• Sore throats and false nails – the ambulance call-outs that cost millions

    Keegan Clay Shepard, Edge Hill University Ambulance call-outs are increasing, resulting in services operating under enormous, and probably unsustainable, pressure. While most calls do need an emergency response, far too many don’t. A study of 300 consecutive emergency ambulance arrivals to an accident and emergency (A&E) department in London, England, found that only 54% of…

  • Inclusive medical schools are a must

    Edge Hill Vice-Chancellor John Cater explains why the new non-Russell Group medical schools are so vital: Two and a half decades ago, in my first full year in the day job, I am on the Euston Road in London. Half a mile away, 17 universities are meeting in the Russell Hotel. Edge Hill did not…

  • Poor posture in people with disabilities can be fatal

    Bernie Carter, Edge Hill University Maintaining good posture is not something we think about in our everyday lives. We perhaps take it for granted that we can get up in between computer sessions, have a stretch while making a cup of tea or roll over in bed. And while good postural care is important for…

  • In the future your ambulance could be driverless

    Keegan Shepard, Edge Hill University The revolution in driverless vehicles will make many jobs obsolete. In the US alone, it is estimated that driverless vehicles will wipe out 4.1m jobs. Truck drivers, delivery drivers, taxi drivers and Uber drivers will be out of work, and sooner than you might think. But automation can be a…

  • Increasing Ambulance Demand: Need for a Strong Leadership and Positive Culture

    The growing pressure on the NHS ambulance services as a result of increased ambulance demand has been a subject of media attention in the recent weeks. This is also accompanied by a growing academic interest in the examination and exploration of work intensification in prehospital care settings. Staff retention and staff recruitment is proving to…

  • ‘Sex prescriptions’ may not be the answer but we must respect disabled people’s right to a sexual life

    Michael Richards, Edge Hill University Sex for disabled people is an important aspect of their lives, as it is for most people. But there remains a taboo around sex and disabled people. Discrimination and marginalisation means disabled people often spend their lives denied the opportunity to explore their sexual identities. Consequently, the Green Party in…

  • Concerns over patient safety in NHS ambulance services are growing

    Keegan Shepard, Edge Hill University Even with all the wonders that modern medicine has to offer, it is clear that patients remain at significant risk while receiving care. And no more so than when in the care of the ambulance service. Patient safety has been a principle in healthcare ever since the 1950s but has…

  • How caring for a child with complex health needs can be both isolating and extraordinary

    Bernie Carter, Edge Hill University and Lucy Bray, Edge Hill University Very few people would describe being a parent as easy. Not only does it require a shift in perspective so that your child, or children come first, but it also draws on knowledge and skills you didn’t know you would need. Who would have…

  • Health literacy can be a matter of life or death

    Keegan Shepard, Edge Hill University The basic ability to read is essential in looking after one’s health, especially when managing a chronic illness that requires various treatments and medications. It is estimated that patients with low health literacy cost anywhere from US $106 billion to $238 billion each year in the US alone, which equates…

  • Northern Ambulance Alliance: New model for emergency services collaboration?

    Professor Paresh Wankhade (Business School) analyses the latest announcements about ambulance alliance and its implications: Interoperability between the emergency services (the police, ambulance and fire) is an important but highly contested topic of research. The governance of these ‘blue lights’ in England is complex given these services come under different departments and are structured differently…