Diving Diseases Research Centre

Plymouth Diabetic Foot Study Day

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000

On February 21st, DDRC and Plymouth Wound Care staff Gary Smerdon, Rosie Wilkinson, Jo Small and Sarah Witts attended The Plymouth Diabetic Foot Study Day at the Future Inn.

The day was chaired by Dr Richard Paisey (Consultant Diabetologist and Endocrinologist). Topics covered were diabetic risk and screening in primary care by Professor Ann Millwood (Consultant Diabetes and Endocrinology). The management of infection in the diabetic foot by Dr James Greig (Consultant microbiologist). Neuropathy by Dr Tom Fox (Specialist Registrar in Diabetes and Endocrinology). Vascular surgical options for the diabetic foot, from Surgeon Cdr Cris Parry (Consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon). Cardiovascular risk by Dr Buki Ajala (Specialist Registrar Diabetes and Endocrinology). ‘What is good glycaemic control’ was a subject covered by Dr Fiona Wotherspoon (Consultant Diabetes and Endocrinology). The surgical management of foot deformity was discussed by Mr James Metcalfe (Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon, foot and ankle specialist).

James Carter (Senior Orthotist) talked to us about orthotics and footwear and finally Sue Lawrey, an Emergency Department and British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit practice nurse, gave us a talk on her personal experiences from a patient’s perspective.

The day was very educational and enjoyable. Study days like these help to ensure that our knowledge is always relevant and up to date. It also gives us a chance to meet or catch up with other members of the multi-disciplinary team and share knowledge. This ensures strong links are maintained, which is invaluable for good team work between DDRC and other health care professionals and services. This ensures that the best care is provided for patients.

We had a stand providing information about DDRC and Plymouth Wound Care. This was well received and we had lots of interest. We were able to explain to people the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy as an adjunct to the care of diabetic foot wounds. We were also able to promote Plymouth Wound Care and provide information on the upcoming conference day at The National Marine Aquarium on 8th March.

The day was sponsored by Lilly with additional support from other representatives. These study days are also an important opportunity to meet with wound representatives and discuss new developments and products in wound technology. This in turn gives us the knowledge to ensure that we are able to provide the most appropriate wound care products to meet the individual needs of our patients.

International Shipwreck Conference 2012

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:12:56 +0000

The International Shipwreck Conference takes place each year in Plymouth. The aim is to provide a meeting place for divers, explorers, archaeologists and salvors as well as government and commercial organisations. The organisers are all divers with interests in maritime archaeology and history and the varied nature of the speakers reflects this - a conference can include a world renowned archaeologist alongside a treasure hunter, followed by a diver working on a local project. This year DDRC doctor Matt Waterman attended the event.

Earlier this month I was able to attend the 30th International Shipwreck Conference being held in Plymouth. Some of our staff are involved with planning and organising the day and although it is not directly related to DDRC, it is a good opportunity for us to touch base again with the industry and get a feel of the sorts of diving people are getting up to in their quest for archeology and treasure! It is also good to hear about the industry advances in deep shipwreck exploration and salvage.
Some 260 delegates attended which was the most there has ever been and some unfortunate latecomers had to be turned away.

There was an inspiring talk from Sean Fisher on his grandfather’s eventually successful search for the Atocha, complemented with the obligatory display of several hundred thousand dollar’s worth of gold!

The always entertaining Mark Ellyatt regaled us with his tales of the demise and re-discovery of HMS Victoria and the interesting finds he has from it. Unfortunately, it has been damaged quite extensively since it’s discovery by local fisherman dynamite fishing.

Brett Phaneuf and Pal Nyomen then showed us some amazing side scan imaging of near pristine wrecks sitting in the bottom of Norwegian lakes and fascinated us with how they went about confirming the identity of one of the vessels involved in transporting ‘heavy water’ for the Nazis during the war. They recovered one of the barrels from several hundred metres depth and had the contents analysed for confirmation.

On the whole a good day was had and a few notable celebrities were spotted in the audience!

Plymouth Wound Care Organise A One Day Wound Conference

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:00:06 +0000

Plymouth Wound Care, a new part of our charity (DDRC) created to make our wound care expertise more widely available , is organising a one day wound conference entitled, ‘Chronic wounds: aetiology, implications and innovative approaches to wound care’.

The conference will be held on Thursday 8th March 2012 in the Horizons Suite at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, the UK’s largest aquarium attraction and a unique conference venue. For more information about the facilities please visit www.national-aquarium.co.uk

Registration on the day will commence at 09.00 and Plymouth Wound Care is pleased to have a number of specialists speaking at the event on subjects including pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, burns, biofilms, nutrition and hyperbaric and topical oxygen. The University are offering an opportunity for continuing professional development for those that attend the event. More details can be found on the Plymouth Wound Care website.

The day is also being supported by a number of company representatives. The companies include Activa Healthcare, Advancis Medical, Aspen Medical, BSN Medical, ConvaTec, Direct Healthcare, H&R Healthcare and KCI Medical, each of which will have a stand at the venue to showcase their products and services.

This is a great opportunity to meet other healthcare professionals from the South West learn about factors affecting chronic wounds. Registration for the event costs just £30 (10% to go to the Alison Kelly Fund) and includes refreshments, lunch, parking and an aquarium visit. There are still spaces remaining – please contact Plymouth Wound Care on 01752 237111 or info@plymouthwoundcare.co.uk to reserve your seat for the event.

Life As An Expedition Doctor

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:59:20 +0000

Dr Katharine Kabala, one of DDRC’s doctors and keen expedition medic, describes her time working as expedition doctor for Coral Cay Conservation. DDRC has a long association with Coral Cay Conservation, providing medical advice and support as well as staff members taking part in CCC expeditions.

In December 2010, I left a very snowy UK to live and work in Tobago as the expedition Doctor working for Coral Cay Conservation. For the next 3 months I was to live in a house on the beach with between 11 and 18 volunteers and staff at any one time. The day usually started at 6am with breakfast followed by daily chores. During or after this I also reviewed anyone with new or ongoing medical problems and assessed if people were fit to dive that day. After loading the boat with all the safety and rescue equipment, the first dive left at 7.30am. There would generally be 2 waves of diving in the morning and two in the afternoon depending on numbers.

Our role there was to survey the reef with the aim of setting up new Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and to monitor the area that was already a marine protected area. Much of Tobago’s reef had suffered from bleaching and we wanted to know how or if the reef was recovering. There had also been a lot of deforestation due to logging inland so we wanted to monitor the effect the increased water runoff into the sea was having on the reef.

All volunteers underwent Science week when they first arrived on site. This involved a number of lectures, learning the names of invertebrates, coral, coral diseases, over 200 fish!! and everyone’s favourite, algae. These would be followed by dives to have them pointed out to us and then a written and practical exam. A tough week but once certified in each of the above we could become part of the survey teams.

As the Doctor I was also able to take part in science week and survey the reef but my main duties were the health of the volunteers and staff, and treating them when necessary. I was on call for emergencies 24 hours a day. My role also included the health and hygiene side of the camp and I wrote the chores rota, ordered the food and bought the fruit and vegetables. I was also responsible for ensuring the safety equipment, including the oxygen, radios and fire extinguishers, were working, full and in-date.

We had some amazing times in Tobago. One of the highlights was swimming with a pod of dolphins when they came into the bay we lived in. I will also never forget the dive during which a Manta Ray stole my SMB (surface marker buoy!)

Text to Donate to DDRC Now Available

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:54:00 +0000

Supporters in the UK can now support DDRC by sending a free text to 70070 with the message DDRC01 £10 (you can change the amount to how much you wish to donate). Help us make a difference today.

To learn more about fundraising for DDRC please visit our website.

Chronic wounds: aetiology, implications and innovative approaches to wound care

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:00:05 +0000

Chronic wounds: aetiology, implications and innovative approaches to wound care:

Thursday 8th March 2012 at the National Marine Aquarium, Rope Walk, Coxside, Plymouth, PL4 0LF  (Free parking provided).
Registration £30 (10% to go to the Alison Kelly Fund), includes all refreshments, lunch and aquarium visit.
Subjects to be covered include Pressure ulcers, Diabetic foot ulcers, Biofilms and Hyperbaric oxygen. Other topics to be confirmed.

The Cormorant and the Depth Charge

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:06 +0000

One of the strengths of DDRC is the charities staff who come from a wide and varied number of backgrounds. Here Chamber supervisor Darren Jones tells a story from his time as a Royal Navy Clearance Diver.

Towards the end of a busy and diverse week which included dealing with a live Mortar bomb at a police station in Barmouth, the Plymouth Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team were tasked to Guernsey where a local fisherman had trawled more than just his usual catch.

