Research at SWASFT

I am a Lead Specialist Practitioner and Research Paramedic for South Western Ambulance Service and am also developing as a clinical academic. I have completed an NIHR Funded Master of Research (MRes) at the University of Southampton, a PG Cert in Healthcare Leadership, a PGDip in Advanced Practice at UWE and I am also an independent prescriber.

I am currently completing my PhD at the University of Southampton, researching the implementation of paramedic independent prescribing in emergency and urgent care settings. I also sit on the College of Paramedic’s Medicines and Prescribing Special Interest Group.

My research interests pertain to specialist and advanced paramedic roles and the introduction of paramedic independent prescribing.

Click here for a list of Adam’s contributions

I have worked for SWASFT since 2000, and am Vice Chair of the National Ambulance Research Steering Group.

I lead the R&D function at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, with responsibility for supporting both large scale NIHR projects in addition to own account and student studies. My team lead also all clinical audit and quality improvement activity in the organisation and manage the clinical information and records function.

We work closely with colleagues across the organisation and in academia and are passionate about building the evidence base, and using data to inform and improve the quality of pre hospital urgent and emergency care.

My academic background started with a BSc in Psychology, and I have Masters qualifications in Psychological Research Methods and Statistics and in Clinical Research. I was awarded my Doctorate from the University of Exeter in 2018.

I’m proud of the opportunities we have been able to offer our clinical staff to become engaged in research over the years, both by participating in a wide variety of studies and also in supporting people to develop their own research ideas and start their academic journey.

Do get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!

Click here for Sarah’s researchgate.net profile

Michala started working for SWAST in 2006 and has been a Paramedic since 2010. She graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Urgent and Emergency care in 2018.

With special interests in both Trauma and Research, she is a PHTLS Instructor, engaging in courses twice a year to train staff in optimum trauma care, alongside keenly participating in numerous research programs with SWAST to advance pre-hospital emergency care for the benefit of patients and staff. She is particularly passionate about providing exceptional end of life care.

Michala joined the Research team in 2022 and splits her time equally between research and frontline shifts.

When not working you will most likely find her stomping the SW Coast path (her goal is to walk it all!) or reading, gardening and baking.

Sasha has worked for ambulance services in the UK and the Caribbean since 2002, holding several different roles including frontline EMT and lead Paramedic.

She has completed a PgCert in Advanced Practice and an NIHR funded Masters in Clinical Research. Her research focusses on ambulance staff mental health and wellbeing, with an emphasis on organisational support and cultural change.

She is currently undertaking a part-time DPhil with the University of Oxford. During the DPhil Sasha will explore the feasibility and acceptability of ambulance organisations providing a dedicated space at work for staff to reflect upon and discuss work-related impact and consider their own wellbeing needs. Sasha is married with two children and a happily tubby cat called Timmy.

Click here for Sasha’s research and publication history on the research information site ORCID ID.

I have been employed clinically in South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust since 2002, initially as an ambulance technician and then a paramedic prior to becoming a research paramedic in 2014.  I graduated with a BSc (hons) in Urgent and Emergency Care Practice and was then awarded funding through the HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Programme for non-medical healthcare professions to complete an MClinRes at Southampton University and subsequently a PhD at UWE.

I now work between UWE and SWASFT completing a PhD which is focused on improving the recognition and response to patients at imminent risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and I continue to develop new funding bids for prehospital research.

My research areas of interest include improving outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, clinical decision-making, paramedic health and well-being, sepsis, safety netting, end of life care and improving triage of emergency calls.

I enjoy the challenge of prehospital research and the opportunity to improve the care of patients and the working lives of paramedics.

Kirby K., Voss S., Bird E., Benger J., (2021) Features of Emergency Medical System calls that facilitate or inhibit Emergency Medical Dispatcher recognition that a patient is in, or at imminent risk of, cardiac arrest: A systematic mixed studies review.  Resusc Plus. 2021 Nov 18;8:100173. doi: 10.1016/j.resplu.2021.100173. PMID: 34841368; PMCID: PMC8605417. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34841368/

Stokes E., Lazaroo M., Clout M., Brett S., Black S., Kirby K. et al. (2021) Cost-effectiveness of the i-gel supraglottic airway device compared to tracheal intubation during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Findings from the AIRWAYS-2 randomised controlled trial. Resuscitation. 167:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.06.002

Goodwin L., Proctor A., Kirby K. et al. (2021) Staff stakeholder views on the role of UK paramedics in advance care planning for patients in their last year of life. Progress in Palliative Care.https://doi.org/10.1080/09699260.2021.1872140

Schofield B., Voss S., Proctor A., Benger J., Coates D., Kirby K. et al. Exploring how paramedics are deployed in general practice and the perceived benefits and drawbacks: a mixed-methods scoping study. BJGP Open. 2020 ;4(2). DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen20x101037. PMID: 32398344; PMCID: PMC7330225. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen20x101037

