Teamwork, communication and dedication are crucial for the team to provide each patient with the best chance of survival and recovery. All three of which were on show last night (5 December), when our crews attended a multi-agency training exercise on the Isle of Wight.

The mass-casualty incident, involving teams from Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, HM Coastguard, and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, stress-tested both clinical and operational procedures in real time.

The teams worked together to respond, triage and treat multiple casualties involved in a coach carrying a number of passengers losing control in poor weather conditions. Caught up in the bad weather was a second vehicle on its way to hospital and a third vehicle driving dangerously.

Dr Rob Summerhayes, Hampshire Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Medical Education Lead, said:

“It was a hugely valuable opportunity for both our team members as faculty and the Critical Care Team members taking part. Walking into a scene like that and being exposed to those sights and sounds will make walking into a similar scene in reality that much easier. It was overwhelming. A coach on its side; cars that had been rolled over; up to 40 patients calling for help.

“As soon as a job of this nature comes into our dispatch desk we could be landing on scene within 20 minutes, and so it is still a very immature scene, with little crowd control and no definitive numbers on casualties.

“Training in simulated major incidents of this nature allows us to be calm, logical and systematic when we are tasked to similar real life incidents. People often ask how we function effectively at scenes such as these: it is because we have trained hard for it in realistic conditions.

“Huge thanks go to the organisers Matt Colson, Jason Hall and John Pike, and to the staff at St Mary’s Hospital for giving up their time. An additional thank you to the people at Away Resorts for putting some of our team up in their cabins overnight.”