A teacher from Hooe has paid tribute to a BASICS volunteer doctor who gave her vital medical help after she fell and was badly injured while walking her two dogs.
Suzanne Reeve wanted to share her story to thank the BASICS (British Association for Immediate Care) volunteer medic who came to her aid as she makes her recovery.
Suzanne has two Alsatian dogs and regularly strolls in her local woodland in Plymstock. One day in September last year Suzanne did not have her mobile phone and was unable to get herself up after falling badly.
She said:
“I thought I had only broken my arm, but when I went to push myself up, I then realised I had broken every single bone in my ankle.”
Suzanne was unable to move. She had broken her arm and her ankle was at 140 degrees facing her with a splintered bone.
Adrenalin took hold and Suzanne put a splint on her own ankle using her shoelace and some sticks.
“I quickly put the splints together and then wrapped my ankle, which I had to obviously twist back,” she said.
Laid in the woods for approximately 15 minutes with no passers-by, and two walkers who devastatingly ignored Suzanne’s cries for help, she began to feel distressed.
After a further 10 minutes Suzanne was beginning to panic. Fortunately, this time a lady answered Suzanne’s cries for help, but was unable to lift her, so she went to Suzanne’s home to alert her husband.
“The lady was amazing and it is really down to her, I think,” said Suzanne.
Meanwhile, BASICS Devon volunteer immediate care Dr Anthony Golding- Cook, a Plymouth area responder, saw the case on the Ambulance system after work and decided to attend the incident. Tony arrived first on the scene. He eventually found Suzanne in the woods, a difficult location, being pulled along by her husband in a beach trolley, but stuck due to rough terrain.
Tony treated Suzanne at the scene, assessing her injuries and was able to administer vital specialist pain relief. Tony said:
“I was just amazed that Suzanne had done such a fantastic job at splinting her ankle, which must have been absolute agony.” He stayed with her in the dark until the ambulance arrived.”
Suzanne said:
“I was incredibly lucky because Tony came along and without Tony I really don’t think I would have been able to get through it. I have an awful lot of thanks to Tony for everything that he did.”
With ambulance demand under increased pressure, BASICS Devon aims to support the South Western Ambulance Service in caring for critically injured patients. Year on year the charity callout figures have grown by approximately 10 per cent.
BASICS Devon help reduce response times and, for many emergencies are able to stand down the ambulance response, relieving pressures on the NHS. Being on the ground, in our local communities, BASICS Devon can be fast to the scene in all weather conditions and at night, and likely to arrive first.
As a team of specialist voluntary doctors, there is no equivalent in Devon. All hold advanced qualifications in pre-hospital emergency medical and trauma. The doctors are senior decision makers and carry enhanced pain relief, sedative drugs and specialist equipment. They are also trained to undertake a number of specialist lifesaving surgical procedures.
Suzanne’s story highlighted the importance of the team and how their specialist skills and expertise are crucial.
Since January BASICS doctors have attended 141 callouts, 44 of which were at night, and they arrived first on the scene at nearly a third of them.
With help the charity will be able to continue its mission to provide specialist prehospital medical care, especially reaching those that are vulnerable and isolated and supporting our local ambulance service when needed most in one of the most rural counties in the country.
To support the doctors or get involved visit www.basics-devon.org.uk
