Bedfordshire’s fire and ambulance services have been shortlisted for a national healthcare award after they launched a joint project to help people who have fallen at home.
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) have reached the finals of the Provider Collaboration of the Year category at the HSJ Awards 202, which are said to be the healthcare sector’s premier awards event.
The two emergency services launched their Community Wellbeing Officer (CWO) initiative in November 2023 with their counterparts in Essex and Cambridgeshire bringing health response and fire prevention together across the three counties.
There initiative has been created due to there being an increased risk of fire in a home where someone has fallen.
When emergency calls come in for non-injury falls, EEAST dispatchers can task CWOs to respond where available.
This usually means the patient gets help more quickly, and while on scene the CWOs will provide fire prevention advice – from fitting new smoke alarms to discussing potential fire hazards with the patient.
Since the project’s launch in November last year, CWOs in Bedfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire have responded to almost 950 calls, and in 9 out of 10 of those incidents, they were first on the scene.
In more than 300 lower-severity incidents, CWOs have helped patients on the scene without the need for an ambulance, freeing up those ambulances to attend more serious emergencies in the area.
CWOs can also be called upon to assist ambulance crews with the most urgent emergency calls, such as cardiac arrests, as they have been trained by EEAST clinicians in providing basic life support.
CWOs have attended over 150 Category One emergencies since November 2023.
Jo Fletcher, Associate Director of Urgent and Emergency Care Integration at EEAST, said: “I am thrilled to see the Community Wellbeing Officer project shortlisted for an HSJ award.
“The CWO role embodies the strong relationship between our ambulance service and fire service, and since launching last November it has already achieved fantastic results for patients.
“Having medically trained officers from the fire service attend non-injury falls means that patients can also benefit from free fire prevention advice.
Stuart Auger, Head of Operational Response at BFRS, added, “Since the CWO project started in November last year we have been able to help some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
“It has also been a pleasure to support our partners in ensuring that those that have fallen at home are seen and treated quickly, relieving pressure on the whole NHS system.
“We are delighted to learn that the work of the Community Wellbeing Officers has been recognised and shortlisted for a prestigious HSJ award. It is a huge boost to our CWO colleagues, and we look forward to continuing to support our local communities.”
The winners will be announced at the HSJ Awards ceremony in central London on 21 November.
Photo caption: Community Wellbeing Officers at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service who are trained by EEAST to respond to non-injury falls in the home.
