Officers join medics in ‘PolAmb’ initiative

A joint venture between Leicestershire Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is being extended to reduce the number of weekend accident and emergency admissions by treating people who have drunk too much or injured themselves.

The ‘PolAmb’ has been launched in Loughborough after being successfully used in Leicester city centre. A paramedic and police officer will respond to town centre-based 999 calls on a Friday and Saturday night in a specially-adapted ambulance which has been kitted out as a medical assessment unit (MAU).

The MAU is resourced with both medical and police equipment and highly-trained staff, allowing both services to respond to incidents together. The vehicle is liveried and equipped for EMAS response, but while it is equipped to assess patients, it cannot take them to hospital.

The interior has been converted to provide a reclining and pivoting seat for the patient to sit, with lighting above and below to allow assessment of minor head wounds and lower leg wounds.

In addition, a washbasin with hand hygiene products ensures good infection-prevention control practice. A basic AED (defibrillator) is included though other equipment on the vehicle is standard; this is to adapt to a culture of the MAU being for minor injuries resulting from the alcohol related incidents.

The paramedic has a handheld radio and the ability to contact the EMAS Emergency Operations Centre at any time to request back-up for more serious injuries or illness whilst starting assessment and treatment.

Sergeant Rich Gibson said: “The PolAmb scheme in Leicester has proved very successful and we are pleased to work with the ambulance service to bring it to Loughborough as well. Loughborough is great place to go out but we know that any town with a busy night-time economy can experience problems with alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour and injury.

“This initiative will provide an opportunity for officers to engage with people on a night out about personal safety and the consequences of alcohol while at the same time reducing admissions to accident and emergency. Hopefully the service will get people thinking about the consequences of drinking too much and how that can affect victims and offenders for a long time.”

Polamb is also working closely with other Loughborough town centre services such as the Street Pastors, who also work during weekend nights to keep people safe.

Louise De Groot, EMAS clinical quality manager for Leicestershire and Rutland, added: “Data from our Leicester city-based PolAmb shows that the majority of 999 calls they respond to can be dealt with on scene and so people do not need taking to a busy accident and emergency department.
“Importantly, this also means that other ambulance vehicles can be used to protect and prevent loss of life or serious injury by continuing to respond to life-threatening emergencies across the rest of Leicestershire and Rutland.

“By having a paramedic and police officer respond together it means that we can do our job safely, and the police officer can secure a victim, witness or the scene of the incident while we provide the assessment and treatment.”