On entering harbour a policeman inspected the fisherman’s nets and informed him that the rusty drum shaped object on his deck rather resembled a depth charge. Not amused, the fisherman rolled the offending article off his boat and into the murky depths of St Peters Port harbour.

Within the hour the duty EOD team were en-route courtesy of a 771 Squadron Sea King helicopter, arriving at the picturesque harbour just as dusk settled. Having decided that the disposal operation would take place at first light, the Peninsular Hotel was made ‘home’ for the evening – a stroll along the promenade and a few pints of local ale completed our acclimatisation.

After a hearty breakfast we made our way down to the harbour where the local authorities were more than pleased to see us. The fishing vessel was berthed at the end of a long pontoon which seemed to be guarded by a very important looking Cormorant who although didn’t seem to mind us, followed us to the end of the planking where he curiously eyed the diver making his preparations, seemingly ready to offer advice.

Once the diver had been briefed he entered the water, closely followed by the Cormorant. Everyone laughed in astonishment, and as the diver left surface, the Cormorant followed, then seemed to lead the way down amongst the lobster pots, discarded nets and finally to the ordnance. The helpful bird then disappeared and left the diver to identify a MK 7 depth charge – the explosive filling clearly visible through the corroded casing.

Deemed safe to transport, the depth charge was recovered and taken out to sea where it was counter mined using plastic explosives – an impressive plume of spray marking the end.

When we got back to harbour the Cormorant was stood on a post drying his wings and looking rather pleased with himself. We grabbed lunch and then waited for 771 Squadron to take us home.

I was the diver that day in Guernsey, and I still smile every time I see a Cormorant, they are fascinating birds.

Darren Jones
DDRC Chamber Supervisor

Corporate PA to Directors and Training Co-ordinator

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:50:36 +0000

Corporate PA to Directors and Training Co-ordinator:

DDRC is looking for an experienced administrator to take on the role of PA to the Directors, and to provide support and co-ordination for both internal staff training and the running of commercial courses. Closing date:  22nd February 2012.

Nutrition and Wound Healing

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000

DDRC Tissue Viability Nurse Sarah Witts discusses the importance of proper nutrition and its role in wound healing.

Wound healing is a very complex process and optimum nutrition can enhance it. There appears to be a strong link between poor nutrition and poor and delayed wound healing. Therefore to give a wound the best chance of healing, one factor to be aware of is to eat a healthy, balanced diet.

It is recommended that 3 evenly spaced meals a day are eaten. Avoid skipping meals and try to eat healthy, nutritious snacks in between. If an individual has a poor appetite, smaller frequent meals may be better tolerated.

Individuals with a wound require adequate levels of protein, vitamins and minerals to support the healing of their wound. When there is a wound present the body’s demand for protein is increased. This is increased further if the wound is producing exudate or if there is infection present. If an individual has a wound a good calorie intake is necessary. Inadequate calorific intake can lead to weight loss and can cause the body to use protein stores for energy instead of wound healing. It needs to be noted that poor nutrition isn’t just an issue for underweight individuals. People who are very overweight may not necessarily be eating a wide range of nutritious food so may also be lacking necessary nutrients. Being overweight can also lead to other complications for wound healing, so it would be a good idea to talk to your GP/ nurse.

It is becoming quite common to take additional supplements and herbal remedies for ailments. It is important that the health professional treating the wound is made aware of any that are being taken. Research would suggest that some of them can have an effect upon wound healing. Examples of these would include Ginger, Echinacea, Ephedra and Bromelain.

Acute wound healing should progress in four stages and during these stages different nutrients are utilised. A good nutritious diet that will promote and improve wound healing would encompass an adequate fluid intake and nutrients such as proteins and amino acids, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, zinc, vitamin K, copper, fats and carbohydrates. Ideally individuals can meet these dietary needs by eating regular healthy meals and snacks.

Here are some suggestions of where some of these important nutrients can be found:

High energy foods
E.g. Cereals, potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, oils and spreads, butter and oats.

Protein
E.g. Meat, cheese, eggs, milk, yogurt, fish, vegetables, peas, beans and lentils.

Vitamin C
E.g. Fruit juice, fresh fruit, green leafy veg, potatoes, blackcurrants, oranges, satsumas, lemons, strawberries, and raspberries.

