Wexham Park: Volunteers help out at under pressure hospital

BLSAR members, who are all trained to provide medical assistance, usually rescue people out in the field

Volunteers from a search and rescue service have been helping doctors and nurses at a busy A&E hospital over the New Year.

Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue team (BLSAR) helped staff at Wexham Park Hospital following a request from Frimley Health Foundation Trust (FHFT).

BLSAR said nine members of the team covered 12 shifts providing 129 hours of duty over six days.

FHFT has been approached for comment.

BLSAR, which usually gets called to help find vulnerable missing people, said it was asked to provide assistance "over the New Year Bank Holiday hump" by the Thames Valley Resilience Forum.

The nine-strong team worked in shifts providing food and drinks to patients waiting to be admitted and moved patients between wards and departments.

Wexham Park Hospital asked for help over the New Year period via the Thames Valley Resilience Forum

BLSAR's Malcolm Parker said the team carried out basic observations and looked after patients who were on trolleys and did not have access to panic buttons.

"We were checking their pulses, breathing rate, blood pressure. We're trained to do that in a search and rescue environment until the paramedics arrive.

"A lot of it was just basic welfare for people, talking to them, holding their hand," Mr Parker said.

The team are trained in all aspects of first aid, including CPR, the use of defibrillators and how to stem catastrophic bleeding, the 69-year-old added.

Mr Parker, who has been a volunteer with BLSAR and lives in Wokingham, said the team's assistance was "greatly acknowledged by patients and staff".