AMBULANCE RACE AGAINST TIME SAVES MAN’S LIFE.

SAVOY VENTURES LTD.

NHS PATIENT TRANSPORT

PRESS RELEASE

July 1, 2011.

AMBULANCE RACE AGAINST TIME SAVES MAN’S LIFE.

Two ambulance technicians are in line for employee of the month awards after making the dash of the year to make the difference of a lifetime.

Greenhithe-based father and son ambulance crew Richard and Paul Cross were told they had just 30 minutes to get a critically ill man from his bed at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich to the operating theatre in King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill.

“The nurses did an amazing job to get the patient from his bed to our ambulance in just 10 minutes, but that left us just 20 minutes to cover a route the satnav says takes 23 minutes, but anybody in the area knows can take 45 minutes if the traffic’s against you,” said Paul Cross, an ambulance technician with patient transport provider Savoy Ventures Limited. http://www.savoyventures.co.uk/

“Amazingly, we covered it in 15 minutes with my father – Richard – driving the ambulance on blue lights and sirens, but we knew it was tight when the King’s College team were waiting at the door and started working on the patient even as we had him on the trolley out of the ambulance.”

The patient had suffered a serious cranial bleed and needed immediate life-saving surgery which could only be provided at King’s College Hospital, but, amazingly, was sitting up in bed and talking to relatives within 48 hours.

“That was an incredibly satisfying and rewarding result,” said Paul. Video interview.

Richard Cross, who was driving the ambulance, said that a great deal of the good fortune in traffic was down to drivers being alert and decisive.

“Sometimes they panic, sometimes they don’t – and they coolly and calmly do exactly what we need, which is to make space for us without panicking or putting themselves in danger,” said Richard.

Savoy Ventures Limited is a private company providing patient transport and transfer services to NHS Trusts in the South East of England. Established in 2006, Savoy makes more than 240,000 patient transfer journeys a year. Savoy Ventures Limited is engaged by a number of NHS Trusts to carry out blue-light transfers, specialist wheelchair, incubator, bariatric chair or stretcher transport, notes/X-ray transfer, and movement of tissue between hospitals. Many staff are trained and qualified to Ambulance Technician level.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.savoyventures.com

ONE WEARS A CRASH HELMET, ONE LOOKS LIKE ONE - AS GREENHITHE AMBULANCE TECHNICIAN GOES HAIRLESS TO HIGHLIGHT TESTICULAR CANCER.

SAVOY VENTURES LTD.

NHS PATIENT TRANSPORT

PRESS RELEASE

May 10, 2011.

ONE WEARS A CRASH HELMET, ONE LOOKS LIKE ONE - AS GREENHITHE AMBULANCE TECHNICIAN GOES HAIRLESS TO HIGHLIGHT TESTICULAR CANCER.

Video 1

Video 2

Photos.

One wears a crash helmet, one looks like one – that’s racing driver stepson Dean Stoneman and ambulance technician stepfather Richard Cross.

And while Greenhithe-based Richard has a smile on his face when he says that, he’s actually putting a brave face on a very serious situation.

Reigning F2 Champion Dean Stoneman is holder of the John Cobb Trophy for outstanding achievement in 2010, but Dean is tackling an altogether more dangerous challenge in 2011: testicular cancer.

Dean, 21, was diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier this year – and while his career is on hold for 2011 as he undergoes treatment, his family is racing ahead to raise cash for the Wessex Cancer Trust.

And in pole position as fundraiser is Greenhithe-based ambulance technician Richard Cross, his step father, who works for NHS transport provider Savoy Ventures Limited.

“Dean wears a crash helmet – I look like one,” said Richard after completing his contribution to fund raising: a sponsored head shave.

“The speed with which things developed was shocking – Dean was diagnosed with testicular cancer in January this year, but he has undergone chemotherapy and is making good progress.

“Because we want to highlight the importance of young men checking themselves for the signs of testicular cancer, we’re doing what we can to highlight the message, and raising cash for the Wessex Cancer Trust which supports patients and their families affected by Cancer.”

Dean has recently been made Youth Ambassador for The Wessex Cancer Trust http://www.wessexcancer.org/folders/homepage/ as this is a cause very close to his heart.

Richard had his head shaved by his wife Julie, Dean’s mother.

“I couldn’t stop smiling, but I think it’s important that we try to bring the fun into highlighting the dangers of a very serious disease,” said Julie.

Savoy Ventures Limited is a private company providing patient transport and transfer services to NHS Trusts in the South East of England. Established in 2006, Savoy makes more than 240,000 patient transfer journeys a year. Savoy Ventures Limited is engaged by a number of NHS Trusts to carry out blue-light transfers, specialist wheelchair, incubator, bariatric chair or stretcher transport, notes/X-ray transfer, and movement of tissue between hospitals. Many staff are trained and qualified to Ambulance Technician level.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.savoyventures.com

PATIENT TRANSPORT PROVIDER SAVOY MORE THAN DOUBLES TECHNICIAN TRANSFER JOURNEY LEVEL.

SAVOY VENTURES LTD.

NHS PATIENT TRANSPORT

PRESS RELEASE

March 16, 2011.

PATIENT TRANSPORT PROVIDER SAVOY MORE THAN DOUBLES TECHNICIAN TRANSFER JOURNEY LEVEL.

Video: Increase in technical transfers.

Video: What do technician transfers entail?

Patient transport service provider Savoy Ventures has more than doubled the number of technician transfers carried out for South London Healthcare Trust since December 2010.

Technician transfers involve movement of patients who are extremely unwell, who may be attached to life-saving or life-maintaining equipment, and who require highly-qualified ambulance technicians to ensure their wellbeing, or, on occasion, to carry out resuscitation.

“Technician transfers are critical and highly-specialised procedures which can involve the safe transport of people between specialist hospitals or hospital departments – this can include Special Care Baby Unit transfers through to the movement of unconscious, high-dependency adult patients, and are categorised as emergency or blue-light transfers,” said Jonathan Smith, Paramedic and Training Manager with Greenhithe-based Savoy Ventures Limited.

“The ambulances are fully equipped with life-saving aids, and the ambulance technicians – 20 of whom we have added to our team since December – have all undergone crucial upgraded training to ensure patients are in the best possible hands.”

Savoy carried out 60 technician transfers in December 2010, 84 in January 2011 and 153 in February 2011. On average, Savoy carries out up to 900 patient transfers each day.

Savoy Ventures Limited is a private company providing patient transport and transfer services to NHS Trusts in the South East of England. Established in 2006, Savoy makes more than 240,000 patient transfer journeys a year. Savoy Ventures Limited is engaged by a number of NHS Trusts to carry out blue-light transfers, specialist wheelchair, incubator, bariatric chair or stretcher transport, notes/X-ray transfer, and movement of tissue between hospitals. Many staff are trained and qualified to Ambulance Technician level.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.savoyventures.com