During December we were telephoned by a young gentleman from South Wales. The
gentleman enquired as to whether we could arrange in~hospital training for him
to update his "paramedical skills". He professed to work privately as head of
security for a large national holiday company. He claims to have been asked to
personally provide Advanced Cardiac Life Support within a remote holiday camp
in the Camarthan bay area of South Wales.
I was intrigued and agreed to meet with the man at a location in Mid Wales.
What I both heard and found causes me great concern. He alleges to have been
trained by a private mines rescue organisation in Pembroke. The man has a Ford
car filled to the gunwales with medical equipment of all kinds. He says he
often stoops at accidents and administers 'help' until the local Ambulance
Service arrives. He is a 'senior' member of a local Mountain rescue team ~ and
that was his explanation for his car being equipped with teardrop blue
beacons, wired in and sitting on the front passenger seat. He claims to carry
various medical drugs, which I did not see, and a manual defib. The defib is
alleged to be 'on loan' from Physio Control. The local rep is a supposedly a
close friend of his and the two are supposed to attend the set of 'Casualty'
occasionally to refurbish / replace machines. He claims to have the support of
his local GP unit.
I asked for evidence of his qualifications, but none were forthcoming, so I
made some enquiries about the gentleman, using names that he 'dropped' into
the conversations ~ probably to impress me. Oh dear!!
The holiday camp 'dispensed' with his services mid season last year due to his
obsession with appearing as an ambulanceman instead of a gate guard. They have
been contacted by other training organisations about this gentleman in the
past too. The only number I have for Physio~Control has never heard of him.
His 'supporting Doctor' was astounded. We were not the first company to
contact them. This gentleman has been trying to 'obtain' top~up supplies of
equipment / drugs through the local S. Wales Ambulance Service.
This man is ~ apparently ~ driving around and attending accidents in his
'medical car'.
If he was drink driving or had a bald tyre I could call the police. But what
do we do about this situation?
Keith Foster
Cambrian Independent Ambulance Service
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|