Paramedic designs special cushion to help improve patient comfort

An East of England Ambulance Service paramedic has been shortlisted for an award after designing a special cushion to improve patient comfort.Paul Barnard, who has worked in patient transport for the ambulance service for more than ten years, had the idea that led to his nomination while qualifying as a paramedic.Now, he has been recognised by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn.

He said: “A colleague and I attended to a 90-year-old patient that needed to be transported to hospital.“He became uncomfortable and irritable while he was waiting to be handed over, and I asked the hospital staff for an inflatable repose cushion.“They found one for us, and as soon as we put the patient on it, the gentleman’s heart rate and other observations improved and he became less irritated. “It’s possible for patients to get pressure sores even after relatively short periods on an ambulance mattress because they can’t be easily turned.”Paul turned his experience into a project to improve care as part of his paramedic course, focused on decreasing the chances of indirect patient harm, and was later asked to take the plans forward. He chose the QEH and worked with the hospital’s tissue viability and accident and emergency teams to make an inflatable repose cushion available for all ambulance crews.Paul added: “I chose the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for the trial because I was born and raised in West Norfolk and was born in that hospital.“Working with the quality improvement project team in EEAST helped develop my ability to work with multiple organisations and make my improvement become a reality.” The idea has since also been taken up by the Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital and the James Paget Hospital.Paul has also given presentations on his project to Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, as well as the National Tissue Viability Conference in London.EEAST is also considering carrying the repose cushions on ambulances so that they can be used from first contact with the patient.After a presentation at the QEH, Paul was notified by the chief executive’s office that he had been shortlisted for an award. He said: “I was really pleased to be nominated for the award, it’s a nice way for the hospital to acknowledge and support other NHS colleagues that work with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to improve outcomes for our patients.”Chris Lawrence, trust chair at the hospital, said he and his team were delighted that Paul had been shortlisted this year.“Paul should be incredibly proud that his hard work and dedication to providing the best quality care to our community has been recognised by being nominated in these awards,” he said.