Team Performance with London HEMS Medical Director Tom Hurst

In this conversation, we will examine Patient Liaison and follow-up. Pre-hospital clinicians are often just the first point of medical contact, so checking in throughout the rehabilitation allows clinicians and patients to close the loop on any unanswered questions and often is a chance to learn about things from the patient’s perspective. This fosters continuous improvement by identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Additionally, ongoing liaison both humanises patients and builds trust & rapport with clinicians and can bring closure for EMS personnel who often only witness the initial phase of patient care. Knowing patient outcomes and recovery status can improve job satisfaction.   To do this we have Stuart Plumbley and Sarita Taneja with me. Stu is the Patient and Family Aftercare lead at Kent Surrey and Sussex (KSS) Air Ambulance Trust, Emeritus HEMS Paramedic, & Critical Care Paramedic (SECAmb). Sarita is the Patient and Family Aftercare Manager at KSS and was awarded Charity Staff Member of the Year at the Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence in 2022. KSS as a service can be found here: https://aakss.org.uk/

Join me in this episode where I speak with Mike Donal. We unpack his journey through growing up, dropping out of school, drug use, mental health, self-harm, suicidal attempts, steroid use, sex, and mental health section in a hospital, all before 21 years old. We also look at Mike’s journey through the gym, alcohol, relationships, tattoos, and steroids. Mike shares his 180-degree turn to cleaning everything up and influencing others for the better as well as his current revelations on health, faith, and a balanced mindset. We discuss the theme of selfishness and where that comes from, mental health issues such as addiction to pain and torment, self-harming, the gym, self-loathing and coping mechanisms, steroids, and the second-order effects of steroids. Mike also talks about his children, Amber and Ezra, and how they played a significant role in his change. Join us as we unpack Mike's story and take-home messages.

In this episode, we speak with Professor Mark Wilson about the forthcoming SIS trial. This randomised study aims to compare the safety and patient outcomes of the current spinal immobilisation practice versus a more flexible "movement minimisation" approach for suspected spinal injury patients. The findings could inform future clinical guidelines. The main concepts of the trial include assessing if "movement minimisation" is no worse than the current standard "triple spinal immobilisation" for patients suspected of spinal injury in pre-hospital and emergency settings. Current practice of triple spinal immobilisation (rigid board, straps, neck collar) may have potential harms like breathing difficulties, skin/brain injury. Movement minimisation allows more flexibility and comfort, but its safety/efficacy compared to triple immobilisation is unknown. Around 8,316 patients will be randomly assigned to either movement minimisation or triple immobilisation groups. Their neurological function, complications, and long-term well-being will be assessed. The study involved spinal injury and trauma patient groups (ASPIRE, Imperial Trauma PPI) in design, emphasising the need for research before guideline changes. Results will be shared internationally with patients, the public, paramedics, doctors, and nurses through conferences, social media, reports, and publications to inform future NHS guidelines. More information on the trial can be found here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/ctu/trials/sis/ This podcast is sponsored by PAX. Whatever kind of challenge you have to face - with PAX backpacks you are well-prepared. Whether on water, on land or in the air - PAX's versatile, flexible backpacks are perfectly suitable for your requirements and can be used in the most demanding of environments. Equally, PAX bags are built for comfort and rapid-access to deliver the right gear at the right time to the right patient. To see more of their innovatively designed product range please click here: ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

In this conversation, we will look at the relationship between Paramedic theory and practice with Vince Clarke. We will dig into Vince’s doctorate in Education on the subject, various frameworks for the acquisition of skills through simulation, reflective models of learning, the progression from novice to expert, directive versus facilitative learning, theory/practice conceptual frameworks, and finally, student views and where they perceive learning originates.   To do this I have Vince Clarke with me, Vince has been a paramedic since 1998, progressing on to an IHCD tutor. As well as completing an undergraduate degree in Paramedic Science, he has completed a master’s degree in health law and ethics in Practice and a Doctorate in Education.  He is currently the principal lecturer at Hertfordshire University Paramedic Science Program, the trustee for education with the College of Paramedics, and an external advisor to several organisations. Vince's thesis can be found here: https://uhra.herts.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/2299/21089/99008890%20Clarke%20Vince%20final%20version%20of%20submission.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1 This podcast is sponsored by PAX. Whatever kind of challenge you have to face - with PAX backpacks you are well-prepared. Whether on water, on land or in the air - PAX's versatile, flexible backpacks are perfectly suitable for your requirements and can be used in the most demanding of environments. Equally, PAX bags are built for comfort and rapid-access to deliver the right gear at the right time to the right patient. To see more of their innovatively designed product range please click here: ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

In this conversation, we will look at the life of an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP). We will dig into what the training looks like, the autonomy involved, the various specialisms you can take, what Dan has learnt along the way and much more. As more and more alternative career pathways are opening, we explore if this one is an attractive option. We also look at the alignment to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) curriculum and how this shapes Dan's practice, skills and clinical decision making. ACPs play a vital role in the delivery of emergency care across the UK. They now make up over 10% of the college membership. There are over one thousand ACP members and this number is rapidly increasing. ACPs are represented on all major RCEM Committees. We also examine some of the educational expectations outside of the RCEM curriculum to fulfil the role as an ACP and also some of the various clinical backgrounds that ACPs come from. To find out more about the ACP role you can visit the RCEM website, menu, - training / careers/ Advanced Clinical Practitioner https://rcem.ac.uk/emergency-care-advanced-clinical-practitioners/  This podcast is sponsored by PAX.  Whatever kind of challenge you have to face - with PAX backpacks you are well-prepared. Whether on water, on land or in the air - PAX's versatile, flexible backpacks are perfectly suitable for your requirements and can be used in the most demanding of environments. Equally, PAX bags are built for comfort and rapid-access to deliver the right gear at the right time to the right patient. To see more of their innovatively designed product range please click here: ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

