 Country Ambulance Service, Vehicle and Equipment Working Group (V&EWG), to commission a trial to establish if the Elk was the correct piece of equipment for use generally on ambulances throughout Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and in particular `Fast Response Vehicles' (FRV's), manned by a single paramedic. The reason behind acquiring this piece of new equipment was that with the introduction of FRV's, manned by a single paramedic, it was found that when attending a casualty he/she would, in many situations find it impossible to move the patient to a more comfortable position on his/her own, and which in some cases could be life threatening if the patient was not moved. It was decided at the V&EWG that FLEET should initiate the trial and risk assessment. We initially bought four Elks, at a cost to the charity of£5000.00, and placed them on the FRV's at Liskeard, Bodmin, Wadebridge and Truro. These trials proved successful and the now South Western Ambulance Service, (name was changed when Dorset county joined the three existing counties) bought ten units for use in Devon and Somerset. The charity has bought another eighteen at a cost of £18,000.00 and all FRV's in Cornwall now carry one unit each. Further units will be provided to standard ambulances as funds permit. |