South East Coast Ambulance Service

Research strategy

This Research and Development Strategy is fundamental to the Research and Development Department working collaboratively within SECAmb to support the Trust’s overall ‘Strategic Goals’ outlined as part of the 2020 strategy process. These goals demonstrate how the Trust will ensure the provision of safe, quality care to its communities and the various stakeholders, including staff. Following feedback in the last few years from staff, the CQC and the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic we have recognised as a Trust that there is significant work needed to improve quality for patients, deliver improved performance against targets, meet financial targets and in doing this support and develop our staff. As a Trust, we are determined to continue to learn from feedback from our staff, our volunteers and our patients and embed trust-wide change because of this learning.

SECAmb has established a discrete, visible Research and Development Department with a range of staff working towards the common goal. With a core team of substantive members, organisational staff are also recruited to support specific studies on an annual basis through alternative routes such as secondments or fixed term appointments. In order to meet our strategic objectives and to fulfil our purpose ‘SECAmb will provide high quality, safe services that are right for patients, improve population health and provide excellent long-term value for money by working with Integrated Care Systems and Partnerships and Primary Care Networks to deliver extended urgent and emergency care pathways,’ research must become core business within SECAmb with additional investment in resources and strong research leadership to meet the demands associated with the current growth of research activity within ambulance services.

As healthcare provision continues to develop worldwide in response to changing practice and need, so does the focus of research and the associated processes that allow its facilitation across the healthcare spectrum. The following strategic aims developed in response to the Trust’s goals drive the departments strategic objectives, ensuring that our staff, volunteers, patients and public understand not only the role of research and development within the Trust, but also how that research is being used to guide change.

SECAmb will be recognised locally, nationally and internationally for:

• The relevance and quality of its research.
• Collaboratively engaging with health and social care partners, academic institutions and industry.
• Its ability to translate the outcomes of its research into measurable benefits for patient care, health and wellbeing.
• Providing an evidence base to underpin local and national developments in paramedic practice.

Current research projects

Previously conducted research projects

• Community First Responders’ role in the current and future rural health and care workforce.
• Clinical Randomisation of Antifibrinolytic in Symptomatic mild Head injury in older adults (CRASH-4).
• The COVID-19 Ambulance Response Assessment Study (CARA).
• Derivation and narrow validation of a clinical decision rule for paramedics to triage an older adult with a traumatic brain injury.
• A longitudinal mixed-methods study of MINDfulness And Response In Staff Engagers (NHS) -MINDARISE.
• paRamEdic decision making during out of hospital cardiAC arresT 2.  A mixed-methods study.

Latest / significant publications

• Mortimer, C., Nikoletou, D., Ooms, A. and Williams, J. (2023). Effects of nebulised beta-2 agonists on clinical observations in asthma exacerbations. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 15(2): 1-11.
• Aldred, D., Durham, M., Prokop, N., Balderston, G., Crabb, R., Crouch, P., Pike, L., Children, J., McBride, A., Heywood, A., Williams, J. & Cowley, A. (2022). Critical care paramedics’ experiences of performing an emergency scalpel cricothyroidotomy: a qualitative study. British Paramedic Journal, 7(1), 3-8.
• Barrett, JW., Williams, J., Griggs, J., Skene, S., & Lyon, R. (2022) What are the demographic and clinical differences between those older adults with traumatic brain injury who receive a neurosurgical intervention to those that do not? A systematic literature review with narrative synthesis, Brain Injury, DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2022.2093398
• Eaton-Williams P.J. & Williams, J. (2022). “See us as humans. Speak to us with respect. Listen to us.” A qualitative study on UK ambulance staff requirements of leadership while working during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Leader Published Online First: 12 September 2022. doi: 10.1136/leader-2022-000622
• Griggs, J. E., Lyon, R. M., Sherriff, M., Barrett, J. W., Wareham, G., & Ter Avest, E. (2022). Predictive clinical utility of pre-hospital point of care lactate for transfusion of blood product in patients with suspected traumatic haemorrhage: derivation of a decision-support tool. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine, 30(1), 1-9.
• Mortimer, C., & Ooms, A. (2022). Students’ experience and perceived value of a clinical simulation centre. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 14(6), 250-258.
• Munro, S., Cooke, D., Joy, M., Smith, A., Poole, K., Perciato, L., Holah, J., Speirs, O. and Quinn, T. (2022). The pre-hospital 12-lead electrocardiogram is associated with longer delay and worse outcomes in patients presenting to emergency medical services with acute stroke: a linked cohort study. British Paramedic Journal, 7(2), pp.16-23.
• Owen, P. & Sherriff, M. (2022) Is there an association between 30-day mortality and adrenaline infusion rates in post-ROSC patients? A retrospective observational analysis. British Paramedic Journal, 7(3), pp.1-7.
• Ter Avest, E., Tunnicliff, M., Griggs, J., Griffiths, D., Cody, D., Nelson, M., Hurst, T. & Lyon, R. M. (2022). In-hospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for patients with an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a semi-rural setting: An observational study on the implementation of a helicopter emergency medical services pathway. Resuscitation plus, 12, 100339.