Kirby K., Brandling J. et al. (2020) The experiences of EMS providers taking part in a large randomised trial of airway management during out of hospital cardiac arrest, and the impact on their views and practice. Results of a survey and telephone interviews. Resuscitation. 149:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2020.01.034

Thomas M., Voss S., Benger J., Kirby K., Nolan J. (2019) Cluster randomised comparison of the effectiveness of 100% oxygen versus titrated oxygen in patients with a sustained return of spontaneous circulation following out of hospital cardiac arrest: a feasibility study. PROXY: post ROSC OXYgenation study. BMC Emergency Medicine. 2019 Jan 25;19(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12873-018-0214-1. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12873-018-0214-1

Green J., Kirby K., and Hope S. (2018) Ambulance clinicians’ perceptions, assessment and management of frailty: thematic analysis of focus groups. British Paramedic Journal. 3(3):23-33. https://doi.org/10.29045/14784726.2018.12.3.3.23

Benger JR, Kirby K, Black S, et al. (2018) Effect of a Strategy of a Supraglottic Airway Device vs Tracheal Intubation During Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest on Functional Outcome. The AIRWAYS-2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2018;320(8):779–791. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.11597

Voss S., Brandling J., Taylor H., Black S., Buswell M., Cheston R., Cullum S., Foster T., Kirby K., Prothero L., Purdy S., Solway C., Benger J. R. (2018) How do people with dementia use the ambulance service? A retrospective study in England: the HOMEWARD project. BMJ Open 2018;8:e022549. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016651

Rajogopal S., Booth S., Brown T., Ji Chen., Hawkes C., Siriwardena N., Kirby., Black., Spaight R., Gunson I., Brace McDonnell S., and Perkins G. (2017) Data quality and 30-day survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry: A data linkage study. BMJOpen. 2017;7:e017784. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017784

Stanley J., Kirby K., Robinson M., (2017) Prehospital lactate testing in the recognition and management of sepsis and septic shock: A proof of concept study. Journal of Paramedic Practice. 9(2):67-70.

Kim Kirby, Stephanie Moreland, and John Pollard (2016) The impact of working shifts: exploring the views of UK paramedics. Journal of Paramedic Practice. 2016 8:5, 252-257. https://doi.org/10.12968/jpar.2016.8.5.252

Kim Kirby (2013) Pre-hospital lactate testing in the identification of patients with sepsis: a review of the literature. Journal of Paramedic Practice. 2013 5:12, 698-703. https://doi.org/10.12968/jpar.2013.5.12.698

Jessica has worked within the Research and Clinical Audit team at SWASFT since 2010. Although primarily focussing on Clinical Audit and national clinical performance indicators, she has accrued a fair bit of experience with assisting student researchers in writing their project proposals, when they plan to involve SWASFT. She has in-depth knowledge of the clinical data available, and has been engaged to create staff surveys, so welcomes ideas for local audit and service evaluation projects.

She has presented posters at 999 EMS Research Forum and has been involved in national work to fine tune the prioritisation of 999 calls with regard to different patient conditions. She is interested in discovering new ways to unlock the potentially powerful insight held within clinical data, ultimately for the benefit of both patients and the ambulance sector.

Ria has a Masters in Biomedical Science and has held a number of research roles during her career to date. Starting out in a Contract Research Organisation, Ria was responsible for Pharmacovigilance, processing serious adverse events and embedding quality assurance mechanisms throughout early-phase clinical trials.

Later taking up a role at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) as a Programme Manager, specialising in secondary research and evidence synthesis, Ria was responsible for overseeing the funding for a large number of academic institutions and research bodies, particularly Cochrane, the Campbell collaboration and Clinical Trials Units across the UK. She led on the development of new competitive funding streams and the production of systematic reviews from concept to publication.

Ria Joined SWASFT in May 2021 as Research Manager to apply and expand her research experience in an exciting and fast-paced clinical environment. Ria lives in the New Forest along with Jimmy-Chew the Bulldog, a cat called Harper (she’s the boss of the house), and a horse named Titan. If she isn’t working, or looking after the animals, Ria is singing with her band.

Click here for Ria’s research and publication history on Research gate

I began my career in Westcountry Ambulance Service in 2005 before the service became South Western Ambulance Service in 2006. I worked initially as an Ambulance Care Assistant, before completing my IHCD Technician course in late 2005 and IHCD Paramedic course in 2008. I completed my Paramedic Practice BSc (Hons) in 2023.

I joined the research team at the beginning of 2024 and split my time between research and my operational role. I am passionate about the role research plays in building evidence-based quality improvements to the patient care we provide in prehospital urgent and emergency care. I have participated in many research projects throughout my career by recruiting patients to studies. I look forward to the work SWASFT can complete together to benefit the health outcomes in our community.