Culdrose hosts critically ill patient transfer training
12:00pm Sunday 14th October 2012 in News
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has teamed up with RNAS Culdrose for a training programme aimed at improving transfers for critically ill patients.
The CoAAST (Cornwall Ambulance and Aeromedical Simulated Transfer) course aims to help NHS staff train how to safely move critically ill patients between hospitals. The programme is the first of its kind in the South West Peninsula.
This is the second year the course, which is led by the trust’s senior anaesthetic registrar Dr David Ashton-Cleary, has taken place. Dr Ashton-Cleary said the trust wanted to be “pioneers” in how to carry out transfers and set the training standard for the rest of the region.
The course involves staff, including doctors, nurses and RNAS Culdrose aircrew, moving a simulation “patient” from a land ambulance onto a search and rescue Royal Navy helicopter from 771 Naval Air Squadron, before dealing with various scenarios with that patient in the aircraft.
NHS and RNAS Culdrose personnel take part in tutorials and workshops in the morning followed by the practical sessions in the afternoon. As well as the navy helicopter, there is also the opportunity to look around the air ambulance and a land ambulance.
This gives staff the chance to see what space and equipment is available to them in the event of an emergency. As well as providing practical training, the course also aims to improve team work and leadership skills.
Lieutenant Commander Rob O’Kane, 771 Squadron senior observer and medic, said: “The greater understanding of each others’ abilities and procedures will greatly enhance patient handovers, the speed of transfers and the intra operability when working together more efficient, thus ensuring the best possible care for all our patients.”
Representatives from the Peninsula Trauma Network were also in attendance for the latest course, as the network is looking to produce a region-wide course for training in transfer of trauma patients.
