Originally Posted by
Radgirl
TC - I have been careful to describe the benefits as I see it of the medical side being part of the NHS. I stick with that view. I regret I do not agree it works so well....... patient care is compromised as I explained above. It is difficult to think of another example of so much money being spent with so little audit or scientific analysis.....
I'm not sure which HEMS unit you have experience of, and I don't wish for you to say, but I must say that bears no resemblance to the UK HEMS units I fly, which are numerous. They are constantly auditing, publishing research, undertaking moulage, hosting frequent public governance days, meeting other organisations to learn from each other, following up with patients, and looking for any feasibly way to optimise the patient care. Clearly from your experience this is not the case in some areas, but are you sure they aren't the exception?
There is a great sense of camaraderie at HEMS units and charities, and this I believe in part is due to the small teams, and personalisation with people all they way up the chain. You understand the identity of those you are working with and they understand your requirements and are receptive to change.
I just don't see any good coming from nationalisation of charities or operations. As soon as they lose their independent identity in their given region the public too will become disassociated, and see the aircraft as an NHS asset which should be therefore paid for by government. The only obvious benefit? Cost savings, but cost isn't really the issue here. All UK air ambulances combined run for far less money annually than the annual
deficit for Kings College Hospital alone, and they have no problem funding themselves.
As stated before, the NHS medical protocols across the various ambulance trusts aren't even standard. In many cases the doctor led services in the UK are way ahead in thinking than their associated ambulance trusts, and being held back by the bureaucracy of them, when in other areas of the UK they are afforded much more autonomy. If you're to apply a standard across the board, I'd say it would be to further remove the doctor lead services from NHS ambulance trust protocols, and set a new standard for the advanced practitioners which is most appropriate to PHEM so they can deliver the advanced care they wish to and practice for.