PHECC
Encyclopedia
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is an independent statutory organisation responsible for implementing, monitoring and further developing the standards of care provided by all statutory, private and voluntary ambulance services
in the Republic of Ireland
. It is also responsible for conducting examinations at six levels of pre-hospital care, the control of ambulance practitioner
registration and the publication of clinical practice guidelines.
) standard. A practitioner working on a non-emergency ambulance must be trained to a minimum of PHECC Level 4 (EMT
) standard. Responder levels are suitable for fire service personnel (excluding Dublin Fire Brigade
), voluntary ambulance organisations, sports clubs and workplace first aiders.
, Irish Red Cross
and the St John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland
depend on responder training to allow their members provide on-site first aid at the various events they cover.
Certain remote communities have set up their own individual Cardiac First Response programmes, where various people in the area are trained to PHECC Level 1 (CFR) standard and are provided with an Automated External Defibrillator
. These responders can then be called or paged to the scene of a cardiac arrest to provide CPR and defibrillation, where the increased response time of an ambulance would greatly affect the patient's outcome.
law when attending an incident or treating a patient. Upon qualification and registration, a practitioner is issued with a licence and unique PIN which should be presented when treating a patient either on or off-duty. The practitioner's PIN must also be entered on Patient Care Report forms for any incident where the practitioner was involved; this is done for both reference purposes, record-keeping and proof of continuous professional development.
and Event Medical Services Ltd. 3rd Edition CPG Providers are listed below.
3rd Edition CPG Approved Service Providers
HSE National Ambulance Service
The HSE National Ambulance Service is the statutory public ambulance service in the Republic of Ireland. The service is operated by the National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive, the Irish national healthcare authority.- History :...
in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is also responsible for conducting examinations at six levels of pre-hospital care, the control of ambulance practitioner
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
registration and the publication of clinical practice guidelines.
Levels of Care
There are six levels of care set down by PHECC. They are divided into Responder levels and Practitioner levels. Currently, all practitioners working on emergency ambulances must be trained to a minimum of PHECC Level 5 (ParamedicParamedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
) standard. A practitioner working on a non-emergency ambulance must be trained to a minimum of PHECC Level 4 (EMT
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
) standard. Responder levels are suitable for fire service personnel (excluding Dublin Fire Brigade
Dublin Fire Brigade
The Dublin Fire Brigade is the local authority fire and rescue service for Dublin City and the majority of the Greater Dublin Area. It is a branch of Dublin City Council. There are currently 14 fire stations manned by DFB, 12 of which are full-time, the other 2 are part-time or "retained"....
), voluntary ambulance organisations, sports clubs and workplace first aiders.
Responders
Responder levels of care are designed to provide basic medical training to lay people, non-medical emergency services staff (Gardaí, fire services), sports club staff and those designated to provide first aid at work. In addition to this, voluntary ambulance services such as Civil Defence, Order of Malta Ambulance CorpsOrder of Malta Ambulance Corps
The Order of Malta Ambulance Corps is the largest voluntary ambulance and first aid organisation of its kind in Ireland. The Order of Malta is engaged in teaching first aid, providing ambulance cover at large events, patient transport, community and nursing services...
, Irish Red Cross
Irish Red Cross
The Irish Red Cross Society , commonly referred to as the Irish Red Cross , is the National Red Cross Society in the Republic of Ireland. It was established by Nurse Elizabeth O'Herrin either on 1 July or 1 August 1939 on the approach of the Second World War...
and the St John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland
St. John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland
The St. John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland is a charitable voluntary organisation in the Republic of Ireland. For constitutional reasons it is not a full member association of the Venerable Order of Saint John and the international St. John Ambulance movement, but rather is classed as an...
depend on responder training to allow their members provide on-site first aid at the various events they cover.
Certain remote communities have set up their own individual Cardiac First Response programmes, where various people in the area are trained to PHECC Level 1 (CFR) standard and are provided with an Automated External Defibrillator
Automated external defibrillator
An automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of...
. These responders can then be called or paged to the scene of a cardiac arrest to provide CPR and defibrillation, where the increased response time of an ambulance would greatly affect the patient's outcome.