In this episode, I will be speaking with Jay Baldwin. At 26 Jay had suffered bilateral leg amputations from an IED whilst serving in the British army in Afghanistan. He was medically discharged from the UK military at 28, divorced at 32 and battled and won cancer at 33. Since being medically discharged from the Army, the dad of six has learned to walk on prosthetic limbs, has retrained as a fitness instructor and has truly inspired many. He is currently the UK’s only double amputee personal trainer. You can find Jay on social media @ https://twitter.com/NoLeggedNinja1

Join us for an insightful conversation with Robbie Maiden, a lifeboat coxswain, as he shares his journey from being embedded in a culture from a young age to becoming a leader in the austere lifeboat setting. With no formal leadership training, Robbie has developed his skills through experiential learning and personal growth. Robbie has held the position of coxswain for 27 years but has life boating in his blood. In today’s episode, we will discuss what skill set you need to lead volunteer crews in the austere environment of the North Sea when the chips are down and how previous experiences have formed and morphed Robbie’s leadership style and skill set over the years. Robbie's storytelling skills shine through as he offers listeners words of wisdom from his experiences, both good and bad. This podcast is sponsored by PAX. Whatever kind of challenge you have to face - with PAX backpacks you are well-prepared. Whether on water, on land or in the air - PAX's versatile, flexible backpacks are perfectly suitable for your requirements and can be used in the most demanding of environments. Equally, PAX bags are built for comfort and rapid-access to deliver the right gear at the right time to the right patient. To see more of their innovatively designed product range please click here: ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

In this conversation we discuss the future of pre-hospital maternity care with three leading consultant midwives from UK NHS ambulance services. Dawn Kerslake, Stephanie Heys, and Camella Main are experts in their field and will provide valuable insights into this critical area of pre-hospital care. During the podcast we explore the education and training of paramedics in maternal care, current governance systems, and patient follow-up and support mechanisms in place. We also discuss the necessity and dearth of pre-hospital maternity research. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from the best and gain insights into the future of pre-hospital maternity care. The educational resources and research that are mentioned in the episode can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36531803/ https://www.promptmaternity.org/pre-hospital-prompt https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525996/ This podcast is sponsored by PAX.  Whatever kind of challenge you have to face - with PAX backpacks you are well-prepared. Whether on water, on land or in the air - PAX's versatile, flexible backpacks are perfectly suitable for your requirements and can be used in the most demanding of environments. Equally, PAX bags are built for comfort and rapid-access to deliver the right gear at the right time to the right patient. To see more of their innovatively designed product range please click here:⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

In this conversation, we will examine human performance, some of the fundamental components of performance, models of performance, and how we train versus how we perform. We will also examine the importance of psychological safety, and the interplay between performance, standards, and behaviour. We also speak around the concept of culture as an enabler for performance. To do this I have Tom Hurst with me. Tom is the Medical Director of London’s Air Ambulance (LAA), he is also a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine (Critical Care) at King's College Hospital London. He is also a Consultant in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine at London HEMS, Bart's Health. Tom’s practice covers a wide range of general critical care as well as neurosciences, cardiovascular, major trauma and ECMO. To learn more about LAA and its people, please see here: https://www.londonsairambulance.org.uk/ To donate to their cause and work please see here: https://www.londonsairambulance.org.uk/donate This podcast is sponsored by PAX. Whatever kind of challenge you have to face - with PAX backpacks you are well-prepared. Whether on water, on land or in the air - PAX's versatile, flexible backpacks are perfectly suitable for your requirements and can be used in the most demanding of environments. Equally, PAX bags are built for comfort and rapid-access to deliver the right gear at the right time to the right patient. To see more of their innovatively designed product range please click here: ⁠⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

In this conversation, we will unpack the International Journal of Paramedicine and the original vision for the journal. We will also look at the reach of the journal and the different sections of the journal yet to launch. We also examine the interaction with the journal as it looks to create discussion and research ideas and how people can get involved in the journal team amongst much more. To do this I have Mic Gunderson with me. Mic has been involved in EMS since 1975 in various clinical, teaching, leadership, and consulting roles. He is currently the President of the Center for Systems Improvement, the EMS Quality Academy, and the Chief Strategy Officer for the Cambridge Consulting Group. Mic also serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the International Journal of Paramedicine, which is published by the National EMS Management Association in the United States. The journal can be found here: https://internationaljournalofparamedicine.com/index.php/ijop/index This podcast is sponsored by PAX. Whatever kind of challenge you have to face - with PAX backpacks you are well-prepared. Whether on water, on land or in the air - PAX's versatile, flexible backpacks are perfectly suitable for your requirements and can be used in the most demanding of environments. Equally, PAX bags are built for comfort and rapid-access to deliver the right gear at the right time to the right patient. To see more of their innovatively designed product range please click here: ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