Going to visit UK want to ride

[scott33]

you may say that but they use crappy FRED aeds and have mobimed, like pondlife stated if we are to start using adenosine then the mobimed system will be useless.

I was quoting "Pondlife" when I said it was one of the better systems, and he has worked for a few.

Unfortunately, I can no longer cut and paste all the positive things he said many times about his employer ( I am sure you know why :wink: ) The Mobimed system seems to be his only gripe, and I have seen him mention it last year too.

Shame he doesn't post here.

[pond life]

Hi

I'm Pond Life, my ears were burning so I joined the forum

I am a paramedic / Emergency Care Practitioner working in SWAST (which Dawlish is located in).

I can hook you up with a crew locally to Dawlish if you want or you can come down to Cornwall and run out with me. No problem putting you up for the night - we have a couple of spare bedrooms.

Alternatively Sussex is a good place if you want volume of work. Each station within each service is different as you can appreciate.

SWAST tend to see less patients but have more freedom to treat and release and refer, our guidelines are based on 'if we have the education, consolidated the skill etc under supervision and it's in the best interest of the patient then we are allowed to apply the skill/drug even if its outside of national or local guidelines' - all about proving competency first. We only attend 999 (911) calls and doctor urgent admissions. We tend to offload Cat C calls to other referall pathways.

SECAMB operate slightly differently - local and national drug protocols are expected to be adhered to. That said they do get a very wide mix of jobs (including non-emergency transfers) and are kept busy all day - very full on.

Both services have benefits and draw backs - up to you.

When are you looking to come over?

Mike

Mike Bjarkoy

Paramedic/ECP. Penzance. Cornwall. England

www.paramedicpractitioner.com

[stretmediq]

When are you looking to come over?

Oh it will be a while. My daughter and her fiance haven't set a date yet. And she's hoping to go to university in Exeter so they have a lot on their plates. I just didn't want to wait till the last minute to try to hop a ride.

[scott33]

Hi

I'm Pond Life, my ears were burning so I joined the forum

Good move Mike.

This is actually a very good forum in that many of the native, resident posters have experience outside of the US. You will get to know the regulars who are (quite rightly) pushing for more education over here, as well as the weekend heros who don't have time for "book learning", and everything else in between.

You will also spot a few familiar names from Blighty.

When you have a mo, have a look through the archives. I hope you can stick around as I know you have a lot to contribute here, given your experience in EMS on both sides of the Pond [life].

Welcome. 8)

[pond life]

cheers.

i see hertzvanrental is here, dodgy bloke...

I will certainly look at the archives.

Mike

[scott33]

Oh there is more...much more

[hertzvanrental]

Oh there is more...much more

I knew that muppet was on here, he hasn't posted for a long time!

I know SWAST is a decent service. I also know that pondlife is keen to see us develop, that's why I put that little dig in about mobimed.

As for dodgy, who you been talkin to!

[pond life]

Work in Sussex = dodgy...

I visited Burgess Hill the other day and did two red calls on the RRV. My Manager in Cornwall happened to phone me in the middle of one of them - confused the hell out of him. ha ha ha.....

Mike

[nremtp]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but what's an EMT-FTO?

I am a UK registered Paramedic and US NREMT-B (was going to do NREMT-P hence the username but was dissuaded by some unhappy USA Medics!)

I can ask my LSO if you can come out in the RRV with me when I get back to the UK, it might be better for you to get a range of ridealongs rather than with just one service.

As has been mentioned, we don't have protocols in the UK we have guidelines and are individually licensed. We can order, store and supply medicines without medical reference and are in the unique position of being able to walk into a pharmacy (or wholesaler) and buy our own medications. If we do private work, I have been led to believe that we are required to supply our own.

I am currently working overseas but am returning to the UK soon. It has been amazing seeing the difference between the UK and a non UK system. The biggest difference has been the lack of autonomy and reliance on medical directors which is an alien concept to me.

[scott33]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but what's an EMT-FTO?

Field training officer. Someone who holds the hand of the noob, and signs off on their clinical competencies, before cutting them loose on the public.

I can ask my LSO if you can come out in the RRV with me when I get back to the UK, it might be better for you to get a range of ridealongs rather than with just one service.

I may look you up myself some time when I am over there. I am going to see what work I can scrounge next summer, nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say-no-more, say-no-more :wink: