‘Being a responder is really rewarding’

ERIN McCABE, 19

ERIN is a second year medical student at Hull York Medical School who, between her studies, volunteers as a community first responder with the local ambulance service

She said: “With cardiac arrest, chest pains and stroke, every second counts.

“During the first couple of years [of studying] you don’t get much clinical interaction so this has been fantastic and my motivation is to take the pressure off the ambulance service and try to help people. “It’s a really rewarding thing to do.” When on call, Erin rapidly responds to emergencies – providing a vital lift for overstretched ambulance services.

She said: “The first time I did CPR I wasn’t on shift, I was driving along the road and someone had collapsed.

“Yes, it was very daunting, but I knew I had the training and it kicked in.

Important

“I would urge everyone to learn CPR. It’s an incredibly important skill and it should be taught in schools.”

During the pandemic, Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been piloting the use of trained community first responder volunteers, together with enhanced vehicles and lifting cushions, to increase response to non-injury falls.

Its success means funding from NHS Charities Together will enable the service to extend the programme.

Volunteers have been specifically trained in how to use lifting equipment and rapidly deploy to non-injury falls, slashing the time patients wait for a response to just 11 minutes.

Older, more frail patients who lie on the floor for extended periods can suffer a longer-term deterioration in their health.

Faster response times means better outcomes for them.

It has also had a positive impact for Covid-19 patients by freeing up ambulances to deal with urgent calls.