The recent passing of Mark Bloch represents a great loss, primarily to his family and friends, but also to those who work each day to develop pre-hospital care. Mark was a tireless advocate for paramedics and the development of paramedic practice. He played a key role in creating the critical care paramedic (CCP) programme and was highly regarded as an educator and mentor.
It is unlikely, without Mark's considerable help, that the CCP programme, in particular, could have been developed. When the idea was first mooted, Mark was working as a consultant anaesthetist specialising in paediatric anaesthesia at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. He was a busy man, very active clinically and also committing much time in respect of clinical simulation teaching in particular, but also in other areas such as research.
When approached to help with a new, complex and speculative project he could easily have declined to help, but he was a generous man and also had a particularly good understanding of the out-of-hospital environment, having grown up in Zimbabwe and gained considerable clinical experience both in that country and later in South Africa. He gave up much of his time to help with developing the initial bid, which was a successful venture teaming his institution, Imperial College, with the paramedic team at the University of Hertfordshire.
Mark contributed greatly to the development of the CCP programme in the years that followed and, even after relocating to Aberdeen to take up a consultant position, he was prepared to fly down to teach on the programme. He also visited CCPs in practice in the South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust and in other ambulance services, and was always keen to discuss problems and offer advice on their resolution.
Once established in Aberdeen, and with his young family settled, he gave self-lessly of his time to serve the local community by volunteering to respond on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service. He also joined the BASICS organisation and the Faculty of Pre-hospital Care. In this role he positively affected the lives of many patients, but also, entirely typically, he invested much effort in coaching paramedics in the field and in theatre, where he excelled in developing his students' critical thinking and technical skills. Being taught by Mark was never intimidating, as can sometimes be the case for paramedics experiencing theatre for the first time; it was, by contrast, an inspiring process of learning, with a great balance of challenge and coaching.
In addition to what would have been, for most human beings, an incredibly taxing portfolio of responsibilities, Mark developed his interest in aviation becoming the medical officer for Bond Helicopters. Again he worked industriously to bring the paramedics working on the search and rescue helicopters out in the North Sea up to a high standard and supported the College of Paramedics' work in respect of developing the career and competency framework, which now has a section dedicated to paramedics operating in the search and rescue role. This was one of a number of important projects where he supported the College and in every case his help, assistance and advice was well judged and universally well received.
Many paramedics have benefited from Mark's mentoring and coaching expertise and his expert application of clinical simulation teaching techniques, where he continued to be regarded as a leading expert. The time he gave so generously providing emergency care to patients in the field, which he always found rewarding and which earned him even more widespread respect among the many paramedics who worked alongside him, will be a lasting testimony and will also ensure that he is long remembered.
Mark was a most energetic innovator and teacher who was well known and highly regarded by many in the paramedic profession in particular. The poet, John Donne, once said that ‘any man's death diminishes me’. Mark's passing certainly diminishes pre-hospital care and is a great loss to the paramedic profession and to patient care. I know that all who read this testimony will join with me in extending their deepest sympathies to Mark's family at this most distressing time.