Helimedix Training

Training Volunteers

The Helimedix Training Programme is made up of two phases – Phase 1, the Helimedix training course and Phase 2, supervised operational experience.

The Helimedix training course involves a mixture of single themed days and residential blocks. The training is supported by a distance learning package virtual learning environment.

The training course includes over 50 medium fidelity full immersion human simulations related to injured and ill adults and children. These simulations are used throughout the course to give maximum opportunity for participants to practice and demonstrate their skills.

The 2010 training course consisted of the following days:

• 1 day Introduction to Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine seminar

• 3 day residential Pre Hospital Emergency Anaesthesia (PHEA) course

• 1 day Pre-hospital Team Resource Management course

• 3 day residential Pre Hospital Critical Care (PHCC) course

• 1 day Clinical Governance in Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine seminar

• 3 days of Operational observing (with a duty team)

• 1 day Initial Assessment of Operational Competence (IAOC) involving written, practical and simulator assessments.

The Helimedix training course is designed to allow doctors and paramedics to develop their skills and demonstrate their competences within a defined framework. This framework is classified into two areas of activity, clinical and operational:

The training course assumes a baseline level of knowledge and is not aimed at the inexperienced. Helimedix physicians come from a variety of backgrounds but are predominantly emergency physicians or anesthetists at registrar or consultant level.  The paramedics are all employees of the East of England Ambulance Service.

Phase two of the training programme is the supervised operational training.  This covers the pre-hospital environment, medico-legal aspects of pre-hospital critical care, governance, safety at the scene, CRM and human factors, helicopter operations, technical rescue, dynamic risk assessment and the management and use of a range of equipment including radios, personal protective clothing and incident management systems.

Further information on the Magpas Helimedix training programme can be found in the FAQ section.