Four East Midlands Ambulance Service paramedics have been nominated and shortlisted for Clinical Team of the Year at the Lincolnshire Media Health Awards.
Specialist Paramedics Mark Hall, Karen Moreland, Andrew Johnson and Gary Evans have been part of a national rotational paramedic pilot scheme run in conjunction with Health Education England.
During the scheme they worked in general practice (GP) surgeries on the East Coast, the Lincolnshire Emergency Operations Centre and on the 999 frontline with the aim of reducing conveyances to hospital.
Specialist paramedics have undertaken additional training in urgent care to be able to treat patients for certain needs in their own home. This will help to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospitals and reduce the demand on 999 services.
Their nomination read: “This pilot has enabled GP surgeries to provide additional appointments to patients who may need an at-home visit, or urgent care within the GP surgery, allowing GPs to see their more poorly patients but also ensuring that our emergency ambulances are available to attend the most life-threatening emergencies.
“The specialist paramedic (SP) working within the community setting has access to their colleagues in the control room, this SP can liaise with other acute services to ensure that the patient is accessing the right care close to home and avoiding hospital admissions.
“This six-month pilot was a success due to the commitment and dedication of the paramedics taking part, money has now been granted to continue the pilot on the East Coast and look into new ways of working, including SPs being assigned care homes to prevent A&E admissions. “
Duty Operations Manager Chris Long said: " “It’s great that the team has been shortlisted for this award and their dedication and passion to making this pilot a success is being recognised. As their manager, I am very proud of their achievements and the considerable contribution that they have made to the patients in Lincolnshire, the successful integration into primary and emergency care. "