Gloucestershire BASICS

Providing Immediate Medical Care in Gloucestershire

Enabling the best care to be provided to potentially seriously injured patients.

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What we do:

Gloucestershire BASICS is a group of volunteer clinicians (NHS doctors and paramedics) who offer immediate medical response and care to those in need in the County of Gloucester. We are dispatched by and work in support of the South West Ambulance Service, providing enhanced and critical care support to the ambulance service crews when a 999 call has been made. We may find ourselves at the roadside, in a remote rural location, or in someone’s home in one of the county’s villages, towns or the City of Gloucester. The location of and access to some of our patients may add significantly to the medical challenges encountered, and we may end up as part of a multiagency response including Fire, Police, Ambulance, and volunteer organisations such as SARA.

How we do it:

Our volunteer clinicians respond around the county, when dispatched to appropriate jobs by the South West Ambulance Service. This may be from home or workplace, day or night.

We respond in our own cars, under Blue lights, having undertaken appropriate driver training.

We carry equipment and medication to support our roles as front line responders. Some equipment is provided by the South West Ambulance Service, but much is provided by charitable fundraising

Background

Gloucestershire BASICS was founded in the 1990’s and for many years, local GP’s provided excellent support to the County Ambulance Service as BASICS Immediate Care Doctors.  Organisational structures and funding changed over time, and the number of responders declined.  For a period of time there has been a hiatus in responding in the County, but it is well recognised that a reinvigorated group of local doctors, committed to responding on a voluntary basis will be of great support to and much valued by the local Ambulance Service (SWASfT), and the county’s other voluntary organisations such as the Severn Area Rescue Association.

Current Situation

After several years work, and with ongoing support from BASICS UK, SWASfT, BASICS SW, and neighbouring schemes, we now have three BASICS Accredited doctors, volunteering to respond in the county.  Two doctors bring Critical Care skills and HEMS experience, and one is an Enhanced care provider. Two doctors are able to respond in their own kitted and lit cars, and the third is presently able to respond under normal conditions  due to the current regulatory changes  regarding Blue Light Driver training.

Ambitions

Our immediate ambition as an organisation is to provide Enhanced and Critical Care skills on a volunteer basis, in support of SWASfT, in the county of Gloucestershire.

Meet Our Volunteer Doctors

  • Dr Suzannah Hoult

    Specialty Plastic and Hand Surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust

  • Dr Ben Hall

    Dr Ben Hall is an Emergency Medicine Consultant, with extensive experience pre-hospital medicine. He has been responding both for HEMS and BASICS schemes for many years.

  • Dr Dave Freeman

    Dr Dave Freeman is a Consultant Anaesthetist, working in the NHS. He also has a strong interest in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine, and undertakes regular HEMS shifts, alongside his NHS work and volunteering for BASICS

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