Police and medics to man ambulance
Paramedics and police officers are joining forces to treat late-night revellers in Loughborough.
Starting this weekend, a specially-adapted ambulance with a paramedic and police officer on board will be on patrol in the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights.
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The idea is to reduce the number of weekend accident and emergency admissions by treating people who have drunk too much or injured themselves. The vehicle has been kitted out as a mobile medical assessment unit.
Louise De Groot, East Midlands Ambulance Service clinical quality manager for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, said: "A similar scheme in Leicester showed the majority of calls can be dealt with at the scene and people do not have to be taken to a busy A&E department. It also means other ambulances can be used to continue responding to life-threatening emergencies across the rest of Leicestershire and Rutland.
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"This isn't just for young people. The scheme in the city has shown all age groups have been treated."
Leicestershire Police's town centre sergeant, Richard Gibson, has welcomed the new ambulance, which is known as Polamb. He said: "We know that any town which is busy at night can experience problems with alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour and injury.
"It will give us the chance to identify hot spots and deploy officers and the ambulance to where they are needed. It will also make it quicker and easier for us to deal with incidents.
"If someone is injured we have to wait with them until an ambulance arrives – this way one will be on hand.
"It also gives us an early opportunity to identify suspects for assault, because we will be able to talk to the victim more quickly and easily."
Patients will be assessed on board and, if necessary, a back- up ambulance will be called to take them to hospital if they cannot be treated on the spot.
Tim Hargraves, a paramedic team leader who helped set up the city scheme, will be on board as the Loughborough ambulance takes to the streets on Friday .
He said: "A lot of the incidents will be associated with people who have drunk too much.
"In these cases we will sit them down and make sure they have someone to look after them and that they can get home safely.''
The Polamb ambulance will be in the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights from about 10pm to 4am.
Comments
by chemistman
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 12:00PM
“Perhaps the bars and pubs in Loughborough should be made to pay for this service as they are the primary cause for this ambulance to have to operate.”