Volunteer Doctors enhance medical care for casualties
Last night's training exercise was a joint agency exercise where we worked with BASICS Devon volunteer professional Doctors who specialise in expert medical care where lives hang in the balance.
A scenario involving a fallen climber stranded on a difficult to access ledge was set on Haytor Rock, and 2 separate water-related incidents around the pond at Haytor Quarry involving a deteriorating hypothermic casualty and another who needed an emergency leg amputation due to a foot entrapment in the water and a deteriorating cardiac condition.
Team members and BASICS Doctors worked alongside each other to effect smooth rescues with expert casualty care being received on-site at the casualty locations.
Our Team Leader Keith said: 'The exercise was designed to get a better understanding of the skills of each organisation and how best we can work together to ensure the best outcome for the casualty. We always pick up valuable learning points from these exercises and last night was no exception. The good news is all three casualties were rescued safely and received effective expert medical care even before they had reached the ambulance. Had this been a real incident, the joint working between us and BASICS Devon would have given them the best chance of a good recovery. '
You can find out more about BASICS Devon at http://www.basics-devon.org.uk/ The volunteer Doctors are tasked by the South Western Ambulance Service control room. Many call-outs they respond to are to the victims of major trauma, often involving road accidents.