UK Health Secretary calls for motorcycle “Super Paramedics”

[Bob]

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has announced plans to introduce motorbike “Super Paramedics” to treat patients who do not need to be taken to hospital.

People suffering asthma attacks, diabetic problems or those with minor cuts to be stitched could be treated at home rather than be ferried to casualty, whilst traditional ambulances would be kept for emergencies such as heart attacks, serious car crashes and knife or gunshot wounds where hospital care is vital.

Hewitt said "The ambulance service can take on a new role by taking the hospital to you. They (the paramedics) can go straight out to the patient's home and treat them on the spot, but with the assurance that if there is something more seriously wrong, the patient can be brought to hospital."

Some areas such as London already have motorcycle paramedics in place, but the idea is to introduce the scheme across the country.

[Ghost Lemur]

I would have thought the best use for them would actually be an advanced unit. An example would be a traffic accident in London, 4 injuried 1 serious. While the Ambulances and fire crews are trying to push their way through the insuring traffic, a Super Paramedic with necessity equipement on his bike can fly through, getting there minutes quicker than the rest of the response units.

In a life of death situation having that trained professional get there that slightly bit earlier in order to stabalise the seriously injured, whether it be stop bleeding, administer critical medicines, or preform resusitation until the main crews get there.

I could see it saving lives.

Could also see SpeedMedic having his dream job if they did it over here.

[bugjuice]

I swear I've seen paras on bikes years ago.. this isn't new (aside from the idea to put it nation wide).. I actually thought it was common place.. or have I just presumed too much again?

[Ixion]

I swear I've seen paras on bikes years ago.. this isn't new (aside from the idea to put it nation wide).. I actually thought it was common place.. or have I just presumed too much again?

Ambo's had bikes in Dorkland a year or so ago. BMWs.As far as I know they still do.Could be hard carrying all the gear on a bike, even a BMW.

[bugjuice]

Ambo's had bikes in Dorkland a year or so ago. BMWs.As far as I know they still do.Could be hard carrying all the gear on a bike, even a BMW.

a stretcher might be pushing your luck, but bandaids are getting tiny now.. and as for a defib machine, just get some jump leads and hook the battery up

[eliot-ness]

It's a bit ironic that the machine they think is the most dangerous on the road is being used to save lives because it's faster. Don't they read their own propaganda. "Speed kills". Great way to get to hospital though after a crash

[Riff Raff]

Ambo's had bikes in Dorkland a year or so ago. BMWs.As far as I know they still do.Could be hard carrying all the gear on a bike, even a BMW.

Yep there's still a couple of bikes in Auckland, but they are no longer staffed full time.

[Bob]

I would have thought the best use for them would actually be an advanced unit. An example would be a traffic accident in London, 4 injuried 1 serious. While the Ambulances and fire crews are trying to push their way through the insuring traffic, a Super Paramedic with necessity equipement on his bike can fly through, getting there minutes quicker than the rest of the response units.

In a life of death situation having that trained professional get there that slightly bit earlier in order to stabalise the seriously injured, whether it be stop bleeding, administer critical medicines, or preform resusitation until the main crews get there.

I could see it saving lives.

Could also see SpeedMedic having his dream job if they did it over here.

This is how they are used in London (London has 8 bike paramedics covering the whole city). Advanced unit work forms a big chunk of their duties. They also do a lot of other work as well, but they are there for priority callouts like accidents where they can get there much faster than ambulances.

I interviewed one of these guys ages ago - I'll have to try to find the specs for the bikes, equipment they carry and so forth. It is impressive stuff.