East Anglian Air Ambulance has launched new medical kit bags, which will be carried on its helicopters, Anglia One and Anglia Two – and also on the charity’s Rapid Response Vehicles (RRV).
The process of researching and implementing a new system to carry all the medical equipment required by the EAAA clinical team has taken over 18 months. A working group comprising senior and longstanding members of the clinical team, including Professor Tim Harris and Dr Neil Berry and CCPs Gary Steward and Jemma Varela, has worked collaboratively to create a more efficient and effective system of equipment carriage.
EAAA crews carry a huge amount of equipment to the scene in order to be able to treat a large number of different medical emergencies. It is therefore vital that all equipment is easily accessible. The new bags have been specially designed using colour coding and individual compartments to hold the different elements of clinical kit and controlled drugs. Kit includes equipment to anaesthetise patients, place arterial lines, surgical airway management, iSTAT machine, an ultrasound machine and suction.
Over the last few months, EAAA clinicians have taken part in extensive training on the new system to ensure a smooth and efficient transition to the new bags. This training has involved a series of trauma moulage scenarios and memorisation techniques.
Critical-care paramedic, Jemma Varela said, “An enormous amount of work has gone into producing these new kit bags. Every single piece of kit that we carry has been considered and stored in the most practical place.”
