On Monday, 4 August, a new military co-responder scheme went live in east Hampshire.
The scheme will see personnel from the Joint Hospital Group (South), based at HMS Excellent on Whale Island in Portsmouth, volunteering as emergency responders on behalf of SCAS from Monday to Friday each week during working hours.
The 14 newly qualified responders are all serving members of the Army, Royal Navy or Royal Air Force, and have completed a five-day intensive training course delivered by members of SCAS’ community engagement and training team. Each day, the team will log on at HMS Excellent before travelling to Petersfield or Longmoor Camp where they can be despatched to respond to 999 emergencies in the local areas.
Ben Cole, community engagement and training officer at SCAS, said: “I am really looking forward to working with the team at HMS Excellent and strengthening our relationship with the military by collaboratively working together to provide a co-responder scheme that will not only benefit our patients but also provide the team at HMS Excellent with opportunities to deliver pre-hospital patient care that will improve their skills and experience should they be deployed anywhere in the world.”
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Yardley, commanding officer at HMS Excellent, said: “Joint Hospital Group (South) has clinicians, practitioners and medics, and our purpose first and foremost is the preparation and provision of medical personnel to rapidly deploy and provide the highest quality healthcare wherever and whenever required on a global basis. This new scheme in partnership with SCAS not only develops the skills of our personnel, but allows us to give back to the communities we live in.”
The initiative was made possible thanks to the support of the South Central Ambulance Charity, which funds all equipment, uniforms, certification and ongoing running costs for our volunteer responders.
To learn more about how the charity supports vital services like this, click here.
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