Practitioners
Practitioners must register annually with PHECC in order to practice their skills. They are bound by various laws, primarily tortTort
A tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
law when attending an incident or treating a patient. Upon qualification and registration, a practitioner is issued with a licence and unique PIN which should be presented when treating a patient either on or off-duty. The practitioner's PIN must also be entered on Patient Care Report forms for any incident where the practitioner was involved; this is done for both reference purposes, record-keeping and proof of continuous professional development.
| PHECC Responder Levels | ||
| Responder Title | Abbr | Level of Care |
| CARDIAC FIRST RESPONDER Community first responder A Community First Responder , is a person available to be dispatched by an ambulance control centre to attend medical emergencies in their local area... |
CFR | Trained in BLS Basic life support Basic life support is the level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until the patient can be given full medical care at a hospital. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and by... with emphasis on CPR and the Automated External Defibrillator Automated external defibrillator An automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of... |
| OCCUPATIONAL FIRST AIDER First aid First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care... |
OFA | Trained as CFR with additional training in management of bleeding, fractures etc. particularly in the workplace |
| EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDER | EFR | Extensive first aid and BLS training with introduction to Oxygen therapy Oxygen therapy Oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen as a medical intervention, which can be for a variety of purposes in both chronic and acute patient care... and assisting practitioners with care |
| PHECC Practitioner Levels | ||
| Practitioner Title | Abbr | Level of Care |
| EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN Emergency medical technician Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services... |
EMT | Entry-level EMS Healthcare professional. Trained in BLS Basic life support Basic life support is the level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until the patient can be given full medical care at a hospital. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and by... , Anatomy Anatomy Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy... , Pharmacology Pharmacology Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function... , ECG Monitoring and Spinal Immobilization |
| PARAMEDIC Paramedic A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as... |
P | Emergency Ambulance Practitioner. Trained in advanced Pharmacology, advanced Airway management Airway management In cardiopulmonary resuscitation, anaesthesia, emergency medicine, intensive care medicine and first aid, airway management is the process of ensuring that:# there is an open pathway between a patient’s lungs and the outside world, and... etc. |
| ADVANCED PARAMEDIC Advanced paramedic Advanced Paramedic is the highest clinical level in pre-hospital care in the Republic of Ireland based on the standards set down by PHECC, the Irish regulatory body for pre-hospital care and ambulance services... |
AP | Trained to Paramedic level plus IV & IO Intraosseous infusion Intraosseous infusion is the process of injection directly into the marrow of a bone. This technique is used in emergency situations to provide fluids and medication when intravenous access is not available or not feasible.-History:... access, a wide range of Medications, tracheal intubation Tracheal intubation Tracheal intubation, usually simply referred to as intubation, is the placement of a flexible plastic or rubber tube into the trachea to maintain an open airway or to serve as a conduit through which to administer certain drugs... , Manual Defib etc. |
CPG Approved Service Providers
All organisations and companies who are providing an ambulance service in any capacity must register with PHECC as a CPG Approved Service Provider in order to work to the current edition of Clinical Practice Guidelines published by PHECC. Approved Service Providers are broken down into four categories. 2nd Edition CPG Providers are the Irish Defence ForcesIrish Defence Forces
The armed forces of Ireland, known as the Defence Forces encompass the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps and Reserve Defence Force.The current Supreme Commander of the Irish Defence forces is His Excellency Michael D Higgins in his role as President of Ireland...
and Event Medical Services Ltd. 3rd Edition CPG Providers are listed below.
