Home and away: The 2012 international pre-hopsital care conference

The joint BASICS (British Association of Immediate Care Schemes) and Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care conference was held on the 12-13th October 2012 at the Holiday Inn, Walsall. The title of the conference, although sounding like a television programme, referred to the conference theme of the ‘medics’ practicing both in the UK and abroad.

This article summarises the main presentations from a wide-range of topics covered in the two-day programme, most of which will be of interest to paramedics.

Consensus statements from the Faculty of pre-hospital Care: Sir Keith Porter

Following a welcome to the conference, the first session was an update by Professor Sir Keith Porter on the current status of the consensus statements on spinal immobilisation and pharmacologically assisted laryngeal mask insertion (PALM) from the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care.

Although not yet finalised, the consensus from the Faculty and the delegates was for the use of ‘scoop’ stretchers to immobilise patients as opposed to long boards due to the reduced need to move or roll patients.