South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) has begun a new three-month trial across Tangmere and Worthing which will see community first responders (CFRs) carry and administer the pain-relief drug Penthrox.
The trial aims to improve patient care by providing effective and rapid pain relief which CFRs will be able to administer where clinically appropriate.
Penthrox is a fast-acting pain relief medication that patients breathe in if they have experienced a traumatic injury which is currently carried by ambulance crews. The trial will expand this to CFRs which will allow them to administer the medication if first on scene and improve patients comfort while awaiting further care.
During the trial, patient outcomes and operational impact will be closely monitored and evaluated to help the Trust understand how Penthrox can best support our patients and responders at an incident.
Head of Community Resilience, Danny Dixon said: “The trial represents an important step forward in how SECAmb support our volunteers and the patients they care for. By equipping our CFRs with additional tools such as Penthrox, we can improve the immediate care patients receive while continuing to ensure safety, governance and high clinical standards.”
Following the trial, further Trust-wide rollout to all volunteers will be considered to support patient care across our communities in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.