The rapid rise of The Larrey Society

Six months ago the name Dominique Jean Larrey was hardly known, other than by the paramedicine community. Today it is synonymous with a fast growing organisation which is set to have a key influence on the future shape of emergency medical services (EMS) now and into the 21^st century.

Larrey was the French military surgeon who battled his superiors in the army and politicians to introduce battlefield treatment during the 17^th century Napoleonic wars for both his own wounded but also the enemy. With tenacity and innovation he designed his own horse-drawn ‘flying ambulances’ and Mash-style hospitals; his achievements earned him international recognition by the medical establishment and the title ‘father’ of the modern day ambulance service.

The Larrey Society was formed in his footsteps as the first cross-sector EMS ‘think tank’ to give individuals of all ranks from the NHS, independent and voluntary sectors a voice to express their views and ideas to healthcare legislators and regulators for a service which is fit for purpose to meet the changing needs of patients in the future.

It is independent, privately funded and neither receives nor seeks any type of Government funding; as the Society has grown rapidly in reputation, membership and international reach, it will in future be relying on the voluntary generosity of members and corporate sponsorships to maintain the Society's integrity and professionalism.

The Larrey Society's sudden emergence from nowhere and its welcome acceptance by the healthcare establishment has uncovered a hidden latent need for the likes of paramedics, dispatchers, fleet managers and many others in the world of EMS to have an opportunity to be heard by those who make irrevocable decisions which affect their profession and the well-being of patients.

Meetings are conducted under the Chatham House Rule on confidentiality which encourages full and frank discussion and at the same time protects the identity of speakers, their jobs and political affiliations.

The Society programme of meetings has got off to an active start with guest speakers including Ellen Armistead, deputy chief inspector of hospitals and ambulance services at the Care Quality Commission and Catherine Pollard, pricing development director at Monitor, the healthcare economic regulatory body; next month (October) Hugh Pym, the BBC's health editor will be meeting members to discuss the future of the NHS under the Conservative Government and in December David Behan, Chief executive, Care Quality Commission will be guest speaker at a private dinner for members at the Royal Society of Medicine.

Campaigns have also been initiated on a variety of different issues including the:

Plans are well underway on the programme for 2016 which marks the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Dominique Jean Larrey and activities in the pipeline include:

In addition to stepping up the Society's advocacy work, and staging a full programme of meetings and other activities next year it has also been decided to introduce several important developments.

For example, in response to members' suggestions, an online discussion forum is currently being developed by our website team which will be for members' free, exclusive and unlimited use. While specifically for members in the UK, the forum will be promoted initially to EMS communities on the mainland of Europe and in the US in order to extend the Society's reach internationally.

In the first six months of its existence The Larrey Society has established a toehold of awareness and credibility within the EMS community, largely due to the support of our founding members; the challenge ahead for the next six months is to continue to attract new members, and to build an infrastructure for the long-term future to ensure that the Society's voice and influence is heard and listened to by healthcare planners and decision-makers.