In this episode of RTB (Return to Base), we continue the conversation with Marianne Walton, emergency preparedness, resilience, and response (EPRR) manager and Alan Potts, EPRR training manager. In this episode, they explain how we learn from incidents and how we plan and support large events.

In this episode of RTB, we speak to emergency preparedness, resilience, and response (EPRR) manager, Marianne Walton, and EPRR training manager, Alan Potts, where they explain what EPRR is, how it fits into NEAS and how we plan and provide support for major incidents.

Working hard behind the scenes here at North East Ambulance Service are a team of research paramedics, undertaking a variety of trials aimed at improving patient care, not just in our region but across the country.

For this week’s episode of RTB, paramedic Stephen Hackles caught up with research paramedic Karl Charlton about current and upcoming projects and how to put forward an idea.

In this episode, newly-qualified paramedic, James Atkinson was joined by end-of-life facilitator, Karen Hertwick, on a discussion about the work our end-of-life care team does for our patients.

Karen discusses her past 2 years with the service and how her past roles of working in the community has benefited her.

In this week’s episode of RTB and in celebration of National Coming Out Day, our host and emergency operations centre team leader, Ria Kilmister-Dawson speaks to EPRR manager, Liam Garnett, about his experience of being proudly out as a gay man in the ambulance service.

In the final episode of the season 2 of the RTB (Return to Base) podcast series, we talk to Nichola Howard, named lead professional for safeguarding children at NEAS talks about how we safeguard vulnerable people in our service with the support of all of our teams.

A paediatric nurse and health visitor by background, Nichola explains what her team are doing in the background when one of our call handlers or crews makes a referral and how they work with other agencies to share information to protect the vulnerable.

Mentoring is a crucial part of paramedicine, ensuring the next generation of paramedics have the confidence and skills required to care for patients across the North East.

In this episode, paramedic mentors Stephen Hackles and Stephen Greenwood discuss the role of mentoring within the ambulance service.

As well as defining the role, they talk about the different types of mentor, the importance of being confident in your own ability as a paramedic prior to becoming a mentor, dealing with difficult conversations, advice for mentors, and what they personally get out of mentoring.

In this episode of RTB (Return to Base), Frazer Gregory, EOC team leader at NEAS talks to Kavita Chawla, speciality registrar in public health about her placement role in the North East Ambulance Service and is the first registrar in the North East to be based within the ambulance service.

This episode highlights one of the starkest inequalities in the North East is life expectancy between those living in affluent areas compared with more deprived areas.

If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at public.relations@neas.nhs.uk