SECAmb paramedics win regional research award

South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) paramedics delivering the PARAMEDIC-3 Trial have won the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network Kent, Surrey and Sussex Research Support Award 2023.

The awards exist to thank colleagues who do not have a formal role in research activity but have provided essential support to conduct research.

This year more than 80 individuals and teams were nominated from NHS trusts, dental practices, homecare providers and primary care across the region.

Our PARAMEDIC-3 trial-trained paramedics were selected by a panel of NIHR and public representatives as winners in the Acute/Ambulance Trust category.

More than 130 paramedics based at our centres in Banstead, Gatwick and Brighton have now randomised more than 145 patients into this national evaluation of drug administration route during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Each year over 30,000 people’s hearts suddenly stop beating in communities around the UK. Unfortunately, less than one in ten of those will survive their out of hospital cardiac arrest. Giving drugs, such as adrenaline, is very effective at restarting the heart but they must be given quickly.

Current guidelines advise paramedics to inject drugs into a vein, or into bone marrow if they are unable to use a vein. It can take several critical minutes to put a drip into a vein and it may be that inserting a needle into an arm or leg bone is a faster way to give drugs.

However, existing research does not tell us which of these is the best way to give drug treatments. Therefore, the aim of the PARAMEDIC-3 trial is to find out if giving drugs through a vein or into the bone is the most effective way to treat someone when their heart suddenly stops working and whether it makes a difference to how well people recover after cardiac arrest.

Our Research and Development Department nominated our paramedics involved in the trial to recognise their engagement in completing the necessary training and their dedication and professionalism in performing and recording randomisations in this most challenging clinical setting.

Head of our Research and Development Department, Professor Julia Williams said: “We are absolutely delighted that our paramedics have been recognised for their commitment to this trial. Research is so important for developing excellent patient care. It is also fantastic to see that the wider research community values their contributions.”