The 999 EMS Research Forum, coordinated from Swansea University’s College of Medicine, organised a one day emergency care conference in collaboration with Lincoln University and East Midlands Ambulance Service this month.

The 999 EMS Research Forum is a UK based partnership, led by Helen Snooks, Professor of Health Services Research at Swansea University’s College of Medicine that brings together academics and health-care providers with a research interest in emergency care.

Each year, the Forum invites health practitioners, health service managers, policy makers and academics to attend a research conference, providing an opportunity to disseminate research and run workshops to build research capacity.

This year’s conference entitled ‘Quality Improvement and Innovation Research in pre-hospital care’, took place on 4 February at the Nottingham Conference Centre.

The 999 EMS Research Forum has been actively promoting emergency care research since its formation in 1997. Each year, the Forum invites abstracts for oral and poster presentations at the Conference, with prizes awarded for: highest quality research; research most likely to affect practice (sponsored by the College of Paramedics) and best poster (sponsored by the National Ambulance Research Steering Group). A new prize, sponsored by the Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, was introduced this year for the most innovative use of routine data.

Professor Helen Snooks said: “This exciting day included presentations by new and established researchers, interactive workshops and informal poster sessions.”

Niro Siriwardena, Professor of Primary and Pre-hospital Health Care at Lincoln University said: “The conference, which brought together national and international experts in quality improvement, innovation, and research in pre-hospital care was a great success, with posters, oral and keynote presentations spanning the breadth and depth of work being conducted by academic units and ambulance services in the UK and abroad.”

Professor Snooks continued: “The conference ended with presentations for highest quality research; research most likely to affect practice; best poster and most innovative use of routine data. Dr Matthew Booker from the University of Bristol was the recipient of the first of these, with a chance to present his work in Australia later this year.”

Prizes were awarded for the following posters:

• Highest Quality Research: Dr Matthew Booker, University of Bristol for ‘Understanding why ambulances are called for primary care problems: a systematic mapping review’ - to present at the PAIC conference http://www.paic.com.au/  in Adelaide Australia with £1,000 towards travel and subsistence sponsored by the 999 EMS Research Forum.
• Research most likely to affect practice: Paul Younger, North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust for ‘Development and impact of a dedicated cardiac arrest response unit in a UK regional ambulance service’ -  £100 Voucher sponsored by the College of Paramedics https://www.collegeofparamedics.co.uk/
• Best poster: Christopher Preston, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust for ‘Using an education session to develop ambulance clinicians’ understanding and awareness of children’s distress, distraction techniques and holding in the pre-hospital setting’ - £100 poster sponsored by the National Ambulance Research Steering Group
• Most innovative use of routine data: Hannah Trebilcock from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust for ‘‘Identification of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the Pre-Hospital Setting’ – The opportunity to attend a course on the Harnessing Electronic Health Records for Research series http://www.ucl.ac.uk/farr-short-courses  to the value of £350 sponsored by the FARR Institute http://www.farrinstitute.org/.

Pictured (from top) Dr Matthew Booker (left) receiving his award from Professor Jonathan Benger

 
Christopher Preston (left) receiving his award from Professor Niro Siriwardena

Hannah Trebilcock (left) receiving her award from Professor Helen Snooks

Paul Younger receiving his award from Professor Julia Williams