SOUTH Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised for its work with two national awards.
The trust will receive the innovation award and an award recognising the work staff did in the M5 accident in Somerset last year at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, November 13, being held at the House of Lords.
The innovation award category focuses on the trust’s use of tranexamic acid, a drug that can reduce the risk of death from bleeding in trauma incidents.
The trust was the first ambulance service in the country to introduce the drug, commonly used in operating theatres and in trauma incidents in the armed forces, on all of its vehicles.
The trust was also recognised for its management of the crash on Friday November 4, 2011, on the M5 in Somerset.
They committed 42 vehicles and almost 60 personnel, including three doctors and many off-duty staff who reported for work to help at the scene of the incident.
Volunteer Dr James Hickman with the Somerset Accident Voluntary Emer-gency Service scooped Special Incident category award for his ongoing voluntary work with the trust including attending the tragic crash on the M5.
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