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2020 an Ambulance Control Centre thread. It has been strange, tough & stressful for the teams. 60 additional call handlers recruited from scratch from middle of March to end of April. This couldn’t have been done without ppl going over & above, commitment from all was outstanding
Around 120 call handlers trained this year. A record for us and came at the cost of some very tired ppl giving up their personal time and commitments to get this done. All those involved be proud.
Implementation of a COVID safe work environment. Moving from 3 control centres to 6 was huge achievement. Bringing in more ppl and keeping 2 metre distancing was a real challenge. Don’t underestimate what an achievement this is, has helped us keep outbreaks minimal and teams safe
Flexibility of all teams to work under very different conditions has been amazing. Ppl coming back from retirement, part time increasing hours and use of CFRs within controls helped us through. The service commitment to increase amount of ppl and estates has been second to none
The impact of COVID on staffing means people doing more work with less, rolling their sleeves up and getting stuck in where they usually wouldn’t. This crosses all roles in ACCs. Don’t underestimate how stressful this can be for ppl and the dedication needed to do this.
The innovation and pace of work to adapt to the evolving situation was unprecedented. This couldn’t have been done without departments changing how they work and the support we received from clinical, operational and support services colleagues has been outstanding
ICT infrastructure, service delivery and development teams have helped us deliver what would usually be over 2 years worth of work in 9 months. This has changed our whole ICT structure in ACC and has directly helped us change how we respond to patients and improve that response
The introduction of advanced practice within ACCs was a game changer. It happened quick and had immediate effect both for patient outcomes and our ability to manage demand. We wouldn’t have got through the year without this. Big thanks to all that pulled this off and to all APs
People that can’t see their family and friends coming to work with a smile on their face and a happy working environment when struggling with their own happiness and well-being. Don’t underestimate how much this has kept us all going in some of the tougher times
Sadly there has been loss across the service. A lot of ppl affected and still everyone rally’s around showing the empathy and compassion I’ve come to know and expect from living and working in the ambulance world. No other words needed 
Wider healthcare partnerships both in Scotland and across the UK have been strengthened and relationships with external suppliers and specialists have developed. All have helped shape the way we view future models for ambulance service delivery.
Think I’ve covered my main points and apologies if there’s anything missed. It’s been a whirlwind of a year for everyone and with a bumpy road still ahead. The end is in sight but this year has reaffirmed why there’s no better place to be than the ACCs even in challenging times
So thanks to all in ACCs and across the service. Here’s to 2021 and better times.
