To keep our skills sharp, our protocols up to date and our response as effective as possible, we run monthly training sessions that all of our responders are strongly encouraged to attend.
During these sessions we cover a wide range of topics including Anatomy & Physiology, management of medical conditions, theory of advanced practice, safeguarding and a whole range of other topics.
These training sessions adopt a blended learning model with some sessions being run remotely via Microsoft Teams or Google Meet while other sessions are face to face and involve practical skills such as wound dressing or cardiac arrest simulation.
For our face to face sessions we have the latest in mannequin technology which can provide real-time feedback on the effectiveness of CPR, training defibrillators which are near-identical to our live units and a massive stockpile of out-of-date bandages and medical equipment to practice trauma scenarios so that our responders are ready when the real need arises.
On top of our training, we also have yearly requalification sessions, where external assessors from the East Midlands Ambulance Service test us on our knowledge of cardiac arrest management, drug therapies, oxygen administration, patient safety and a range of other topics to make sure that we are always ready to respond with an up to date skill set.