Christmas Greetings from PHECC

The staff at PHECC wish all our registrants, stakeholders and members of the public a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Office Holiday Schedule

Minister announces new membership of PHECC Council

The Minister for Health and Children has appointed the membership of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council. The composition of the Council is laid down in the legislation (PHECC Establishment Order). The membership reflects the EMS profession, service providers, training institutions, trade unions and the public. In addition, there are also representatives from the nursing and medical professions along with individuals who have a special interest or expertise in pre-hospital emergency care.

Am I authorised to LEGALLY administer medications?

As a registered healthcare practitioner you need legal authority to administer medications. No matter what your practice setting is, you, as a practitioner, are responsible for ensuring that your own practice is legal. The first question you should ask is “Is the service provider recognised by Council for approval to implement PHECC CPGs”. If the answer is NO then you may not administer medications using PHECC Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for authorisation.

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Protocol 37-The Emergency Inter-Hospital Transfer Policy

Protocol 37 has been developed for emergency inter-hospital transfers for patients who require a clinically time critical intervention which is not available within their current facility.  Protocol 37 is the latest protocol to be added to the priority dispatch suite used by the National Emergency Operations Centre/HSE National Ambulance Service.

Examination numbers on the rise

The examinations team were very busy conducting exams this year. 2016 saw an increase in both EMT and paramedic candidates taking PHECC exams, with almost 700 candidates to date in 2016 as opposed to less than 500 for 2015.

PHECC Practitioner Re-Registration Survey

Last July over 46% of our registrants completed a survey of our online re-registration process. This was the first time a study of this type was undertaken. One of the main objectives of the survey was to ascertain registrant satisfaction with the process, in order to identify where change or further development may be required.  Overall, 92% of respondents indicated satisfaction with the re-registration process. We received valuable feedback on how the process could be improved and the specific areas where individuals had difficulties.   We have now reviewed and analysed the survey data and are implementing a number of initiatives to improve the re-registration process.

PHECC’s Quality Review Framework

PHECC Quality Review Framework (QRF), implemented in 2015, serves as the quality assurance model and process for ensuring that recognised institutions (RIs) who develop and deliver courses, on behalf of PHECC, maintain high standards of service.  The QRF provides a range of Quality Standards (QS) for RIs and a process for monitoring achievements against these standards. 

What’s happening with the transition of OFA/HSA to FAR/PHECC project?

The transition from Occupational First Aid (OFA) to First Aid Response (FAR) as the national standard for first aid in the workplace is a focal point of conversation within the first aid and health and safety circles within the past few months. 

CISM eLearning module for Stress Awareness Training

The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) stress awareness training module was originally developed by PHECC in partnership with the National Ambulance Service (NAS). It is available to:

• PHECC registered practitioners at all levels

• NAS personnel who are not registered practitioners, and

• Community responders who are members of programmes linked to NAS.

PHECC’s submission to the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare

First EMT CPC Portfolios reviewed by Assessor Panel

The EMT CPC process has reached the end of the beginning following the completion of the first round of practitioners’ portfolio assessments.  Omar Fitzell (EMT CPC Coordinator) and his team of fellow EMT CPC Assessors reviewed over 90 portfolios last month and an evaluation report is being drafted for consideration by the new PHECC Council.

Right patient, to the right care, in the right condition, in the right time

The National Transport Medicine Programme (NTMP) is one of the clinical programmes and was established in 2012.

eACR/PCR Stakeholder Engagement

The eACR stakeholder group, which includes Civil Defence, Irish Red Cross, Order of Malta and St John Ambulance met again in September for a status update.  All user organisations were represented by their eACR leads and each presented on their data collection pilot experiences, followed by round the table discussion.

Restart a Heart Day

When a person’s heart stops beating, rapid intervention is required. Many of the vital skills needed to save a life in such a circumstance can be initiated by members of the public. This group of “cardiac arrest” victims currently have a low survival rate in Ireland. One of the reasons for this is a lack of public awareness on how to help these people. Giving adequate chest compressions, accessing a defibrillator and calling the emergency services quickly gives these patients the best chance of survival.