States of Jersey Ambulance Service and St. John Ambulance Jersey: Memorandum of Understanding

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A decision made on 3 April 2020

Decision Reference: MD-HA-2020-0028
Decision Summary Title :	Memorandum of Understanding between the States of Jersey Ambulance Service and St John Ambulance Jersey		Date of Decision Summary:	1st April 2020
Decision Summary Author:	Chief Ambulance Officer		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Memorandum of Understanding ‘between the’ States of Jersey Ambulance Service and The Commandery of the Bailiwick of Jersey, St John Ambulance		Date of Written Report:	1st April 2020
Written Report Author:	Chief Ambulance Officer		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: Memorandum of Understanding between the States of Jersey Ambulance Service and The Commandery of the Bailiwick of Jersey, St John Ambulance.
Decision(s): The Minister for Home Affairs requested that the Chief Ambulance Officer sign a Memorandum of Understanding with St John Ambulance Jersey on behalf of the Justice and Home Affairs Department to update what has hitherto been a written longstanding agreement with St John Ambulance Jersey.
Reason(s) for Decision: The reasons for this decision are to: update existing formal arrangements; enhance the Ambulance Service response to a Major Incident or Major Medical Emergency; give St John Ambulance Jersey a formal role in support of the Ambulance Service in the event of a Major Incident; and give St John Ambulance Jersey clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
Resource Implications: St John Ambulance Jersey to provide a cadre of members and a fleet of vehicles in support of the States of Jersey Ambulance Service in the event of a Major Incident or Major Medical Emergency. To agree roles, responsibilities, standards of performance and training. To provide supplementary support to St John Ambulance Jersey in the form of technical support, supplies and services at minimal revenue cost to the States of Jersey Ambulance Service. No prior financial commitment is required on either side, however the agreement allows for reasonable expenses being paid to St John Ambulance following call out.
Action required: The Chief Ambulance Officer to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the States of Jersey Ambulance Service, having been agreed by the Minister.
Signature:		Position: Connétable Len Norman Minister for Home Affairs
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

States of Jersey Ambulance Service and St John Ambulance Jersey: Memorandum of Understanding

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

THE STATES OF JERSEY AMBULANCE SERVICE

AND

The Commandery of the Bailiwick of Jersey

St John Ambulance

Reviewed/Updated April 2020

1. Introduction

This Memorandum of Understanding is between the States of Jersey Ambulance Service and St John Ambulance Jersey. It defines the various roles that St John Ambulance Jersey would play whilst supporting the States of Jersey Ambulance Service in situations such as Major Incidents or Pandemic Flu that would impact significantly on the Ambulance Service’s ability to provide the normal level of service and care to the people of Jersey.

2. Definition

A Major Incident is any emergency (including known or suspected acts of terrorism) that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or all of the emergency Services and will generally include the involvement either directly or indirectly, of large numbers of people, some of whom although not necessarily injured may require a level of care and support.

3. Activation

The States of Jersey Ambulance Service will request the attendance of St John Ambulance Jersey as part of the Major Incident call in procedure.

4. Primacy

The States of Jersey Ambulance Service will have primacy for all Health and related resources deployed who will at all times act under the Command and Control of the States of Jersey Ambulance Service. The States of Jersey Ambulance Service will take account of the experience and training of St John Ambulance volunteers to ensure they are not tasked beyond their competencies and capabilities.

5. Consultation

Although primacy will remain with the Ambulance Service, St John Ambulance Jersey will nominate a Liaison Officer who will be part of the Command and Control team of the Ambulance Service. The Ambulance Incident Commander will consult with the St John Ambulance Liaison Officer (who would not necessarily be available on a full time basis in person) to ensure that the needs and welfare of the volunteer St John Ambulance members are properly represented.

6. Self Activation

Self-activation by individual members must not take place under any circumstances. All activations will be in accordance with St John Ambulance procedures.

7. Communications

Primary incident communications and control will be under the direction of the States of Jersey Ambulance Service.

8. Closing Actions

The St John Ambulance members will be advised of a Major Incident Stand Down by the States of Jersey Ambulance Service.

9. Conditions of Service

The States of Jersey Ambulance Service will assume responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the St John Ambulance members and as they will be deemed to be on the business of the Government for the duration of the incident, will be covered by the Government of Jersey Insurers.

Additional reasonable expenses for replacement of first aid supplies and other expendable items used during the incident will be payable by the States of Jersey Ambulance Service upon receipt of invoices for said expenses. The States of Jersey Ambulance Service should be notified as soon as possible after the event and may require evidence of any damage to equipment or vehicles.

10. Governance

St John Ambulance Jersey must implement a clinical governance policy and operate with it.

St John Ambulance provides its service in accordance with St John Ambulance clinical governance standard operating procedures.

All St John Ambulance Jersey volunteers at every level shall comply with and adhere to the current St John Ambulance regulations, policies, standards and procedures in order to provide an improving quality of service that meets the changing demands of law, regulation and standards of best practice.

All St John Ambulance Jersey volunteers keep themselves up to date and operate in accordance with any changes and developments in regulations, policies, procedures and standards of best practice at all times. They are required to recognise the limits of their skill, ability, competence and personal fitness and act within them.