Iron
E.g. Red meat, offal, green leafy veg, fortified breakfast cereal, sardines, pulses, lentils, peas, beans, nuts and dried fruit.

Zinc
E.g. Meat, potatoes, milk, bread, shellfish and cheese.

Vitamin A
E.g. milk and milk products, meat, cereals, vegetables, eggs, margarine, butter, oils, liver, red peppers and tomatoes.

If an individual with a wound is diabetic, it is important that blood sugar levels are well controlled to aid wound healing. If they are not well controlled we would recommend they make an appointment with their GP/diabetic nurse.

If an individual takes a special diet, has difficulties with eating, is losing weight, or is very overweight, it may be recommended that an appointment should be made with their GP/dietician.

Further advice on nutrition and eating healthier can be found at:

www.patient.co.uk/health/Healthy-Eating
www.diabetes.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/livewell/healthy-eating
www.nhs.uk/change4life

Diving Charter Boat Operators Seminar 2012

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:53:49 +0000

DDRC will be holding a free 1 day seminar on the 1st March 2012 for UK diving charter boat operators. As well as free refresher training by DDRC training staff on basic life support and oxygen administration, presentations will also be made by members from the RNLI and the Royal Navy Search and Rescue teams. In all it promises to be a full and informative day for all involved.

Invitations for the event have been sent out, if you haven’t received one and you like to attend please email your details to training@ddrc.org.

Please note, this free event is only for bona-fide dive charter boat operators.

Are you interested in a career working offshore as an HSE Offshore Medic and think you might have what it takes?

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:22:00 +0000

“Its another quite day and everything on the Rig seems to be running smoothly, its Sunday but it feels no different to any other day because all days are the same out here on the Rig, you are missing the folks at home and have been thinking about what they might be doing right now, you then get that dreamy Sunday feeling, you are looking forward to going for lunch in the mess, having a chat with the guys and getting involved with the evenings entertainment.
But you are not at home and its not a lazy Sunday in front of the fire reading the papers, you hear a call over the Rigs tannoy system at 11:25, Medic at the rush, Medic at the rush, please head to the starboard side pump room, man down, man down. Then the fire alarms sounds and all the thoughts of Sunday lunch disappear as the Rigs Emergency Teams leap into action”.

Question: What would you do next?

Would you run to the Hospital and grab your emergency kit then make your way down to the Incident?
Run to the nearest fire exit and go to your Muster station?
Make your way to the Hospital, don your overalls and PPE, and contact the Radio Room/Control Room for more information, clearance to proceed, and await your first aid team to muster at the Sickbay then request an escort to the scene?
Stay in the Sickbay and await further announcements?

The correct answer would be to make your way safely to the Sickbay, contact the control room, collect all your kit and move off with your selected first aiders and meet up with an escort at an agreed muster point so that you enter the area where the IP is situated, safely, so that you and your team are not compromised. As you can see by picture above Drilling Rigs are very large structures with many hazards and so it would be wise to have an escort to the scene.

If you are still interested then read on.

“You are on a Vessel which is currently in dry dock; you get a call from the Captain asking you to proceed to the Carousel area where scaffolding work was commenced earlier in the day. A man has been reported to be seen lying on the deck marked on the picture below by red paint, it is presumed at this point that he has fallen from height.

Question: How would you get to the injured person? What injuries might you suspect? How would you get them to the Sickbay? What would your next move be?

Answer, Every time you attend a call out you must assess the situation first, I would muster my first aid team and stretcher bearers, instruct them to deploy to a safe area at the top of the Carousel area with the Paragaurd Stretcher, Medics Emergency Bag and 0xygen. Once they are on scene they must await further instructions from the rescue team leader who might be the Bosun or First Officer as they will have to organise the rescue because there is no easy access to the bottom of the Carousel.
We should suspect a possible injury to the spine, internal injuries, multiple fractures, head injury or even death depending on how far the person fell and what PPE they were using.
Once they have been rescued and taken to the Sickbay, Topside medical cover would be informed and Medivac would be arranged with escorts to the nearest hospital. You must remember to keep Topside, your OIM, Master, and Company in the loop at all times to avoid confusion and to allow the Medivac to be executed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

If you are still interested imagine this scenario:

“A 42 year old Marine Engineer knocks on the Sickbay door at 7.30 am, he has been working all night trying to get the bow thruster back on line so that the vessel can deploy saturation divers and work on DP. The job is running behind and he has been under a lot of pressure, the Project Managers and OM have been pressurising the Ships Master who in turn has been pushing the engineers for closure. For the last hour or so he has been feeling unwell but did not want to wake you, he appears clammy, complains of vice like pains across his chest, his breathing is shallow and pulse rapid and feeble.”

