The implementation of a patient-focused database for search and rescue patients retrieved by the newly established national search and rescue service

In April 2015 the responsibility for UK search and rescue services (UKSAR) was handed over to Bristow Helicopters, a private company with experience in oil and gas transport provision. For 70 years this had been the responsibility of collective military forces, utilising the equipment, resources and trained personnel already available and governed by the Ministry of Defence and UK government. With these changes come opportunities to connect services and change practices; the current data recording software used by UKSAR crews focuses on; technical aspects of flight recording, environmental conditions and geographic location, leaving free text boxes for the recording of mission details, patient information and interventions. The resulting reports give variable information regarding the medical aspect of the job and once patients are handed over to NHS staff, the air crews receive no follow-up information about further treatment. The lack of information sharing between those giving early care and those continuing to look after patients is a missed opportunity to improve the provision and governance of pre-hospital healthcare. Previous similar work in Wales has produced valuable research from such data, but we intend to integrate the software systems to enable organic data creation. The implementation of a national, combined programme which facilitates input by both UKSAR and NHS staff to create a bigger picture of the care these patients receive would be a UK first. To be successful it must be sustainable and the data available are already being refined and analysed to produce a patient-focused database.

This abstract was presented at the Innovative Solutions in Remote Healthcare - 'Rethinking Remote' conference, 23-24 May 2016, Inverness, Scotland.