what equipment they've got on board and where it is, If you need to reintubate a patient in the back of an ambulance, seconds lost looking for the equipment can be life threatening for these children. This is the way we work. We've been recognised nationally as having the best practice as far as PICU transfer is concerned. We need a new ambulance to be able to continue that work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoop Posted February 27, 2007 Author Share Posted February 27, 2007 You can donate using the link, or you can do it through the hospital, but if you do that you need to specify that it is for this particular fund, or it'll get lost in a generic fund (does that maake sense?) As with regard to the carpark, I know what you mean, only recently we were waiting to go out, a woman was sat in her car blocking our path but just refused to move because she couldn't find a space! What can you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackVelvet Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 You can donate using the link, or you can do it through the hospital, but if you do that you need to specify that it is for this particular fund, or it'll get lost in a generic fund (does that maake sense?) As with regard to the carpark, I know what you mean, only recently we were waiting to go out, a woman was sat in her car blocking our path but just refused to move because she couldn't find a space! What can you do? I will be sure to specify its for the 'Bear 2' fund would it be possible to just use one entrance for carparking? and make the ambulance garage bit inaccesable to unauthaurised vehicles?. Barriers would be best, but even just some 'building site' type barriers. never ceases to amaze me how selfish the public can be god forbid it should ever be their child in need of this service! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_the_man Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 BLACK VELVET, at least this guy is actually doing something to help, it doesnt matter where the money is being spent. its the kids health that MUST come foremost and if that means raising money for a certain type of ambulance then that gets the thumbs up from 99.9% of sheffield folk. gud on ya mate, the rest of us support you!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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