BASICS
A professional association whose members provide care at the scene of major incidents and accidents
BASICS is a national organisation and co-ordinating body for local schemes and individuals providing Immediate Care throughout the United Kingdom.
Comprising A&E Consultants & specialists, doctors, paramedics, nurses, and medics, BASICS members train for such eventualities as major incidents that require swift responses and advanced medical care on-scene. The membership of BASICS includes world leaders in their field who share ground breaking knowledge, techniques, and skills which make a difference when medical disasters occur.
BASICS teams will deal with major RTAs, eg M1 coach crash 03/09/07 [7 BASICS doctors, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Coventry & Warwickshire Air Ambulance (Rapid Response Vehicle), Thames Valley Police helicopter, Ambulance Service, Fire Service], rail crashes eg Greyrigg crash in Cumbria 23/02/07 [BASICS 'Med Alert' Dr. Pete Williams, RAF Sea King helicopter + 16 other doctors, all managed by MIO BASICS Doctor Theo Weston], terrorist attacks: 7 July bombings aftermath were completely managed by BASICS teams from MIO Silver ( Dr Gareth Davis ) downwards. More details to follow on this incident as a working example of BASICS work.
'BASICS members throughout the country provide voluntary major incident support to the existing emergency services. In some areas BASICS Doctors provide support in the form of Medical Incident Officers (MIO), Forward Medical Officers, Primary Triage Officers, and mobile medical teams.'
'The Ambulance Service provides a high standard and at times quite complex emergency care system but there are aslo many occasions when emergency care requires a multi-agency presponse at a local level.'
BASICS Immediate Care Practitioners have a level of skill and knowledge which reflects the practice of the individual's profession. A comon ethos however which drives all involved in immediate care is "....the relief of suffering".In
Report Excerpt:
" At 06.15 hours this morning, Tuesday 17 April, a lorry is thought to have collided with two cars, then jack-knifed and toppled on to a car, killing three of the four people inside, near Standish at junction 27 of the M6. Five people have been taken to hospital.
Dr Vic Calland of MedALERT, and an Officer of the British Association for Immediate Care, was assisted on-site by Mr Mike Dickinson and other members of the Preston Emergency Trauma Team, rescuing one man from the crushed car. The man was rushed to Preston Royal Hospital , suffering from chest pain. The lorry driver was also extricated from the wreckage and was taken to Preston to be treated for shock.
Two other people who suffered minor injuries are being treated at Chorley hospital, and at least one other person was treated at the scene by paramedics.
The M6 is still partially closed after the accident, causing long tailbacks north and south.
Lancashire and Wigan fire crews used specialist hydraulic cutting equipment from the Urban Search and Rescue Team to free the injured from their vehicles. The equipment has recently arrived in Lancashire as part of the Home Office Resilience Programme."
Barry Howard
Member
BASICS HQ
Turret House
Turret Lane
Ipswich IP4 1DL
Tel: 01473 218407
Fax: 01473 280585