Variations in the provision of extended-trained ambulance personnel within the Welsh ambulance services.
This paper describes the distribution of extended-trained ambulance personnel within the nine Welsh Ambulance Services. While over a quarter of all emergency ambulance crews possess some extended skills, there is a wide variation in their distribution and protocols of treatment. Increasing numbers of ambulance personnel will receive such training in the future, leading to improved standards of pre-hospital care. To justify the use of such skills in terms of clinical outcome and expenditure, the ambulance services must provide accurate data to allow subsequent audit of pre-hospital clinical practice. It is therefore essential that the medical profession becomes aware of these developments and participates in advising, assessing and training extended-trained ambulance personnel.
Weston
C
C
Royal College of Physicians of London.
Goodall
K
K
Stephens
M
M
D000552:Ambulances; D002391:Catchment Area, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000193:education*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D013222:State Medicine; D014852:Wales; D000078329:Workforce