Murray MacGregor – Wednesday 22nd October – 11.00am
West Midlands Ambulance Service Medical Director, Dr Richard Steyn, has become only the fourth person ever to pick up a prestigious award
Dr Steyn has been made a Fellow of the British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) for his work in pre-hospital medicine.
BASICS responders are volunteer doctors, nurses, and paramedics who provide advanced pre-hospital emergency care at the scene of serious incidents. Dispatched by WMAS, they support ambulance crews using their advanced skills to provide hospital-level care, such as performing surgical procedures and administering stronger drugs before a patient reaches hospital.
The honour of becoming a Fellow is bestowed upon members of the Association who have made an outstanding contribution to the work of BASICS and the Association, over an extended period.
In the citation, the Association noted Richard’s commitment and leadership to the BASICS scheme over many years which has improved professional practice in immediate medical care and in turn benefited countless patients.
Dr Steyn said: “This was a very unexpected honour; I have been involved with pre-hospital emergency care for over 30 years predominantly with WMAS. In addition, I have held national roles with BASICS and the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care.
“The way we treat patients in a pre-hospital setting has changed dramatically over the years with the development of paramedics and the expansion in the skills that can be used at the scene which were previously only available in a hospital.
“Together these have undoubtedly saved countless lives and I am pleased to have been part of the drive for this to happen.”
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