Question: How would you manage this patient?

If you think you could cope with the above incidents or would like to learn more about how to deal with such situations then perhaps the offshore life could be for you. Life is not always as exciting, these types of incidents described above are few and far between so you must be prepared to take on other tasks such as routine Occupational Health Monitoring, Working as a Safety Advisor, Water Management, and helping with Helicopter Admin which sometimes means speaking to Helicopter Traffic on the VHF radio.
The life of a Medic on Vessels and Installations can be varied and sometimes extremely busy but there is always some time for relaxation.
Offshore life can be very demanding at times, often your twelve hour shift ends but you still have duties to complete, someone has fallen ill or slipped and injured their ankle, or you get a visit from a distraught crew member who has received bad news of a family bereavement at home. No two days are alike, you never know what your next call might be.

To learn more more about life as an Offshore Medic, qualifications required and available training courses contact the training team at DDRC.

Applied Training, Equipment & Consultancy Solutions (ATECS)

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:32:00 +0000

DDRC Professional Services Ltd (DDRCPS) is very proud to announce the launch of our new division, Applied Training, Equipment & Consultancy Solutions (ATECS). Traditionally DDRC Professional Services has concentrated on providing high quality training to the diving and subsea sector with courses including our established and well received IMCA Diver Medic Technician and HSE First Aid at Work. While DDRCPS will continue to offer products and courses including Assistant Life Support Technician (ALST) and Hyperbaric Chamber Operator courses, to enable diversification and expansion it was decided the best way to move forward into new areas was under the ATECS banner.

Our first step was to employ John Adamson who is an experienced HSE Offshore Medic. John, together with the rest of our experienced team will be taking us forward over the next few years. Initially ATECS is offering four week HSE accredited Offshore Medic courses and two week refresher courses for Offshore Medics. We also offer the following Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) approved courses, MCA/STCW (STCW = Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping) Proficiency in Medical First Aid On Board Ship (4 day) & MCA/STCW Proficiency in Medical Care on Board Ship (5 day) as well as the stalwart First Aid at Work and Emergency Medic Technician (EMT) courses.

DDRC Professional Services will not be easing back and will continue to offer and improve our existing courses. DDRCPS has renewed accreditation from the Diving Medicine Advisory Committee and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society to provide training for Diving and Hyperbaric Physicians. Different levels of training are available for physicians – DMAC Level I – Introduction to Diving Medicine and Fitness to dive and is recognised as appropriate training for HSE Approved Medical Examiner of Divers (AMED) as well approved refresher courses. Level IIa provides training in the Management of Diving Accidents. The Hyperbaric Medicine for Physicians course will now be provided by ATECS as this training has appeal to the wider medical community and not just Diving Physicians. This is just the start, shortly we will be moving into the field of Health and Safety course provision and much more, keep an eye on the website for details or call us on 01752 209999.

I am making a general enquiry about research into diving diseases on behalf of my Father who is a retired diver. I am interested in the long term effects of diving. My Father (age 76) had a very long and varied diving career since the age of 17 which involved using the traditional type of diving suit right up to working in the North Sea (saturation diving) in the 60's and 70's and diving projects all over the world. As a pioneer in deep sea diving would he be of interest in your research.

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:11:15 +0000

Please have a look at the Research pages on our website at: http://www.ddrc.org/ddrc-research.html
If you have a specific enquiry or question please email research@ddrc.org

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:00:10 +0000

Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur as a result of poorly maintained gas boilers, house fires or basically incomplete combustion of carbon containing substance – for instance running a car engine in a closed garage. Here is an extract from the Department of Health Carbon Monoxide poisoning guidelines:

‘Every year, there are still approximately 50 accidental deaths from acute Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning in England and Wales and that there are over 200 non-fatal poisonings which require hospital admission. However, there is new data which suggests that there is a similar order of magnitude of non-fatal poisonings in people who attend A&E, are treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, but who do not require admission to hospital – this is of great concern as CO poisoning can lead to chronic health problems. The number of people exposed to CO, but who are unaware of the cause and do not present at their GPs surgery or local hospital is still not known but is likely to be many more.

