Why Visit: Ambulance

An overview of national focus to improve survival from Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest and Video-CPR including highlights the latest updates to the JRCALC guidelines on termination of resuscitation and verification of death. Attendees will gain actionable insights to support clinical decision-making, improve patient care, and stay aligned with evolving standards in prehospital resuscitation.

This session presents fresh findings from a pilot qualitative study exploring how prehospital clinicians experience and mitigate the emotional impact of their work. Based on MSc dissertation research, the talk reflects on themes of resilience, pre-emptive training, and the limitations of reactive interventions like TRiM. With implications for service development, education, and staff support, this session aims to spark meaningful dialogue around sustaining well-being in the ambulance service and beyond.

Survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains low, and while resuscitation guidelines emphasise high-quality chest compressions, studies show that clinicians often struggle to meet ventilation standards during CPR. Ventilation Feedback Devices (VFDs) have been shown to improve ventilation quality, and this session will present a series of three studies by North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) exploring their impact. The first study (VANZ1) found that feedback significantly improved ventilation in a simulated OHCA with 106 clinicians. The second (VANZ2), involving 18 real patients, showed that ventilations often fell short of guidelines but improved with feedback. The current study involves 51 clinicians performing multiple CPR scenarios over six months to evaluate how feedback, whether ongoing, one-time, or absent, affects skill retention. This research has implications for clinical practice, education, and how ambulance services and others delivering CPR are trained and supported to ventilate effectively.

This session explores modern approaches to team leadership in emergency services, blending theory with hard-earned lessons from paramedic practice and mountain rescue. Drawing on over a decade of experience across NHS and voluntary sectors, the talk will challenge outdated leadership models and instead highlight the power of compassion, communication, and empowerment in high-pressure environments. Attendees will leave with practical, relatable insights into leading dynamic teams when it matters most.

This session explores the evolving role of remote clinical advice in modern paramedic practice. It highlights the shift from autonomous decision-making toward collaborative, consultative models—and the cultural and clinical implications of this transformation. Rather than viewing remote support as a safety net or burden, the talk reframes it as an opportunity for coaching, empowerment, and shared decision-making, especially for newly qualified paramedics. It offers practical reflections on how to implement advisory models that enhance both safety and autonomy.