The time is right to make decisions with confidence

One of the biggest fears I hear paramedics talking about is of discovering that a patient they discharged on-scene has just been rushed to hospital in cardiac arrest— and the subsequent investigation. With complaints against health professionals on the rise and paramedics featuring in the top two league tables for fitness-to-practise cases, this concern is easily understandable (Bright, 2012; Gallagher et al, 2018).

Decision Making in Paramedic Practice attempts to arm the paramedic with the confidence to make sound decisions while raising awareness of the associated pitfalls. The foreword is written by Andy Newton, chair of the College of Paramedics, who claims that ‘the time is right for this book’ mainly because of the rapidly changing epidemiologic context of our time and the fact that patient complexity is increasing—ultimately requiring the paramedic to be able to treat and discharge at scene. However, I would suggest this book is ahead of its time.