LIVE streaming cameras are now part of the kit for an ambulance trust’s paramedics who work on the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
The new innovation will allow staff working on the Helicopter Emergency Service (HEMS) desk in South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) coordination centre to see live footage streams when the paramedics get to an emergency.
Dr Syed Masud, clinical governance lead for Thames Valley Air Ambulance, said: “When senior clinicians are being asked by staff at the scene of a medical emergency or major trauma for advice, those clinicians can now see live footage of what is happening.
“This not only saves valuable time – and in the life-threatening emergencies that air ambulance staff are sent to, every second counts – but also means more accurate advice can be given because the actual patient or incident can be seen, which improves the already high quality of care provided still further.”
The camera footage has a number of other benefits including: training aid when new doctors are starting to work on the air ambulance, review and learn from selected cases to ensure best practice.
The camera streams information live to the HEMS Desk in the clinical coordination centre and all footage is stored on secure, encrypted SCAS servers – not on the camera itself.
For more information about the cameras visit: scas.nhs.uk
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