Earlier this summer, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) welcomed  community first responders (CFRs) from across the region to a special educational day where they had the chance to develop their skills, meet fellow volunteers and share their ideas and opinions.

The event took place on Saturday 9 June at Burnley Football Club and was attended by 50 CFRs and enhanced CFRs (ECFRs) from across the region.

The development event involved a number of key speakers from the ambulance service and other healthcare professionals covering topics including sepsis, diabetes and trauma as well as the opportunity to ask any questions.

Jane Atkinson, Community Resuscitation Development Officer, who organised the development event, said: “ECFRs and CFRs are a vital part of the care that we give to our patients as being right in the heart of the community they are able to give patients those life-saving extra minutes and be an extra helping hand to our crews as well as a friendly reassuring face to people in their most desperate of times.

“We think that it’s really important to not only give our volunteers opportunities to expand their clinical skills but also to get to know each other and give us the chance to say a big thank you!”

Special guest speaker, Prof. Sir Keith Porter, Professor of Clinical Traumatology, gave attendees an insight into treating trauma patients and what causes death in such circumstances.

The trust currently has more than 900 community first responders who volunteer for the ambulance service and give up their spare time to respond to emergencies in their local community.

Over 270 of these CFRs have gone onto further develop their skills to become an enhanced community first responder allowing them to use further clinical skills such as taking blood pressure, temperature and administering certain medicines.For those interested in becoming a community first responder, send your name and address to CFR.Recruitment@nwas.nhs.uk