01/07/2025
A message from the team
Hello all volunteers. With the fast and ever-changing movements within the regional CRT, this memo has been created to provide some clarification and an aim to answer some regular questions which we have received recently.
CRT department would like to offer a BIG THANK YOU for all your continued support; for the care, compassion, commitment and dedication that you show to your communities. In addition, we want to thank you for your patience; we are aware that restructure has caused some issues and unprecedented changes as we move through it.
Over the last 12 months we have seen two of the North Community resuscitation development officers move on and more recently a CRDO from the South leave us to go to new exciting opportunities. This temporarily caused a shortage of staff, and we understand this has caused some difficulties and frustrations for you as volunteers. We have of course since welcomed Bex Hart and Adam Game into the department who bring with them a wealth of experience and understanding of the CFR role and have already hit the ground running. Bex and Adam will be with us for 12 months initially until the department restructure has been finalised.
Any support required if your CRDO is not available please utilise the following email address where your email will be picked up by a member of the team and dealt with appropriately:
CRDO.support@nwas.nhs.uk
Any mileage claims should be sent to your CRDO for processing. Please ensure you utilise the current form which can be found on the website. Any old forms unfortunately will not be processed.
ELFH mandatory e-learning.
We understand there are some frustrations around the content of the modules, as we have previously updated, these are being looked at on a national level for CFR’s and we will update where we can.
Don’t forget if you have completed any modules due to roles other than your CFR role, please provide the evidence of these so that we can update your records. There is no requirement to duplicate. Please keep an eye on the platform to ensure you remain within date for compliance. This is your responsibility to do this.
If you are having any issue, please contact your CRDO for advice.
Responder Plus
If you have requested access for the app, sign up emails have been sent to those requested. If you have not received, please contact your CRDO. The app provides you with up-to-date clinical updates and advice. This will give you all clinical updates and advice for the role.
Communications with CRDOs.
Last year we facilitated several CRDO clinics which offered flexible times providing protected time with a CRDO. Disappointingly, despite offering these they were utilised very minimalistic, and, on most occasions, they were not utilised by CFRs at all. Unfortunately, we have had feedback to suggest there has been difficulty in being able to contact their CRDO. We would like to be able to rectify this and therefore we welcome any suggestions to improve your access tothem. With this in mind, we hope the CRDO.Support email will improve the response to any queries you may have. If you get an out of office email from CRDO’s please utilise this email address. Finally, around this – mileage claims need to be sent to CRDO, if you get a bounce back, please just check the period of time for the out of office. If a prolonged period, please then forward to the CRDO support box.
CFR forums
Forums are now to be conducted 3 times a year. CRDO group teams forums may be available and have an opportunity for utilisation on teams' platforms. Current feed-back suggests the face-to-face forums are preferable. Face to face forums prove to offer a more personal touch and offer opportunity in real time to have your voice heard in a more natural environment. It's always lovely to see faces. The structure, role and objective of the regional Forum is currently under review.
CFR Third manning
You are not required to carry-out a third manning shift prior to you responding after a successful completion of a CFR course, however we fully appreciate this is a good way to understand and be part of the patient’s journey and should you wish to carry out a third manning shift this can be made possible.
Please discuss with your CRDO, and the relevant form should be completed and sent to CRDO.support for the managers to pick up. Please note we do not sanction RRV shifts.
Scope of practice and additional skills
We are very fortunate as a trust to have volunteers with a wealth of knowledge and appreciate that its often frustrating not to be able to use the within the CFR role. Due to governance, it is very important that when responding as a CFR, that you maintain within the scope of practice as a CFR. You will not be insured to carry out any additional skills outside of this remit. The role as a CFR has grown over the years and standardised operating procedures are in place. Hence the ECFR course have stopped, and the scope of CFR will be reviewed alongside the national specification for CFR. This isn’t an immediate review, we have lots going on, once things are embedded, we will review. This review will be able to include things like aspirin for CFRs. We will update when we can on the progress.
Education and training
We can confirm that the Future Quals level 3 training course is now being successfully delivered.
ECFR courses are now no longer available. Clinically, the use or ECFR drugs are being reviewed by the department clinical lead and chief pharmacist for the Trust.
EMT and APP roles are available through the Trust’s recruitment system as a route to gain further skills within a full-time position. This is not a volunteer role.
CFR Desk
To improve communication between CFRs and the CFR desk, it is best practice for the desk to ask for confirmation of the CFR availability when booked on. In doing this, it provides the desk of a clear picture of the availability of CFRs and allows them to view CFR presence in the areaswhere the incidents are coming on. We would politely ask you for your support and cooperation with this as we continue to work with ICC to provide the best service we can.
Reward and Recognition
Coming up later in 2025 is a conference day and reward and recognition day for CFR’s, this is to be held in Garstang, Lancashire. Please keep an eye out for details in the future
As always, we really appreciate the commitment and dedication to the Trust, and more locally to your communities.
Should you need any further clarification please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of the CRT managers or your CRDO.
