Team attends the North West Ambulance Service Annual General Meeting and Open Day 2012

Held this year at the NWAS Headquarters building of Ladybridge Hall, Chorley New Road, Bolton, alongside which, within the former Stable / Garage building on the same site we have our Base / HQ, this years Annual General Meeting of NWAS was combined with an NWAS Open Day event.

A large indoor display took place, to which a great many partner agencies of NWAS had been invited, and this was combined with an outdoor display of various NWAS vehicles including one of our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles.

The NWAS vehicles included a Paramedic Pedal Cycle Response Unit, (Which can often be seen operating in Bolton town Centre) a HART vehicle, Rapid Response Car, Emergency Ambulance and a Ford Transit Ambulance from the NWAS Museum Collection (Actually operated by an NWAS (Merseyside) Paramedic)
Within the indoor display, we had a large display stand illustrating the work we carry out in partnership with NWAS (Manchester) and NWAS (Lancashire)
The Annual General Meeting of the NWAS NHS Trust commenced at 13.00hrs, with a look at performance over the last financial year, and visions and priorities for the year ahead.

Presentations by senior members of the Trust then followed, including the Chair and Chief Executive.

At 14.00hrs the Open Day commenced, with an Welcome and Introductory speech by the NWAS Chair, Mary Whyham, which ioncluded a direct mention of the Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.

Besides the displays, there was the launch of the Paramedic Pathfinder project – a new approach which means that not everyone who calls 999 has to go to hospital and importantly, receives the right care at the right time in the right place that best meets their needs.

The new NWAS mascot PANDAMEDIC

There was also a reconstruction of a patient experiencing a heart attack, which included all aspects of what happens being demonstrated to a very large and very attentive audience, from the 999 call being answered, to the advice given to the 999 caller by the despatcher at the Ambulance Emergency Control Centre, to the arrival of a Community First Responder and then the ultimate arrival of responding NWAS Paramedics. (Excellent acting by the way of that budding actress Paramedic Sara Harris amongst others, with ‘voice overs’ provided by long standing team friend and now well versed narrator, Paramedic David McNally)
NWAS (Merseyside) Paramedic Steve Evans was on hand with his excellent ‘Don’t Walk Away’ awareness campaign aimed at young people, centred around the problems of youths drinking, and basic first aid related to the effects of alcohol on young people.

His campaign fully backed by NWAS and featured in the national media includes posters, and two DVDs, all of which were being given away in large numbers at todays events.

In all, the day was judged a huge success, with many members of the public attending the Open Day element of today.

The team wishes to thank Karen Fitzhenry, Communications Officer for NWAS (Merseyside) for her role in co-ordinating today, and all present who visited our display and vehicle on show, asking many questions on our joint working with NWAS.

The following Bolton MRT team members attended today; Life Vice President Alan James, Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, Steve O’Hara, Trainee Team member Nigel Booth, Paul Copley, Equipment Officer (Vehicles) Chris Greenhalgh and Dave Marsh (With his trainee Drowned Victim Search Dog Sasha in attendance).

The Bolton MRT places great emphasis on its close relationship with NWAS, and is grateful to have been invited to attend this event today, further cementing its long standing close liaison with NWAS (Manchester) and NWAS (Lancashire).