News: News

Our paramedics to help ease pressure on GP services this winter

A new pilot will see London Ambulance Service paramedics working in GP surgeries across the London borough of Merton to help improve the care patients receive and reduce the pressures on GPs this winter.

Using e-bikes, twelve paramedics will be supporting Merton Health – a collective of 6 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) made up of local GP practices – by cycling to patients in the community and helping deliver this season’s flu vaccinations. Each PCN will be assigned two paramedics who will work on rotational shifts between the ambulance service and the practices.

The medics will also help assess and treat those suffering with long term conditions, patients that have recently been discharged from hospital, and also patients who have coronavirus and a pre-existing health condition. Once the patient is assessed, the paramedics will work with GPs to refer patients to the most appropriate follow-up care and assist with their care plans.

Starting this month, the six-month pilot aims to alleviate some of the pressures on GP surgeries, speed up the time it takes for patients to be seen and make sure they’re seen by the most appropriate clinicians. It is hoped that it will also reduce pressure on our Service by cutting the need to send ambulances and avoiding unnecessary attendance at A&E.

Five-year-old girl helps save father’s life by dialling 999

Avaana helped to save her dad’s life after finding him collapsed at home from a seizure.

Avaana, who found her dad on the floor and bleeding, quickly dialled 999 and spoke with London Ambulance Service call handler, Tobias, who began giving her instructions on what to do next.

The brave five-year-old followed his instructions; turning her dad over into a safe position, checking if he was breathing and staying by his side until her family and the medics arrived.

Call handler shares story of birthday cancer diagnosis in the hope his story will help to save lives

A London Ambulance Service call handler has opened up about his cancer diagnosis for Movember in the hope his story will help to save lives.

How Monia is celebrating Diwali, albeit a little differently, this year

For Monia, Diwali this year represents a message of hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teams from across the Service successful at HSJ Patient Safety Awards

In a reflection of the ground-breaking work taking place across our Service, two of our teams won awards at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards on Tuesday (10 November) and another was Highly Commended.

BBC ‘Ambulance’ star calls for NHS staff to open up about mental health

In the eighth episode of ‘Ambulance’, airing this Wednesday (4 November), viewers see the emotional impact on London Ambulance Service staff and volunteers dealing with traumatic situations and how they depend on each other to help handle the difficult things they see and hear on a daily basis.

Star of ‘Ambulance’ documentary opens up about cancer as he urges men to get checked out

A star of the award-winning TV show Ambulance has revealed how cancer spread to his organs because he was too embarrassed to tell a doctor.

This week’s episode of ‘Ambulance’ documentary

This week’s episode of the BBC documentary ‘Ambulance’ shows crews respond to a 999 call about a person hanging as figures reveal a rise in calls for suicide or attempted suicide.

Episode 6 of ‘Ambulance’ highlights the growing pressure on ambulance staff responding to mental health patients

The sixth episode of award-winning BBC One documentary ‘Ambulance’ follows London Ambulance Service staff and volunteers as they deal with a rising number of patients suffering from mental ill-health.

Control Room Week – celebrating our control room heroes

Join us this International Control Room Week in celebrating our control room teams who help those in need from our two 999 Emergency Operations Centres and our 111 Integrated Urgent Care Centres.

Tragedy of double bus crash in Orpington revealed in latest episode of award winning ‘Ambulance’ documentary

Episode 5 of BAFTA award winning ‘Ambulance’, catches on camera the heroic efforts of London Ambulance Service crews that race to the scene of a three vehicle crash.

London Ambulance Service statement in response to the Kevin Clarke inquest

A statement from Darren Farmer, Assistant Director of Operations at London Ambulance Service, in response to the Kevin Clarke inquest.

BBC documentary star reveals how heartbreak led him to join London Ambulance Service

Viewers of the award-winning TV show Ambulance on Wednesday night were moved by emergency ambulance crew Stuart’s story about his dad’s death.

In the episode, aired on 7 October 33-year-old Stuart Griffiths is shown rushing to a suspected cardiac arrest alongside his crewmate paramedic Rachel.

Three years ago, Stuart’s dad collapsed and stopped breathing. His mum gave him CPR until paramedics from London Ambulance Service arrived.

Medics were not able to save Stuart’s dad – who was only 57 – but the efforts they made and the care they showed the grieving family, changed Stuart’s life. Within weeks of his dad dying Stuart began enquiring about working for London Ambulance Service. He joined as call handler in the 999 control room less than six months later.

“I may not be considered the stereotypical example of a paramedic. I’m a black female”

This Black History Month paramedic Charlene shares her story of being inspired to become a paramedic.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Tracy’s story

A London Ambulance Service medic who survived breast cancer is calling on women – and men – to be aware of the importance of checking for lumps.

Tracy, a trainee Emergency Ambulance Crew who has been working with our new ‘Wellbeing Hub’ since the beginning of September, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2018, aged 43.

Tracy had found a lump in her breast and booked a doctor’s appointment immediately. She received treatment over the course of a year, including chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy.

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Tracy wants to remind women (and men, as breast cancer affects men too, in rare cases) to regularly check their breasts for lumps or any other changes.

Episode four of ‘Ambulance’ reveals toll of treating trauma cases in London

The fourth episode of the hit TV show Ambulance, filmed after people have just been paid and hit the town, gives a glimpse of what London looks like on a busy weekend and shows a series of violent incidents. 

Paramedic Braden on why it is important to get the flu jab

Braden, a paramedic who works out of Homerton Ambulance Station is calling on our staff and volunteers and the public to get their flu vaccination this year. He knows first-hand the devastation that can be caused by the flu.

This is his story.

“It happens every single day” – verbal abuse takes its toll on 999 call handlers in third episode of BBC’s Ambulance documentary

The harsh reality of daily verbal abuse and aggression from 999 callers comes under the spotlight in the next episode of BBC One’s Ambulance documentary on Wednesday (30 September).

A message from the Chief Executive

It is with great sadness that I announce the sudden death of Eleanor Marr on Sunday 20 September 2020.

Service’s End of Life Care team raises funds for Macmillan Coffee Morning

Our End of Life Care team has been travelling across the capital to raise vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support – serving coffee and cakes and talking to colleagues about palliative care.

The Service partnered with Macmillan Cancer Support in 2018 to provide our staff and volunteers with specialist training to ensure that terminally ill people get care that meets their needs but respects their wishes. As part of this, Macmillan funded three roles in our End of Life Care (EOLC) team.

The team held a series of socially-distanced coffee mornings at hospitals and London Ambulance Service sites on Thursday 24 September ahead of the charity’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on Friday.