Welcome to amber - the home of ambulance service research

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amber contains records of published research authored by staff working in NHS ambulance services in England and Scotland. amber is managed by the Library and Knowledge Services for NHS Ambulance Services in England [LKS ASE]. For more information see the About pages or contact LKS ASE.

UPDATE: amber is evolving to include the published output of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Welsh Ambulance Service.  Starting in July 2022 colleagues at Manchester University NHS Trust Library Service will be adding publications from 2006 – to date. 

We are committed to delivering and maintaining a high quality of data.  If you are aware of any inaccuracies in the data on amber, contact us and we will correct it.  If you believe your work should be included in amber and it is currently not there please let us know.

Communities in Ambulance Research Repository

Recently Added

  • Annual SHOT Report 2020
    Bellamy, Mark; Narayan, Shruthi; Spinks, Courtney; Davies, Jennifer; Poles, Debbi; Milser, Emma; Carter-Graham, Simon; Tuckley, Victoria; Flannagan, Joe; Yawitch, Tali
    Transfusion delays, particularly in major haemorrhage and major trauma situations, must be prevented. Delays in provision and administration of blood components including delays in anticoagulant reversal, particularly in patients with intracranial haemorrhage, can result in death, or serious sequelae. Every minute counts in these situations. Effective and reliable transfusion information technology systems should be implemented to reduce the risk of errors at all steps in the transfusion pathway, provided they are configured and used correctly. Effective investigation of all incidents and near miss events, application of effective corrective and preventive actions, and closing the loop by measuring the effectiveness of interventions should be carried out to optimise learning from incidents Taken from Key recommendations from summary: https://www.shotuk.org/wp-content/uploads/myimages/SHOT-Summary-ZCard-2020-v2.2.pdf Full text available at: https://www.shotuk.org/wp-content/uploads/myimages/SHOT-REPORT-2020.pdf

  • A self-completed questionnaire study of attitudes and perceptions of paramedic and prehospital practitioners towards acute seizure care in Northern Ireland
    Kinney, Michael Owen; Hunt, Stephen J.; McKenna, Ciaran (2018-04)

  • Exploring variation in ambulance calls and conveyance rates for adults with diabetes mellitus who contact the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service: a retrospective database analysis
    Watson, Aoife; Clubbs Coldron, Benjamin; Wingfield, Benjamin; Ruddell, Nigel; Clarke, Chris; Masterson, Siobhan; McConnell, Donna; Coates, Vivien (2021-12)
    People with diabetes frequently contact the ambulance service about acute problems. Overall, treating diabetes and its associated complications costs the NHS 10% of the annual budget. Reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and ambulance attendances is a high priority policy for the NHS across the UK. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of emergency calls for people with diabetes who contact the ambulance service and are subsequently conveyed to hospital by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS). Abstract published with permission.

  • Diversity in practice
    Costello, Barry (2022-03)
    I have never been one for ignoring the ‘pink elephant in the room’, and with just under 8 months remaining, my time as a newly qualified paramedic (NQP)—that 2-year period of consolidated learning—is drawing ever closer to its end, and with that I can't help but wonder…what's next? Abstract published with permission.

  • Becoming yourself
    Costello, Barry (2021-12-02)
    ‘The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself’ - Anna Quindlen Abstract published with permission.

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