VOLUNTEERS and trustees of a lifesaving charity in Essex want to shine light on their extraordinary work.
Paul Gates, 54, has been a member of the BASICS Essex Emergency Medical Charity, and is now its chairman.
BASICS - short for British Association for Immediate Care - is made up of medical professionals, such as doctors and paramedics, who volunteer in their free time to help patients who need emergency treatment, usually at the scene of incidents.
Paul oversaw the launch of the organisation, which came into being after the merger of two charities in 2010, to centralise services across the county.
He said: “We provide an additional level of care and are called out by the NHS ambulance service.
“All volunteers have full NHS jobs, and are using their rest days to volunteer with us and help patients.”
The BASICS team is called to serious cases, such as head injuries and open fractures, after road accidents and other incidents.
With 25 doctors and paramedics, the charity is doing the best it can to respond to as many incidents as possible when their help is required across Essex.
Over the past five years, they have been called to around 700 incidents.
Paul said: “It is a reasonably big number, around 160 per year, but we are only a small charity. We help to ease people's suffering and manage pain of severe patients.”
“We want to get the word out. We want people to hear about us and the significant impact the charity has.
“One of my patients had fallen down the stairs and suffered an open fracture on his ankle.
"We met the ambulance crew on the scene and tried some IV pain relievers, then inhalation pain relief and then via the vein.
“We were able re-turn the ankle and dress it and made it more bearable before he was taken to hospital.”
Anyone interested in becoming a member of the BASICS team can get in touch to undertake the necessary training.
Non-clinical volunteers are also needed to take charge of fundraisers, do talks and events, and spread the word.
To get in touch with the team, visit their website at basicsessex.wixsite.com/mysite/contact.
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