Earlier this year, Sawston Community First Responder Group received a grant of £3,129 from the Microsoft Research Limited Fund to purchase medical and first aid equipment.
They purchased a Raizer chair which assists in non-injury falls, where a patient has fallen and is unable to get up by themselves. This forms part of the medical kit used when called to 999 calls, to assist the ambulance service as community first responders. All users of this equipment are fully trained by the ambulance service prior to use.
The grant has enabled Sawston Community First Responder Group to increase the scope of the medical emergencies that they can deal with, with most patients able to be discharged on scene. The time spent on the floor by patients is also minimised, when the ambulance service is otherwise busy.
Sawston Community First Responder Group shared,
“One patient had simply slipped out of her chair but was unable to pull herself back up. With no-one to assist at home, she could have been lying in a compromised position for hours. We arrived on scene, performed a set of observations and checks, and were able to get her back in her chair without further stress. We discharged the patient at home via the clinical advice line and they arranged a follow up falls assessment visit to check if there is anything that could be done to prevent the same incident from occurring.”
Find out more about available funding from the Microsoft Research Limited Fund.