Cheshire East councillors appeared bemused after quizzing North West Ambulance Service bosses over why an experienced life-saving volunteer medic has been stopped from driving to emergencies on blue lights, writes Belinda Ryan.
Gavin Palin has been with the ambulance service in Nantwich for 23 years and has responded to life-threatening calls, such as cardiac arrests, on blue lights for the past two decades.
He has been a retained firefighter for 35 years and has driven a fire engine on blue lights for 33 years and continues to do so.
A year ago, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) stopped him driving on blue lights.
Mr Palin, who is an emergency medical technician 1, explained his position to councillors at the Cheshire East Council scrutiny committee.
And when NWAS representatives appeared at the meeting later, area director Ian Moses told councillors: “There are 850 community responders in the North West, none of whom drive on blue lights, other than the Nantwich responder.
“The Nantwich scheme is the only one we’re aware of nationally where that permission [blue light driving] has been previously enabled.”
Committee chair Liz Wardlaw (Con) said she understood the NWAS chief executive was due to meet with Crewe and Nantwich MP Connor Naismith at a later date about the matter, so the representatives at the committee may not wish to answer the questions.
But she said she had been asked by Mr Palin to ask why blue light permissions would be removed from an emergency medical technician if that person provided evidence they held all the required qualifications to meet the NWAS requirements for blue light permissions.
Former council leader Sam Corcoran (Sandbach, Lab) said: “Leaving the issue of Mr Palin aside, so if somebody had done the appropriate qualifications, they would be allowed to drive under blue lights?”
Mr Moses said: “No. There are no first responders in the North West, regardless of whether they’ve got qualifications or not, who drive on blue lights, other than Mr Palin.”
Cllr Corcoran persisted, saying: “The question is, why not?
“Why can a first responder who has done that [blue light] training, not be allowed to drive under blue lights?”
Mr Moses replied: “The training delivered at a certain point in time and recognised at a point in time, may have changed and therefore no longer be recognised.”
At this stage Cllr Corcoran was shaking his head and other councillors were looking at each other.
Cllr Wardlaw said: “The generic question around, with appropriate training should a person be able to do whatever that training enables them to do, seems rather curiously unmet here.
“So, if I’m trained to stick a sticking plaster on, and forbidden from sticking a sticking plaster on, it’s a bit perverse in doing the training really, isn’t it?
“I think that’s the loop that we’re stuck in here at the moment.
“I think it’s a question that this committee is intrigued to hear the answer to, but we do understand that we’re not going to hear that answer here today.”
(Pic: Gavin Palin with family of young boy he saved in an emergency)
This ruling against Mr Palin calls into question the reasons beind the reasoning for this doctrine to be applied to him.
He has advanced levels of training/qualifications to undertake this rule.
He has saved endless lives in the last 30 years by my knowledge alone.
There is no room for any ruling to be biased to a volunteer as opposed to a paid employee, if they have the appropriate skills.
The ambulance service (ambulance stations) in this area has disappated in the last 10 years.
This has had the effect of longer ambulance waiting times, accumulating in more lives lost within this area.
This decision should neither be political in any way. (I cannot assume it is/isnt).
This ruling does not make any commonsense at all.
I have no personal connection to Mr Palin. I have however only heard good reports about his character and his dedication to this role.
After 30 plus years of experience to show for this, I cannot understand this doctrine at all.
A person of true character and dedication, should be treated with the respect they deserve.
This is my constructive critic on the matter under our law of freedom of speech and is said without prejudice.
NWAS should be grateful for all first responders, they can and do save lives. The use of Blue lights enables them to arrive in a safe controlled manner through traffic. Having to wait hours for an emergency ambulance can have devastating consequences. NWAS need their Blue lights for emergency call outs, what’s the difference?
Not being asociated either with the Ambulance Service or the FireService, what leapt out at me from this story is that Mr Palin is described as a VOLUNTEER First Responder… is he performing this role for no remuneration whatsoever?
Because if he is, and First Responders are indeed being treated as second-class ambulance staff, then NWAS had better start recruiting more full-timers as a matter of urgency, because the volunteers will start leaving in droves.
I spent 20 years coaching individuals to pass an advanced driving exam with the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Associates were examined by Police Officers who hold or held an advanced response certificate in the Police Force. All driving had to be legal. Breaking a speed limit would be fail.
The level of driving competence required by the emergency services is very high. I have observed over many years Gavin respond on blue lights to emergencies. I understand he holds advanced qualifications with the Fire Service.
The standard of driving he evidenced based on my observations was outstanding.
The skills are all based on Roadcraft the Police Drivers Manual.
His level of driving was standard very much higher than the exam undertaken for the Advanced Motorist.
Gavin actually saves lives.
Thank you Gavin for that that you have contributed to the Community.
The professionalism and dedication you have given.
Nantwich owes you a huge debt of gratitude and thanks.
God forbid that any of those people who say no ever need somebody to come to their loved one in an emergency. I have witnessed Mr Palin responding to someone on blue lights and he arrived 10 minutes before the ambulance got there. Madness that he can drive a fire engine on blue lights but not a first responder car?!
The worlds gone mad !!!! Because the other 850 responders don’t, then why should he !.
Try doing a risk assessment and you will find the other 850 responders should be trained to do so in an emergency for the sake of the people they are responding too …. Come on get a grip
Gavin Palin is a first responder, that is someone who responds urgently to an accident or emergency. Obviously he does not go to every incident, but if there is a local emergency and he can arrive quicker than an ambulance, then he may attend. This is particularly important in the case of a cardiac arrest or similar, when a couple of minutes can make a vital difference. He is supported by a local car firm who lend him a car and by the Town Council who pay insurance, so there is no cost to the Ambulance Authority. He has been driving on the blue light for around 20 years and gained necessary certificates and training. The only reason, so far as I can see, why NWAS want to lose this valuable service is that it creates a precedent for others. But if others have the same experience and qualifications, surely this is good for the Ambulance service and good for the public. Gavin has saved lives in the past and should be allowed to again.
What a poor safe response from NWAS. A few months ago my wife had a fall. It took 5 hours for the ambulance to arrive. It was a PRIVATE ambulance from the East Midlands manned by medics from Nottingham and Northampton, to be fair they were professional, but does this not just show the organising capabilities of NWAS?
If trained and kept up to date, then the First Responders can be as proficient as others.