‘Is there a doctor on board?’
A sentence that puts trepidation in the hearts of many doctors, yet most of us would step up to help in a medical emergency. But should we? Must we? Do we have the skills? Would our medical insurance cover us? These are some of the questions Good Samaritan situations pose.
To explore this further, an online questionnaire was sent to all GP trainees on the Dorset Vocational Training Scheme. We found that 70% had responded as a Good Samaritan, 42% once or twice, and several >10 times. These incidents typically occurred on a plane, footpath, at a road traffic accident, or in a family home. We also found that 51% reported no previous training in Good Samaritan acts and 70% wanted more training in all aspects of the clinical and professional requirements, as well as in medico-legal implications.
In response, a 1-day course was delivered to 45 final-year GP trainees, using simulation-based workshops in an outdoor beach setting. Workshops included falls from a bridge; cervical spine assessment; hypo and hyperthermia on the beach; assessing a casualty with painful leg at a simulated road traffic accident. The course also provided ethical and legal considerations of the Good Samaritan role, and a focus on leadership, team working, handover, and effective communication.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with all responders stating they would recommend this course to a colleague; all felt more confident in attending a clinical situation as a Good Samaritan; and all felt more confident in the legal and ethical obligations of a doctor. Participants felt ‘empowered’ and found the course ‘excellent’, ‘engaging’, and ‘inspiring’.
As health professionals we may be called upon to help with a medical incident when we are off duty. All eyes are upon us as doctors with an expectation that we will know what to do. When coming across an emergency we need confidence in our clinical ability, non-technical skills, and our legal and ethical boundaries. Simulation-based training in real-life environments is the best way of upskilling doctors to feel confident, and be competent, to offer their clinical skills in unfamiliar environments.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2024
