Community First Responders in Cornwall and south-west given over £500k for life-saving kit
The South Western Ambulance Service Charity will spend the money on stuff like dedicated group cars to help crews reach emergencies faster
Cornwall's Community First Responders are getting a share of over half a million pounds for new life-saving equipment.
NHS Charities Together has awarded £560,000 to the South Western Ambulance Service Charity.
The money will go towards stuff like dedicated group cars to help crews reach emergencies faster and a service that triggers alerts to nearby cardiac arrests.
Workers have welcomed the funding, saying they hope it will ease the pressure on frontline paramedics.
How will the money be spent?
- Observation equipment for community first responder volunteers to provide enhanced assessment and patient care
- Lifting chairs to community first responders so they can give early assistance to patients who have experienced a non-injury fall, reducing potential complications associated with being on the floor for an extended period of time
- Dedicated community first responder group cars to enable wider geographical reach and a swifter response to emergencies
- Awareness and training sessions to increase early intervention for 'out of hospital' cardiac arrests, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation training for schools and community groups in hard-to-reach areas
- Funding for not-for-profit service GoodSAM, which automatically triggers alerts to any nearby cardiac arrests so volunteers can attend and provide immediate life support while the ambulance is en route, and also identifies the location of the nearest defibrillator
- Improved services to meet the needs of those patients suffering mental health issues, including training packages for front line ambulance clinicians to better equip them for complex and challenging calls
"My husband and I have been Community First Responders for nearly four years. We are part of a great team of local CFRs and together, we are able to respond to a variety of incidents in the local area, with the help of essential equipment. The funding announced from NHS Charities Together will not only provide more CFRs with more lifesaving equipment but in turn it will help to reduce the strain on the ambulance service, it really is wonderful news!"
Lyn Strahan, Community First Responder for South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust
"Thanks to support from the public and NHS Charities Together, we are able to go the extra mile for our exceptional staff, volunteer heroes and communities, delivering tangible benefit across the South West of England. The projects funded allow us to focus on early intervention and prevention meaning we will save many more lives as a result."
Zoe Larter, Head of Charity for South Western Ambulance Charity
"When the team is responding to an emergency every second counts and our Community First Responders can make the difference between life and death. Having dedicated cars for volunteers which carries additional lifesaving equipment, made possible by the funding from NHS Charities Together, will make all the difference in volunteer availability, the access to volunteering and promotion of the amazing work our volunteers do. Our Community First Responders respond quickly within their community to help people in their time of need ahead of an ambulance."
Robert Horton, Programme Responder Manager at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust