Medics based at Withybush General Hospital in Haverfordwest have taken part in a multi-agency simulation aimed at testing their clinical skills under pressure.

Dr. Antony Mathew, an Emergency Department (ED) consultant at Withybush, led a team of ED and anaesthesia doctors and nurses during the exercise, which saw them working alongside paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust and the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru) critical care team.

The challenging scenario tested their skills in dealing with a ‘patient’ with a life-threatening head injury, who required life-saving resuscitation and time-critical transfer to University Hospital Wales, Cardiff, for neurosurgical care.

The aim of the exercise - which took place within the Withybush Clinical Skills Lab - was to reinforce EMRTS Cymru’s aim of developing an innovative healthcare culture, leading to more efficient teamwork, and improved clinical care for the most critically ill and injured patients across Wales.

Dr. Mathew said: “It’s really important for us to be able to take part in exercises like these which help to improve the way we work within various hospital teams, and with retrieval services like EMRTS. It also helps us to understand the capabilities of EMRTS as well.”

With support from medical illustrator Steve Atherton, the training was recorded to allow medics to review real-time clinical handovers, resuscitation and retrieval processes using video playback. A debriefing session was subsequently led by Dr. James Chinery, from EMRTS Cymru, in the emergency department.

Dr. Chinery said: “As well as the emergency medical services we provide, EMRTS Cymru also aims to play an important role in supporting education and training in critical care across Wales.

“Working on a ‘live’ simulation with colleagues from Withybush and the Welsh Ambulance Service offered valuable realistic training which will enhance the skills and knowledge of everyone who took part. This will undoubtedly benefit the people of Wales and the quality of treatment that they receive.”

This is the third Insitu-Sim engagement event between EMRTS Cymru, WAST and NHS Wales. In the coming months visits to Bronglais, Bangor, Rhyl and Bridgend are being actively planned.

Launched in April 2015, EMRTS Cymru provides pioneering emergency medical care across Wales. This includes pre-hospital critical care and time-critical transfers for all age groups. The service is made up of consultants and CCPs (paramedics and nurses) who are able to deliver innovative emergency treatments previously not available outside of a hospital environment.

The EMRTS medics travel on board the Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopters and in a fleet of rapid response vehicles which enable them to reach the scene of a medical emergency as fast as possible.

Dorian James, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s locality manager for Pembrokeshire, said: “While the exercise might look and feel very dramatic, the reality is that our crews and fellow clinicians encounter scenarios like this every day, all over Wales.

“These exercises are designed to strengthen inter-agency working and enable colleagues to deliver the best possible care to those who are unfortunate enough to need it. It also gives each agency a snapshot of one another’s capabilities and more importantly gives us all the chance to work together in a real environment.”