In this conversation, we will examine the role of AI within pre-hospital care. We will also look at how AI is being embedded within the systems and processes from dispatch algorithms to diagnostics to demand profiling. We also look at the future of AI and where it might support patient care. To do this I have Nico Preston with me, Nico is a scientist and paramedic with a background in health, technology, and innovation. He has 15 years of experience with complex emergencies, emergency...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In this episode we are speaking with London HEMS Paramedic Keiren Rodwell. We dig into Keiren's background from working as a paramedic student in New South Wales, to working for the London Ambulance Service LAS in north east London. Keiren joined London Ambulance Service straight out of university in February 2018. We speak about the death of two of Keiren’s extended family whilst protecting their family from the wild fires in Australia. We dig into what a typical day looks like in London's...

In this conversation we will examine the current state of play within UK military medicine, the demographics of modern military capability; that of deployable role 1, 2 and 3 hospitals within the field. We will also examine the lessons learnt from recent conflicts and how they might inform the military medicine of the future. We look at analogues of comparison from the last major British involvement in conflict within Iraq and how innovative aero-medical retrieval (MERT) and damage control...

In this conversation, we speak with Australian emergency physician Dr. Ben Mckenzie. Ben has developed the AMAx4 algorithm as a streamlined approach to recognising and treating anaphylaxis after the tragic death of his 15-year-old son Max Mckenzie. Ben has helped standardise best practices for this life-threatening emergency. Promptly following the AMAx4 steps is vital for patient survival in the initial minutes of anaphylaxis until emergency medical services arrive. Anaphylaxis is a severe,...

In this conversation, we will examine how trauma is both managed and reported on throughout Scotland. The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) receives over 1.5 million calls a year and responds to over 500,000 emergency incidents per year. In the episode, we will discuss The Scottish Trauma Audit Group (STAG) as a national audit group within the Scottish National Audit Programme of Public Health Scotland. STAG measures and is tasked to improving the quality of care, overall experience, and...

This is a selection of 10 of the most downloaded episodes of 2023. In this episode, we hear from: Major Incident Management with Keir Rutherford and Alec Wilding. The future state of Pre-Hospital Care with Jason Killens. Safe Sedation of Acute Behavioural Disturbance with Tim Edwards. Addiction part 3 with Dr Brian Hall. Paramedic Burnout with Liz Thyer These conversations were the last 5 of the ten most downloaded episodes of 2023. Needless to say, I learnt a lot from every...

This is a selection of 10 of the most downloaded episodes of 2023. In this episode we hear from: The UKISAR deployment to the Turkey earthquake disaster with Deb Swann. The Ten Second Triage Tool (TST) with Claire Park. The Pre-Hospital Airway with John Chatterjee. Pelvic Trauma with Ash Vasireddy. High-Fidelity Training with Neel Bhandari. These conversations were 5 of the ten most downloaded episodes of 2023. Needless to say, I learnt a lot from every guest on the podcast and...

In this conversation, we will examine some of the contemporary reflections on the Ukraine crisis with David and Shawn. We will examine what it is currently like on the ground, some of the emerging needs and how David and Shawn believe they can be met. We will also dig into David and Shawn’s background in Ukraine and how this has evolved. We will look at our guest's anecdotal reflections on the conflict currently and some of the main factors that have changed and some that have remained over...

In this conversation, we will be looking at the current guidelines on the pre-hospital management of drowning and the academic research that underpins these principles. We will explore the epidemiology of drowning and examine patient outcomes as a group. We will also discuss the important wider efforts in public awareness and prevention. To do this, we have Mike Tipton with us. Mike is a household name in the surf lifesaving community and is one of the leading UK academics on drowning. He...

In this conversation, we will explore some of the lessons learned through years of major incident attendance in Scotland from the Emergency Medical Retrieval Services (EMRS). We examine the Scottish Trauma Network, the demographics of healthcare in Scotland, and some of the recent and seminal major incidents that have informed EMRS’s approach. We also include some of the lessons learnt through the Manchester bombings – that of paediatric triage and treatment in Mass Casualty incidents. We...

In this conversation, we will examine the concept and the reality of psychological burnout among Paramedics. The effects of burnout are estimated to cost over $300 billion annually, with the WHO forecasting a burnout pandemic in the next decade. Within pre-hospital organisations, burnout can generate reduced quality, high absenteeism, increased turnover rates and substandard productivity. In the conversation, we examine the definition of burnout, the factors that increase the risk of burnout,...

In the conversation, we examine the definition of addiction, the meta-substances (stimulants, sedatives, opioids), the time horizon of an addicted person (instant gratification), the triggers of addiction, the diagnosis of dependence, what dependence means, and the types of addictions (work, sex, drugs, diet, exercise).  We explore two of the most addictive substances, alcohol and tobacco, and their second-order effects on health, family, and relationships. We will also look at the...

In this conversation, we will explore some of the nuances and challenges of Exercise Associated Collapse (EAC) with Luca Carenzo. The basis of this interview was the recent publication in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport of An Unusual Case of Marathon-related Exercise-associated Collapse: Case Report and Some Considerations for Medical Care at Endurance Mass Participation Events. We will explore the case and some empirically proven treatments that form the mainstay of treatment...

In this conversation, we will examine whether point-of-care ultrasound is a reliable predictor of outcome during Traumatic Cardiac Arrest (TCA). We will dig into the recently published systematic review on the topic with Tim Harris, who is one of the authors of the paper. We will examine why the authors decided to look at TCA and POCUS, the number of studies and patients examined, the type of Mechanism Of Injury (MOI) leading to TCA, what the results showed, and how this is relevant to...