Sussex Ambulance Service was the ambulance service for the County of Sussex in England from 1 April 1995[1] until 1 July 2006, when it was succeeded by a South East Coast Ambulance Service also covering Surrey and Kent.[2]
| Sussex Ambulance Service | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1 April 1995 |
| Disbanded | 1 July 2006 |
| Headquarters | Ambulance Headquarters, Southfields Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 1BZ |
| Region served | Sussex |
The trust provided ambulance services to a population of 1.5 million people,[3] and was formed by the merger of the East and West Sussex ambulance services.[4] In 2001, plans were announced for a merger with Kent Ambulance Service, but these were shelved six months later after local resistance was encountered.[5]
A Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) began a clinical governance review of the trust in 2002.[6] Its report in 2003 criticised managerial staff at the trust for having inadequate systems to communicate with staff.[7] In 2005, it emerged that the trust’s despatch system had suffered computer failure four times over a period of a few months.[8]
The service started to use thrombolysis for suspected heart attacks in October 2003; by 2005 they had treated their 50th patient with this.[9]
The service had established a community first responder scheme by 2006.[10]
In 2000, the trust had an agreement with the Gambian Government to provide training to some African emergency service workers. Over a period of a few years, a small number of students travelled from The Gambia to Sussex to be trained to the level of ambulance technician.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The Sussex Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 1994". legislation.gov.uk.
- ^ "BBC NEWS - UK - England - Better ambulance service promised". bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Election Stalls ambulance merger talks". Mid Sussex Times. Johnston Press. 21 May 2001. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ Hewitt, Phil (1 May 2014). "Retired paramedic compiles history of West Sussex ambulances". Shoreham Herald. Johnston Press. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "Ambulance merger off". Mid Sussex Times. Johnston Press. 18 January 2002. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "Ambulance service review". Mid Sussex Times. Johnston Press. 31 October 2002. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "Ambulance staff 'not kept informed'". BBC News. BBC. 19 February 2003.
- ^ "Ageing ambulance computers crash". BBC News. BBC. 3 March 2005.
- ^ "Life saver". Shoreham Herald. Johnston Press. 31 March 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "First responders undergo training". Shoreham Herald. Johnston Press. 23 May 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "Back to Africa". Mid Sussex Times. Johnston Press. 23 September 2003. Retrieved 24 February 2015.