Lack of training for emergency conditions at ambulance firm
- 06.01.2017
- EmmaArnold
- Clinical-negligence, Clinical-negligence
Staff at a private ambulance firm say they only received an hour's training to drive under blue emergency lights.
The Victoria Derbyshire programme found an ex-employee at the Private Ambulance Service in Essex had a minimal amount of training to drive in emergency conditions.
As an ambulance driver, he would transfer patients between hospitals which would sometimes require blue lights for which he said he received little training.
Hannah Bottomley, clinical negligence solicitor at PotterReesDolan, said:
As private ambulances are operated by individual private companies, there will be a greater range and diversity in the level and quality of training provider to those acting as both drivers but also medics. I worry that the lack of standardised training could lead to patients in some areas receiving care of a much lower standard than in other areas where a different company operate or where the NHS services are not reliant on input from private companies.
A spokesman from an ambulance service said how it would be impossible to train someone how to drive in blue lights conditions properly in one hour.
The course here involves a two week foundation course plus the blue light training for a further two weeks and so is evidently a lengthy process.
Ambulance drivers are exempt from certain laws including the speed limit provided they are properly trained to do so.
This means driving at high speed can cause dangerous driving and so ambulance drivers need to be trained vigorously and one hour is not enough.
Hannah continued:
Patient safety is also my key concern and anything which puts that in jeopardy I feel is something which needs to be addressed. I truly hope that lessons can continue to be learnt and
that differences in training don’t lead to differences in patient’s care and, possibly, survival rates.
Not only was there inadequate training at the ambulance firm in Essex but other employees told the programme the vehicles were often dirty and sometimes the equipment was broken.
Hannah Bottomley is a clinical negligence solicitor with PotterReesDolan. Should you have any queries about clinical negligence issues or indeed any other aspect of this article and wish to speak to Hannah or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888 or email Hannah.