The onset of symptoms is often insidious and may not be recognised by either the patient or the doctor. The commonest symptoms and signs and an indication of their approximate frequency in CO poisoning are shown below:

Headache - 90%
Nausea and vomiting - 50%
Vertigo - 50%
Alteration in consciousness - 30%
Subjective weakness - 20%

Whilst chronic exposure to lower CO concentrations may lead to the symptoms and signs of influenza or food poisoning, exposure to high concentrations of carbon monoxide leads to collapse and death within minutes. Apparently classic cases of food poisoning of a whole family may be produced by carbon monoxide poisoning. Prolonged exposure to concentrations that produce only minor symptoms may, in some cases, be associated with lasting neurological effects. These include difficulties in concentrating and emotional lability.

There is debate about the added value provided by hyperbaric oxygen. A Carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) concentration of >20% should be an indication to consider hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT) and the decision should be taken on the basis of the indicators listed below:

Loss of consciousness at any stage
Neurological signs other than headache
Myocardial ischaemia/arrhythmia diagnosed by ECG or
The patient is pregnant

HBOT is also thought to be of use for extensive exposure to CO and if neurological damage is suspected, its use should be on a case by case basis.’

More information is available from the Department of Health website.

If you have concerns you may have CO poisoning, seek medical advice. Health professionals can find contact details for their nearest hyperbaric unit at www.hyperbaric.org.uk

Falmouth Coastguard Visit

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:55:00 +0000

Two of DDRC’s Doctors and one of the research students visited the Falmouth Coastguard just before Christmas. Falmouth Coastguard work closely with DDRC during diving accidents and the aim of the visit was to understand what they can do and how they work. We were greeted by Ken Bazeley who is the National Diving Liaison Officer for the MCA and shown round the station.

Falmouth Coastguard cover a large area which in the west stretches 600 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The Coastguard liaise with the Aero-nautical Rescue Cordination Centre, dealing with calls from distressed sailors, fisherman and divers all over the world and can be involved in coordinating rescues in waters anywhere from the coast of Spain to Indonesia. On receiving a mayday call they can quickly investigate the nature of the mayday, contact the necessary people and coordinate a rescue. They then coordinate the transfer of those rescued to hospital or often in the case of a diver to the nearest appropriate hyperbaric unit such as DDRC. This transfer may be by land or air and transfer by air is not always the most speedy way for a diver to reach medical help, depending on location of the helicopter at time of an incident and the incident itself. Some of their calls are not as serious as a mayday but are still dealt with efficiently and quickly by Ken and the Coastguard team. The Coastgaurd liaise directly with the RNLI in these instances to make best use of available resources.

The Coastguard closely monitor the weather and sea conditions, producing warnings where appropriate and can supply daily weather updates.
They are also able to track all large sea vessels in and around the British Isles with some fascinating technology.It was very interesting to see how they work and exactly what they do and it was great to meet the faces behind those phone calls.
Many thanks to Ken and all those at HM Coastguard Falmouth for having us this week and we look forward to continuing to work closely together.

30th International Shipwreck Conference

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:59:21 +0000

30th International Shipwreck Conference:

The 30th International Shipwreck Conference will take place in Plymouth, UK on the 4th February 2012. The event runs from 9am to 6pm and tickets cost £20 (£15 for students).
For more information, visit www.shipwreckconference.org.

Three Months On by John Adamson

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:18:12 +0000

Its been almost three months since I joined the team here at DDRC where I am employed as the Assistant Manager for Professional Services (the training department at DDRC). It’s taken me most of this time to settle in and find out what excellent work goes on here and also get to know the people driving the machine. I still have much to learn about the company but feel I have a better understanding about what we do here for example, we have an on call service for the emergency treatment of injured divers and we take elective and emergency referrals for hyperbaric oxygen therapy from local Hospitals. We now have Plymouth Wound Care which provides private wound care services, all of these patients have difficult wounds which require specialist treatments from our highly specialised wound care team. We run routine chamber dives for the treatment of a plethora of conditions such as late complications of radiotherapy and chronic wounds, and last but not least we conduct important Research into pressure, you can find more information about all of this on our website www.ddrc.org.

