In  Case  of  Emergency -

an interesting campaign brought to our attention by parent/governor -Glenda Shawley

You may already be aware of a national campaign launched by the East Anglian Ambulance service to make contacting next of kin in an emergency much easier. However, if like me, you haven't heard of this you might want to look at www.icecontact.com

This is an incredibly simple idea where you programme ICE into your mobile 'phone contacts book with the name and contact number of the person you want contacted in an emergency, that person should know that they are your contact and should be aware of any medical conditions that would affect your treatment.

This campaign was launched in April but seems particularly relevant after last week's atrocities.

ICE ADVICE

Follow these hints to get the best out of ICE:
• Make sure the person whose name and number you are giving has agreed to be your ICE partner
• Make sure your ICE partner has a list of people they should contact on your behalf - including your place of work
• Make sure your ICE person's number is one that's easy to contact, for example a home number could be useless in an emergency if the person works full time
• Make sure your ICE partner knows about any medical conditions that could affect your emergency treatment - for example allergies or current medication
• Make sure if you are under 18, your ICE partner is a parent or guardian authorised to make decision on your behalf - for example if you need a life or death operation

The ICE concept was the brainchild of Cambridge-based paramedic Bob Brotchie, who works for the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust.

He discovered that most accident victims carry no next of kin details, yet most carry a mobile phone.
ICE was launched in early 2005 in conjunction with the Vodafone and Daily Express backed Life Savers awards, and was endorsed by Falklands War hero Simon Weston. "The whole idea is brilliant, purely and simply because of modern lifestyles," he said. "It's a very sensible and campaign and I wholly endorse it."

Bob, a father of two sons, has spent most of his life in Cambridge but now lives in Mildenhall. He joined the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust as a paramedic in 1992 and spent three years working on the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

He is currently a Clinical Team Leader at Cambridge ambulance station, and enjoys golf, swimming, music, football and motor sports.