In the event of a Major Incident St John Ambulance Jersey, subject to the

availability of members will:

Attend as requested by the States of Jersey Ambulance Service.
Provide a cadre of members (minimum age 21) trained to various levels:
- Ambulance crew – qualified to St John Ambulance Emergency Medical Technician or First Response Emergency Care (FREC) – Level 3 and blue light driving;
- Advance First Aider – AED, Medical gases & Trauma Management; and
- First Aider – Basic first aid ability and will be allocated suitable role not necessarily at the Major Incident. (Discretion of Ambulance Tactical Commander).
Make their fleet of front-line Ambulances available having ensured that they conform to Road Traffic Law requirements in liaison with the Ambulance Fleet and Technical Services Manager.
Support States of Jersey Ambulance staff in giving life saving Ambulance Aid and who will manage patients within their level of knowledge, skill and experience.
Transport casualties to the Hospital.
Assist the States of Jersey Ambulance Service by providing Island cover.
Assist with the moving of patients from the Hospital.
Support the Patient Transport Service.

In the event of “a protracted Major Medical Emergency” St John Ambulance

Jersey subject to the availability of members will:

Attend as requested by the States of Jersey Ambulance Service.
Provide a cadre of members (minimum age 21) trained to various levels:
- Ambulance crew – qualified to St John Ambulance Emergency Medical Technician and blue light driving;
- Advance First Aider – AED, Medical gases & Trauma Management; and
- First Aider – Basic first aid ability and will be allocated suitable role not necessarily at the Major Incident. (Discretion of Ambulance Silver Commander).
Make their fleet of vehicles available having ensured that they conform to Road Traffic Law requirements in liaison with the Ambulance Fleet and Technical Services Manager.
Support States of Jersey Ambulance staff in giving life saving Ambulance Aid.
Support States of Jersey Ambulance and medical staff by giving assistance in the community.
Transport patients to the Hospital.
Assist the States of Jersey Ambulance Service by providing Island cover.
Support the Patient Transport Service.

States of Jersey Ambulance Service Support for St John Ambulance Jersey

In recognition of the valuable support given by St John Ambulance Jersey Appendix “A”

will form part of the Memorandum of Understanding.

10. Term of Agreement

This agreement shall have immediate effect and run from year to year unless terminated by either party in writing of 6 months notice.

Date: Signature:

Name: Peter Gavey

Position: Chief Ambulance Officer

For: The States of Jersey

Ambulance Service

Date: Signature

Name: Barry Marsden

Position: Chief Executive Officer

For: St John Ambulance Jersey

To be reviewed in 2023

Annex A

The States of Jersey Ambulance Service recognises that St John Ambulance Jersey is a charitable organisation, makes a valuable contribution in supporting the States of Jersey Ambulance Service and ultimately the people of Jersey.

It is in this context that the States of Jersey Ambulance Service will agree as an element of the Memorandum of Understanding with St John Ambulance Jersey that the States of Jersey Ambulance Service will use its best endeavours to help reduce costs and promote greater efficiency and capability within St John Ambulance Jersey in terms of support. The following areas of Ambulance Service support will be subject to regular review and dependant on normal budgetary constraints.

Access to the Ambulance Services fleet management provision which includes purchasing of vehicles and vehicle servicing arrangements on a recharge of cost only basis.

Access where appropriate, to “blue light” ambulance driver training, with a view to the appropriate St John Ambulance crews being given access to Ambulance Service training and to the same standard.

To continue to include St John Ambulance Jersey within the Ambulance Services radio network and to facilitate the provision of equipment and training for that purpose.

To ensure communality, continue to allow St John Ambulance Jersey to have access, at the appropriate cost, to such medical supplies as are reasonably requested in order to support St John Ambulance activities.

Appendix B

Temporary use of St John Ambulance Headquarters and the loan of St John Ambulance Jersey Vehicles to the States of Jersey Ambulance Service

St John Ambulance Jersey agrees to use all reasonable endeavours to make facilities at their Headquarters building in Midvale Road available on a temporary basis to the States of Jersey Ambulance Service in the unlikely event of an incident occurring that renders their Rouge Bouillon Station building uninhabitable.

The States of Jersey Ambulance Service will recompense St John Ambulance Jersey reasonable costs for the use of the facilities and consumables.

St John Ambulance Jersey agrees to use all reasonable endeavours to make their ambulances available to the States of Jersey Ambulance Service at short notice should a disaster render their fleet unusable. This could be as simple as a vehicle recall affecting the States of Jersey Ambulance Service fleet or the total loss of vehicles through fire etc. This arrangement would also be applicable in the event of a Major Incident or Major Medical Emergency.

Accordingly, the period of loan is hard to predict but it is an element of the States of Jersey Ambulance Service disaster recovery plan to source ambulance vehicles from UK Ambulance Services as soon as possible.

A representative of each organisation will meet to identify and list current vehicle damage and carry out an equipment inventory if required.

The States of Jersey Ambulance Service will be responsible for returning the vehicles in the same condition at the end of the loan period. This will be verified by the same two representatives.

All vehicles will be comprehensively covered on the States of Jersey Motor Insurance Policy from handover to their return to St John Ambulance Jersey.

Once the vehicles have been returned the States of Jersey Ambulance Service will liaise with St John Ambulance Jersey regarding a suitable nominal sum toward wear and tear dependant on the period of the loan.