1. Dirty Ambulances
2. Waiting times
3. Paramedic struck off

Imagine my surprise when on this occasion I open up my bookmarks, click on Times Online and am presented with the headline – Murder rate drops as Paramedics get better at keeping people alive.

Finally a bit of recognition for the life saving skills that Paramedics and Technicians possess rather than being slated for not making the 8 minute target for somebody that has faked unconsciousness meanwhile somebody’s 50 year old mother lies on the floor in asystole.

The basic outline of the article is that although violent crime is at an all time high the number of deaths are at a 20 year low, a trend that is due mainly to the increased skill set of Paramedics, better equipment and faster response times.

Brian Moore, Chief Constable of Wiltshire, said that police believe that the main reason for the fall in murders is the speed at which paramedics now arrive at incidents.

He said: “We would say it is the faster and better application of medical skills and science by paramedics. They now get to the scenes of crimes very quickly. Faster medical engagement and the paramedic approach is a fact all of my colleagues mention as the key reason for the fall in the number of murders.” Mr Moore, the Association of Chief Police Officers’ spokesman on violence and public protection, said that the communications revolution was also helping to save lives. In the past it could take between 30 and 45 minutes for help to arrive at the scene of a violent incident but now paramedics are often there within 15 minutes, he said.

Paramedics are using fast cars, motorbikes and even helicopters to get to crime scenes. Mr Moore said: “People have mobile phones and so they can call the emergency services more quickly than in the past. The paramedics can get to the scenes more speedily, can stabilise the casualty and take immediate steps to protect life.

“They can open up somebody’s chest, work on the wound, sew it up there and then.”

Source: Times Online

I’m not so sure about the last sentence, maybe he’s referring to a Doctor there?

I’m just happy to see that after months of only ever reading about the negatives of the Ambulance service we finally have some well deserved recognition. A pat on the back to Richard Ford the Times correspondent and Brian Moore, Chief Constable of Wiltshire.

What do you think of the story? Do the press focus too much on the negatives with little regard for the tremendous efforts that 99% of the Ambulance service put in?

This time last year I was thinking the exact same thing. My thought process was something along the lines of – I’m early 20s, university has failed me, current job has zero satisfaction, and I want a challenging job with good career prospects.

So what did I do? After much deliberation I decided that one of the emergency services would be the answer and researched each one individually. There are numerous pros and cons for each that I could go into but on this occasion I’ll refrain. Ultimately, the deciding factor that tipped the scales in favour of EMS (Emergency Medical Service) was continued education and opportunities for research.

I anticipate that a great deal of people will be looking for a career change in favour of EMS and with Student Paramedic opportunities cropping up all the time there has never been a better time.

To help you decide whether EMS is for you I’ve compiled a list of reasons as to why you SHOULDN’T join the Ambulance Service:

1. You enjoy knowing what you’ll be doing on a certain day more than 4 weeks in the future – unless you have a shift, 4 weeks in advance is all you’ll get.
2. You need more than 6 hours sleep before returning to work for your fifth 12 hour shift in a row – sleep pattern disturbance is inevitable.
3. You buckle under pressure – nerves are normal but to act rationally at an emergency is imperative.
4. You don’t have people skills and the ability to talk to people – to obtain a detailed and relative history when a relative is seriously injured or even deceased requires tactfulness and empathy.
5. You are massively overweight and about as much use as a chocolate tea pot when it comes to lifting - despite a minimal lifting approach you WILL be manually handling patients (heavy ones).
6. You have an insatiable appetite for money – the NHS won’t accommodate it.
7. You don’t enjoy making decisions in the best interests of others – patients will trust your clinical skills, the decisions you make can be the difference between life and death.
8. You never were interested in self taught education – EMS need to know a little about a lot and in some cases a lot about a little. It’s up-to you the clinician to maintain your knowledge and competencies via self directed learning. “I forgot your honour”. Will not suffice.
9. You have delusions of speeding around the city and attending major incidents everyday just like they do on casualty -  it’s never like it is on the telly.
10. You don’t think you’ll like driving with blue lights and a siren – let’s face it, this is one of the main reasons people join the Emergency Services. When the job comes in and it’s a genuine emergency I defy you not to feel butterflies in your stomach.

So what do you think? Do you agree with my opinions? I’m sure there are plenty more reasons as to why you shouldn’t join the Ambulance service, what are you the most relevant to you? Feel free to leave a comment and voice your opinion.