Magpas
Encyclopedia
Magpas is an Emergency Medical Charity that provides pre-hospital critical care and retrieval in the East of England
with its main area of operations being in Cambridgeshire
, Peterborough
and the neighbouring parts of Norfolk
, Suffolk
and Bedfordshire
. It trains, equips and deploys a physician-paramedic team known as Helimedix to any medical emergency, illness or accident where the NHS
Ambulance Service asks for on-scene medical support.
which, up until 1974, was known as the Mid Anglia Constabulary. The service was originally provided by General Practitioners from across the Mid Anglia area who were activated by the police and ambulance services to attend serious accidents and provide on-scene care. The charity is now simply known as Magpas:The Emergency Medical Charity.
In 1977, Magpas contributed to the foundation of the British Association for Immediate Care
(BASICS) and it has remained a member of BASICS ever since. As NHS
Ambulance Service Paramedics developed so did the charity. It undertook detailed research into its effectiveness and reviewed the way it operated. In 1997 the charity entered a new partnership with Cambridgeshire Constabulary
to use the Police Helicopter for helicopter deployment of medical staff and patient transport.
In 2007 the East Anglian Air Ambulance agreed to provide an Air Ambulance helicopter, dubbed Anglia Two, to be based out of RAF Wyton
for Daytime missions. Although this was withdrawn in 2010, and Magpas went back to providing the whole service, in conjunction with the Police.
From 2000 until 2010 the charity developed a network of Community First Responder Schemes across Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. These local volunteers were trained by Magpas and then responded to medical emergencies such as chest pain and breathing difficulties in their local area. Their role was to treat the patient until the ambulance service arrived. In 2010 the Magpas First Responders were joined with other schemes under the leadership of the East of England Ambulance Trust
who will now look after the scheme.
Magpas was the first Pre Hospital Emergency Medicine provider to be inspected and approved by the Healthcare Commission
and subsequently the Care Quality Commission
. This means the governance and quality assurance of the care it provides meets national standards.
s but the majority are now Emergency Physicians
or Anaesthetists. The paramedics, both volunteers and seconded staff, are all drawn from the East of England Ambulance Service
. They are mobilised by the East of England Ambulance Service to serious incidents or medical emergencies across the East of England, using a variety of helicopters and cars to reach the scene. The team is capable of sedating
or anaesthetising the patient at the scene of the incident enabling hospital level care to be provided as soon as possible.
There is a training program for all new team members which covers a variety of topics, and involves a large amount of simulator based training
.
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
with its main area of operations being in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
and the neighbouring parts of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. It trains, equips and deploys a physician-paramedic team known as Helimedix to any medical emergency, illness or accident where the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
Ambulance Service asks for on-scene medical support.
History
Magpas was founded as the Mid Anglia General Practitioner Accident Service in 1971 by Dr Neville Silverston OBE. The origins of the name relate to a close historical and geographical association with Cambridgeshire ConstabularyCambridgeshire Constabulary
Cambridgeshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. In addition to the non-metropolitan county, the Police area includes the city of Peterborough, which became a unitary authority area in...
which, up until 1974, was known as the Mid Anglia Constabulary. The service was originally provided by General Practitioners from across the Mid Anglia area who were activated by the police and ambulance services to attend serious accidents and provide on-scene care. The charity is now simply known as Magpas:The Emergency Medical Charity.
In 1977, Magpas contributed to the foundation of the British Association for Immediate Care
British Association for Immediate Care
The British Association for Immediate Care is a registered charity which aims to encourage and aid the formation and extension of Immediate Care Schemes and strengthen and develop co-operation between schemes providing Immediate Care and the statutory emergency services...
(BASICS) and it has remained a member of BASICS ever since. As NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
Ambulance Service Paramedics developed so did the charity. It undertook detailed research into its effectiveness and reviewed the way it operated. In 1997 the charity entered a new partnership with Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Cambridgeshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. In addition to the non-metropolitan county, the Police area includes the city of Peterborough, which became a unitary authority area in...
to use the Police Helicopter for helicopter deployment of medical staff and patient transport.
In 2007 the East Anglian Air Ambulance agreed to provide an Air Ambulance helicopter, dubbed Anglia Two, to be based out of RAF Wyton
RAF Wyton
RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force station near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.In terms of organisation RAF Wyton is now part of the combined station RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, a merger of Wyton with two previously separate bases, RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow. Wyton is the largest of the three. It...
for Daytime missions. Although this was withdrawn in 2010, and Magpas went back to providing the whole service, in conjunction with the Police.
From 2000 until 2010 the charity developed a network of Community First Responder Schemes across Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. These local volunteers were trained by Magpas and then responded to medical emergencies such as chest pain and breathing difficulties in their local area. Their role was to treat the patient until the ambulance service arrived. In 2010 the Magpas First Responders were joined with other schemes under the leadership of the East of England Ambulance Trust
East of England Ambulance Service
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the authority responsible for providing National Health Service ambulance services in the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, in the East of England region.It is one of 12 Ambulance Trusts providing...
who will now look after the scheme.
Magpas was the first Pre Hospital Emergency Medicine provider to be inspected and approved by the Healthcare Commission
Healthcare Commission
The Healthcare Commission was a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department of Health of the United Kingdom. It was set up to promote and drive improvement in the quality of health care and public health in England and Wales...
and subsequently the Care Quality Commission
Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care services in England. This includes services provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations -...
. This means the governance and quality assurance of the care it provides meets national standards.
Magpas Helimedix
The Helimedix team consists of both a doctor and a paramedic. These are drawn from a pool of specially trained volunteers who give up their free time to support the work of the charity and a small pool of employed and seconded staff. The doctors come from a variety of backgrounds, some are GPGeneral practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
s but the majority are now Emergency Physicians
Emergency physician
An emergency physician is a physician who works at an emergency department to care for acutely ill patients. The emergency physician is a specialist in advanced cardiac life support , trauma care such as fractures and soft tissue injuries, and management of other life-threatening situations.In...
or Anaesthetists. The paramedics, both volunteers and seconded staff, are all drawn from the East of England Ambulance Service
East of England Ambulance Service
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the authority responsible for providing National Health Service ambulance services in the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, in the East of England region.It is one of 12 Ambulance Trusts providing...
. They are mobilised by the East of England Ambulance Service to serious incidents or medical emergencies across the East of England, using a variety of helicopters and cars to reach the scene. The team is capable of sedating
Sedation
Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...
or anaesthetising the patient at the scene of the incident enabling hospital level care to be provided as soon as possible.
There is a training program for all new team members which covers a variety of topics, and involves a large amount of simulator based training
Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
.