Sabrina Chetcuti, an appointed partner Governor in Berkshire for SCAS, talks to Dave Sherwood, Head of Clinical Excellence, SCAS, about how to recognise the main symptoms of stroke and what to do if you suspect someone is having a stroke.

Strokes are a medical emergency and urgent treatment is essential. The sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen. If you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, phone 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.

Judy King, talks to Sabrina about the support that she provides at Speakability and how she has continued to provide help and care during the pandemic to people who are recovering from a stroke.

Claire Dobbs, SCAS Governor, asks Andrew Humphries, Web Developer and Social Media Manager, how the Communications Team at SCAS have managed to keep in touch with public and staff during the pandemic.

John Black, Medical Director at South Central Ambulance Service, talks about how SCAS has tackled the virus and our medical approach during the pandemic.

Bob Duggan, Lead Governor, SCAS, talks about the impact of dementia and introduces Chloe Lofthouse-Jones, Education Manager, SCAS. Chloe explains how our ongoing program of dementia training is helping staff to work with people in the community. SCAS is proud to be working towards becoming dementia friendly through our active membership of Dementia Friendly Communities and Dementia Action Alliance.

Mark Ainsworth-Smith, Pre Hospital Care Consultant, talks about how important the flu vaccine is in protecting South Central Ambulance staff this winter. He also explains how the NHS prepares for the  unpredictability of flu each year to protect NHS staff and those at risk.  Loretta Light, Public Governor, Oxfordshire, introduces the short film and encourages our members and the  public to have the flu vaccine.

As the response from the NHS to the coronavirus pandemic continues, Mark Begley, Head of Operations, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury Vale, answers your questions in a short film on how SCAS has responded to Covid-19 and how you can help the emergency services.

Terry Simpson, Mental Health  Lead, SCAS and Dr Hasanen Al-Taiar, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust talk about  initiatives to support  health and wellbeing in patient care. The film is introduced by Mark Davis, Public Governor, Berkshire. Due to the pandemic we have not been able to hold this public talk which was scheduled in autumn but we do hope that the film will be helpful and informative. 

Lisa Pickard, Health and Wellbeing Lead, talks about how SCAS is supporting staff’s mental and physical wellbeing during COVID-19 and what benefits are available to staff. 

We are all facing a worrying time and have had to adjust many aspects of our normal life. There are productive ways we can reduce levels of anxiety and the impact this has on our ability to function.

Major Trauma Centres

Patients with serious injuries are no longer taken to the nearest hospital, they are taken to dedicated Major Trauma Centres. Mark Ainsworth-Smith, MBE, Consultant Pre-Hospital Care Practitioner, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) will talk on the management of patients who have been seriously injured in the pre-hospital setting.

Helen Pocock, Senior Research Paramedic, talked about how initiatives such as the national Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes (OHCAO) project and international Restart a Heart Day can inform and improve our care for patients.

The talk was held in Newbury, Berkshire, on 21 October at 7 pm. People came from Oxfordshire, Berkshire and even Hampshire, to listen to the latest research at SCAS.