The new year issue of the journal is going to press as an exhausting month for paramedics comes to an end. In addition to the usual array of unexpected emergencies, paramedic services across the country are recovering from rescuing many hung-over members of the public during the festive season.
London Ambulance Service received close to 2400 calls about heavy-drinking episodes in one Friday night before Christmas 2016. Staff took to social media asking the public to drink responsibly, and started a hashtag campaign: ‘not a game’. London Ambulance Services live Twitter feed repeatedly urged the the public to only call them in a ‘genuine emergency’. Incidents like a drunk man verbally abusing ambulance staff are not only disrespectful for the paramedics, but are also a waste of valuable medical resources. They may deter paramedics from attending to elderly or ill patients who are, without a doubt, in a more genuine need of the emergency services.
Many responders on social media reacted to this Twitter initiative by London Ambulance Service suggesting that irresponsible drinkers should receive a bill for the emergency care they demand. It is hoped that greater awareness of such campaigns will contribute to making a more responsible society that doesn't abuse the emergency services available for free at the point of use.
Paramedics have also featured for vital contributions in other news, be it as a witness in a murder trial or at scenes of recent terrorist attacks in Germany. Continuous exposure to harrowing incidents such as these is bound to take a toll on one's mental health. The comment piece in this issue by paramedic lecturer Natalie Harris (p.6) gives a few guideposts for mental wellbeing of paramedics – a topic that has frequently started to surface in the news and the public eye. Her personal experiences as a paramedic, and the consequent reflections, offer a welcome insight into how practising individuals can better care for their mental health.
Paramedics are increasingly being recruited in primary care services. GP surgeries seek their advice in urgent and non-urgent cases alike. In light of an ever-evolving healthcare service, the scope of paramedicine is spanning clinical areas beyond emergency medicine, such as common illnesses. A clinical review by Peter Phillips (p.27) iterates findings from one such area, acute cough, and the preventive benefits of using a C-reactive protein test at initial presentation of the condition.
This issue also presents two pieces of qualitative research; both discuss actual or perceived barriers in two separate professional issues. Blodgett et al (p.11) explore the barriers paramedics report in referring patients to GPs instead of emergency departments. The other qualitative research, by Farquharson et al (p.19), sheds light on the barriers black and ethnic minority groups report in joining paramedic forces.
The Journal of Paramedic Practice aims to continue presenting various aspects of paramedicine to its readers. I hope these will keep adding to your practice in 2017, and I wish you a happy new year!