Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service

Saving LIVES Across Lincolnshire............

LIVES STAFF RECORD DATA FROM OVER 900 CALLS PER MONTH.

LIVES Activity

LIVES Responders are trained to deliver early Basic Life Support and early Defibrillation. In addition, they provide patient assessment, oxygen therapy and general patient care.

Why is a rapid response by LIVES Responders so important?

Following a Cardiac Arrest, the chance of survival decreases by over 10% for every minute of delay until help arrives. After 8 minutes (which is the government response target for ambulance trusts), survival is less than 5%. Our responders are located within communities to increase the chance of attending a patient within that 8 minute window, increasing the chance of providing life saving treatment.

Latest Figures

Since the beginning of 2007 LIVES members have attended over 8060 calls, 129 of which were cardiac arrests with 17 of those surviving. Currently 82% of LIVES calls are achieving the national target (to reach a patient within 8 minutes) and our average response time is 3.2 minutes. This means that in towns and villages where there is a First Responder group, the chance of survival following Cardiac Arrest has increased to 25%. (To see the other types of emergencies that out volunteers attend please visit Our Volunteers).

Patient Data

The patient's vital signs are the first information assessed by a LIVES First Responder. This information is recorded on a Patient Report Form (PRF) along with other important patient details and treatment carried out by the Responder.

            * Response - is the patient responsive?

            * Airway - is it clear? Can air get into the lungs?

            * Breathing - is the patient breathing normally?  Is air getting into the lungs?

            * Circulation - does the patient have a pulse? Is the heart pumping blood around the body?

Additional vital signs that may be recorded by LIVES Responders are:

            * Blood Pressure

            * Oxygen Saturation %

            * Body Temperature

Other important information includes:

            * Past history of medical problems

            * Prescribed Drugs taken by the patient

            * Any known allergies

A copy of the PRF is given to the attending ambulance crew and sent to hospital with the patient. The other copy is returned to LIVES HQ where the Clinical Team analyse and log the activity of LIVES members. This information is combined with the computerised callout data received from ambulance control and collated into STATISTICS, which are regularly monitored to ensure that LIVES continues to provide a highly effective emergency care service.

All patient data is subject to the Data Protection Act and is held securely at LIVES HQ.

LIVES. THE WAR MEMORIAL CENTRE. NORTH STREET. HORNCASTLE. LINCOLNSHIRE. LN9 5DX  

LIVES is a Company Limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales.  Company Number 4680981.