I’m at the sharp end of A&E. The recent attacks make it like working in a war zone | Saleyha Ahsan

I’m at the sharp end of A&E. The recent attacks make it like working in a war zone | Saleyha Ahsan In the emergency services we’re constantly braced for the next big disaster. Everyone has to pull together against the odds – but we need more support

You can’t move for breaking news headlines these days and within the emergency services we brace ourselves for what it might be. It’s not just news for us – we could end up being directly involved.

This week we woke to news of the attack in Finsbury Park. The result – one death and 10 injured, all distributed to major trauma centres within London. One trauma call will need manpower of up to 10 people around the bed, then you’ve got those needed for the CT scans to run, the urgent blood tests, blood supplies and the labs urgently cross matching samples. It can, in those early hours, take at least 20 people. And that’s without including the surgical and intensive therapy unit (ITU) teams needed for poly-trauma patients, typical from a major incident, so multiply that number by 10. But we don’t have 200 people in one place to do all that. So things get shared, redistributed and there’s plenty of concurrent activity. It’s an exercise of open communications, thinking on your feet and leadership. Sadly, the teams are getting used to it. Continue reading... The Guardian