Then there is my department DDRC Professional Services or ProServices as it is often called, the training arm of DDRC. We have four full time trainers at the moment including myself, my remit is to drive DDRC ProServices forward into 2012 and beyond, improve the services we offer by implementing changes to the way we deliver courses to our students, developing on line and distance learning packages for Offshore Medics (the distance learning packages are scheduled for April/May 2012). By implementing these flexible courses this will allow our students to spend less time away from home and work thus reducing the pressure of time away from families and losing valuable income. We also aim to offer a wider range of courses in the future ranging from the five days Ships Captains Medical Course due to commence in the first quarter in 2012 to Safety Training Courses such as the IOSH Working Safely and IOSH Managing Safely Scheduled for 2013.

To Boldly Go, Down

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:53:09 +0000

To Boldly Go, Down:

BBC2 Sunday 8th January 2012

To demonstrate the causes of The Bends, Doctor Kevin Fong climbs into a decompression chamber at DDRC to subject himself to the sort of pressure divers experience. On the way down he suffers the enjoyable effects of nitrogen narcosis, caused by nitrogen dissolving in the blood. But it is as the nitrogen comes out of solution on the way back to the surface that the danger of The Bends lies.

Introducing Training team member - Ron McBride

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:00:05 +0000

My name is Ron McBride and I have the pleasure of being a member of the Pro-Services Training Team. I spent 26 years in the Army and specialised in all things Driving & Logistics, I became an Instructor in 1976 and went on to spend my last 5 years service as a Staff Instructor at the Army’s Driving & Maintenance School (Armoured) at Bovington in Dorset.

On becoming a civilian I spent time teaching Driver Training and Road Safety until I decided to work as a Phlebotomist/Blood Bank Assistant Technical Officer at Derriford Hospital, a job I enjoyed for 6 years.

It was while doing this job that I was asked if I would like to become a Trustee at DDRC, I was honoured and I particularly enjoyed my role which was to look after the patients needs, to this day I can still be found talking to the patients, something I hope I shall always enjoy doing.

To cut a long story short, I became interested in First Aid and in order to improve my knowledge of the subject I did many courses, one of which was a First Aid Instructors course. Soon after that, I was asked if I would like to become a member of the Training Team, I had to make a tough decision as I knew if I accepted, I would have to relinquish my Trustee role. The thought of working with the Training team and being able to teach finally made the decision a little easier to make and although I miss the role of Trustee, I know I made the correct decision.

One of the proudest moments of my life was when I was made a Fellow of the Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers for my service to Road Safety, I am still a very active member and I have been a member of the Blue Light Users Conference team for the last 13 years.

As well as being a qualified First Aid Instructor I am a Driving Standards Agency (DSA) Fleet Driver Trainer and a DSA Approved Driving Instructor Grade 6. I hope that we can offer Advanced Driver Training & Road Safety from next year.

As a Training Officer it is important to maintain our personal professional development portfolios.This year I have attended 3 clinical evenings organised by South West Ambulance Service Trust (SWAST) on behalf of the Devon Responders. I recently passed my City & Guilds in Prevention & Control of Infection as well as an advanced First Aid course in Cannulation, Fluid Control, Blast Injuries and Gunshot wounds. I also gained a BTEC level 2 qualification as a First Person on Scene. The Training team recently attended a College of Paramedics CPD day held in Plymouth, this was an eye opener to say the least. Suffice to say that all members of the Training team strive to ensure that we maintain our skills to the highest level, in order that we can pass these skills onto our students.

Plymouth Marine Science Education Fund - Encouraging Young Researchers

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:10:42 +0000

Each year the Plymouth Marine Science Education Fund supports the travel of young researchers to conferences, symposia, workshops and advanced training courses. The fund provides bursaries towards attendance costs and the recipients are encouraged to present their research at a student conference.

This year on the 14^th December the conference entitled ‘Blue Horizons’ was held at the new Marine Matters Centre at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and for the first time a trophy was awarded to the best presentation, as judged by Dr Gary Smerdon (DDRC Research Director) and Prof Martin Attrill (Head of the Marine Institute, Plymouth University), two trustees of the PMSEF charity. After a day of presentations of the highest quality a very impressed Martin Attrill presented the trophy to Stephanie Sargeant who had presented her research into methanol utilisation by bacteria in seawater.

The event will now become an annual PMSEF event to showcase the recipients of bursaries and other research being undertaken by young researchers linked to Plymouth research institutes.