|
| |
Major Incident Drill
Fri 21st Nov 2003, 03:42 PM
Reported
by: onthespot
|
 |
|
|
|
A mock civilian disaster was set-up at Southport & Formby District General Hospital to test the Trust’s major incident contingency plans – and staff passed the drill with flying colours.
Staff from a number of the Trust’s departments, together with members from St John Ambulance, recently worked together to deal with a ‘realistic’ train crash.
Photographs below show Trust staff and members from St John Ambulance dealing with a ‘mock’ civilian disaster.
Participants were made-up with fake injuries and the Trust had to deal with the anticipated number of casualties expected in a civilian disaster.
The purpose of the live exercise was to put into practise the Trust’s plans to deal with major incidents and to ensure that it meets the Government’s guidelines.
Jan Beck, Acting Director of Medicine and Nursing, said: “We decided to carry out the live exercise to implement our plans to deal with a civilian disaster. It was a very realistic set-up and enabled us to test our plan. We were able to establish a response team very quickly and handled the incident professionally and with the highest quality of care. We are confident that if a major incident occurred, we have excellent contingency plans in place to deal with the situation efficiently.”
She added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of staff who took part, the Trust’s departments for their input and also St John Ambulance for their time and efforts to make it a very worthwhile training exercise.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| YOUR
COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE |
(10
comments) |
|
|
| |
| Penfold
says: |
Sat 22nd Nov 2003,
03:34 PM |
|
Hello, Might I add my 2 pen 'orth please?
I was one of the St John members involved in this drill.
I think maybe Para has the wrong end of the stick about what our involvement was in this. We were merely actors pretending to be hurt............We were NOT called to deal with the incident , that was done on an assumed basis that we had been brought in by ambulance and to test the hospital's capability of dealing with us.
As far as I'm aware, The object of the excercise on this occasion was to test the hospital's capability, not the ambulance staff,and everything was contained within the hospital.
I don't remember exactly what happened to the young lad....maybe he was "stabilised" and forwarded to Ormskirk, as I say, I don't remember.
I'd just like to add before anyone wants to shoot me, that I fully agree with all those who protest about the moving of the Children's A&E facilities.
Just to let you know..............they "transferred" me to Walton Neuro unit!!!!!.............One week later, and they still ain't found a brain!:rolleyes:
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| nic_noc1
says: |
Sat 22nd Nov 2003,
03:45 PM |
|
I believe that in this situation extra paediatric staff would be called in, allowing some of those on duty to join the staff in Southport, allowing the seriously injured children to be treated there, whilst other minor injuries could be sent to Ormskirk to be treated.
A SERIOUSLY ill child will always be stablilised at Southport before being transfered to Souhtport, major incident or no major incident, and that is probably what you see pictured here.
And I don't think that anyone is suggesting that the St John Ambulance would be the first to receive the 999 call, but given that this was a MOCK-UP, isn't it better for them to use the St Johns Ambulances, leaving the 'real' ambulances to remain on stand by for a real emergency call? After all, people are always complaining that there are not enough ambulances as it is, without using them to transport actors to the scene of a drill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| para
says: |
Sun 23rd Nov 2003,
03:56 AM |
|
I really do not know how to begin to reply to what I consider ( after 22 years of working for the NHS) to be very incorrect views.
Lets put this "MOCK INCIDENT" into perspective.
Take any time of day or night............3.45pm on a Weds. A train de-rails between Freshfield and Ainsdale Station. The initial call will be to a 999 operator. She/he will contact the ambulance control for this area ( Belmont Grove, Anfield ) they will dispatch the nearest available ambulances ( providing they are all on station and not otherwise engaged ). The BEST scenario you will get is 3 ambulances within 14 minutes.
Under Mersey Ambulance "MAJOR DISASTER" instuctions, the first crew to touch the scene DO NOT treat, they merely act as a triage base for other crews and other services, so your best case scenario of 3 ambulances is now down to 2. If one of those 3 is busy, your best case scenario is now down to 1!!!!!!!!!!
I disagree that I have " the wrong end of the stick" . I have worked for the NHS for 22 years, 17 of them for the ambulance service. This mock-up was performed PURELY to get publicity for the Trust at a time when it feels good publicity was needed.
I would be prepared to put good money on it that OTS and his cameras would NEVER be allowed to take pics inside the AED had a genuine major incident actually occurred.
I am not de-crying the role that St Johns played in this mock-up. I fully appreciate that if such an incident did ACTUALLY happen they would be asked to attend. Indeed, they WOULD be needed. But they would not be first on scene and would not be expected to evacuate the first seriously injured casualties froim scene.
nic_noc1 states in his first paragraph that paed staff would be called in, allowing seriously ill children to be treated at Southport and minor injuries of paeds to be treated at ODGH.................SORRY???????????????????? Am I missing something?? Does nic_noc1 know something that I don't????? Why the hell have I and my colleagues been taking seriously ill children to ODGH since the 6th June 2003??
I say again, the whole thread should be removed. It gives false information about the treatment people........ESPECIALLY children under the age of 16yrs can expect to receive in Southport.
In truth, if a train de-railed at ANY time within the boundaries of Southport's ambulances...........people would DIE, many of the dead would be children. It would NOT matter how many pics the SDGH had previously let OTS take or how many St John's members volunteered to be casualties.
:mad: :mad:
|
|
|
|
|