3rd Edition CPG Approved Service Providers
| Statutory | Auxiliary | Voluntary | Private |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin Fire Brigade Dublin Fire Brigade The Dublin Fire Brigade is the local authority fire and rescue service for Dublin City and the majority of the Greater Dublin Area. It is a branch of Dublin City Council. There are currently 14 fire stations manned by DFB, 12 of which are full-time, the other 2 are part-time or "retained".... |
Civil Defence Civil Defence Ireland Civil Defence Ireland is the national civil defence organisation of the Republic of Ireland. It is operated at local authority level in conjunction with the Department of Defence.... |
Irish Red Cross Irish Red Cross The Irish Red Cross Society , commonly referred to as the Irish Red Cross , is the National Red Cross Society in the Republic of Ireland. It was established by Nurse Elizabeth O'Herrin either on 1 July or 1 August 1939 on the approach of the Second World War... |
Beaumont Private Ambulance |
| HSE National Ambulance Service HSE National Ambulance Service The HSE National Ambulance Service is the statutory public ambulance service in the Republic of Ireland. The service is operated by the National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive, the Irish national healthcare authority.- History :... |
CHC Ireland (Coast Guard Helicopters Irish Coast Guard The Irish Coast Guard is part of the Department of Transport. The Irish Search and Rescue Region, which includes most of the Republic of Ireland and parts of Northern Ireland is the area over which the coast guard has authority. This area is bounded by the UK Search and Rescue Region... ) |
Order of Malta Ambulance Corps Order of Malta Ambulance Corps The Order of Malta Ambulance Corps is the largest voluntary ambulance and first aid organisation of its kind in Ireland. The Order of Malta is engaged in teaching first aid, providing ambulance cover at large events, patient transport, community and nursing services... |
Needford Ltd |
| Motorsport Rescue | St John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland | Murray Ambulance Ltd | |
| Dublin Airport Authority Dublin Airport Authority Dublin Airport Authority plc is the state-owned airport authority in the Republic of Ireland. With a head office on the grounds of Dublin Airport in Fingal, County Dublin, the authority also owned the Great Southern Hotels which had nine sites throughout the island of Ireland and international... |
Heart ER Ambulance | ||
| Lifeline Ambulance | |||
| Medicall Ambulance | |||
| Medicore Medical Services | |||
| Medilink Ambulance | |||
| Star of Life Ambulance | |||
| Cara Ambulance |
Citizen CPR campaign
In 2010, PHECC launched a poster-advertising and television-ad campaign aimed at informing the general public of what to do if they should witness an adult suddenly collapse. Its focus was to emphasise the fact that CPR can still be effective without mouth-to-mouth contact. Pocket-sized cards were distributed with instructions on the steps to take:- Check: check if the person is unresponsive and not breathing.
- Call: Get someone to call 999999 (emergency telephone number)999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
or 112 or call them yourself. - Compress: Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest. Don't stop until help arrives.
See also
- Health Service ExecutiveHealth Service ExecutiveThe Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...
- HSE National Ambulance ServiceHSE National Ambulance ServiceThe HSE National Ambulance Service is the statutory public ambulance service in the Republic of Ireland. The service is operated by the National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive, the Irish national healthcare authority.- History :...
- National Ambulance Service CollegeNational Ambulance Service CollegeThe National Ambulance Service College is a state-recognised educational institution of Ireland. It was first established in 1986 as the National Ambulance Training School and is based at St. Mary's Hospital in the Phoenix Park, Dublin with a second campus based in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway known as...
- Dublin Fire BrigadeDublin Fire BrigadeThe Dublin Fire Brigade is the local authority fire and rescue service for Dublin City and the majority of the Greater Dublin Area. It is a branch of Dublin City Council. There are currently 14 fire stations manned by DFB, 12 of which are full-time, the other 2 are part-time or "retained"....
- Civil Defence IrelandCivil Defence IrelandCivil Defence Ireland is the national civil defence organisation of the Republic of Ireland. It is operated at local authority level in conjunction with the Department of Defence....
- Order of Malta Ambulance CorpsOrder of Malta Ambulance CorpsThe Order of Malta Ambulance Corps is the largest voluntary ambulance and first aid organisation of its kind in Ireland. The Order of Malta is engaged in teaching first aid, providing ambulance cover at large events, patient transport, community and nursing services...
- The St. John Ambulance Brigade of IrelandSt. John Ambulance Brigade of IrelandThe St. John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland is a charitable voluntary organisation in the Republic of Ireland. For constitutional reasons it is not a full member association of the Venerable Order of Saint John and the international St. John Ambulance movement, but rather is classed as an...