PLIMS is a charity, and all members give their time freely. Medical equipment and training is very expensive.

We are grateful to the Rotary Club and to Plymouth Motor Club for recent donations and longstanding support.

If you would like to donate to or fundraise for PLIMS you can contact the chairman via email here, or alternatively at:

PLIMS: c/o Dr Ian Higginson, Emergency Department, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, Devon, PL68DH. Daytime phone: 01752 792488

PLIMS membership

PLIMS membership is agreed by the medical committee. The medical committee comprises all fully funded members of PLIMS

 

Criteria for full membership

  • Registered, licensed medical practitioner
  • Medical indemnity covering prehospital care
  • Prehospital training
  • Relevant experience
  • BASICS accreditation
  • Enthusiastic and turns up to PLIMS meetings / training
  • Fits in with team and its ethos
  • Keeps up to date with prehospital care through CPD
  • Element of appraisal focused on prehospital care
  • Resident in the PLIMS area of operations

Or at the discretion of the medical committee

Additional criteria for access to funding through PLIMS

  • Lives permanently in the area
  • Demonstrable commitment to PLIMS
  • SWAST responder and Major Incident Officer

 

Criteria for associate membership

  • Registered, licensed medical practitioner
  • Demonstrable interest in prehospital care
  • Either actively gaining training and experience in prehospital care OR already have prehospital training, experience, and are keeping up to date with prehospital care through CPD
  • Working towards or have BASICS accreditation
  • Enthusiastic and turns up to PLIMS meetings / training
  • Fits in with team and its ethos
OR making a significant contribution to PLIMS in a support capacity

Prehospital medical care is a challenging field and is becoming a medical speciality in its own right. To get involved you will need training, experience, kit, and a secure clinical governance framework within which to practice.

BASICS offer specific training in prehospital care, and there are other courses available. Some courses offer more practical training than others. You can't learn everything in the classroom and from books, and training is different from experience (you can get experience without being trained). Some BASICS schemes, helicopter services, and other organisations are able to offer training in the field. It is likely that opportunities for specific training in prehospital care will increase as the speciality develops.

Experience might be gained by riding along with paramedics, working at events within experienced teams, or through some prehospital schemes.

Once you have adequate training and experience you may be able to start practising more independantly. This is best done through organisations which have well developed clinical governance frameworks. Local BASICS schemes are one option.

PLIMS is currently unable to provide structured training in prehospital care, and we only accept trained and experienced doctors as full members. However, we are keen to support doctors trying to develop their interest in prehospital care. Some of our training sessions are suitable in this regard. You would need to meet the criteria for associate membership.

In the absence of BASICS schemes in Cornwall and East Devon, PLIMS may be able to offer some clinical governance support to practising immediate care doctors who are without a "parent" organisation. This is a relatively new undertaking for us. You would need to meet the criteria for associate membership.

 

Nursing / paramedical professionals: Our focus is on the provision of prehospital medical care by doctors. There is unfortunately no scope for nursing and paramedical professionals to respond through PLIMS in this regard. If you wish to give your time options include the Community First Responders schemes run by SWAST, or St John's Ambulance service.

Driving: We use our own vehicles, which we drive ourselves