Mr Tom Kidney

On finishing college, I gained a position working in my local hospital pharmacy. This lead to a place on the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science program at the University of East Anglia (UEA), which I enrolled on in September 2014. 

As a student with UEA, I gained a roll with Festival Medical Services (FMS) as a volunteer student paramedic for Reading and Glastonbury festival. I am still volunteering with FMS today as a qualified paramedic.

In the final months of studying with UEA, the lecturing team secured paramedic students a place on the UK Resuscitation Council Advanced Life Support certificated course, to which I achieved.

I began my career in October 2017 with the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) where I gained my initial 'on the road' experience. I had obtained an Associate Tutor (AT) role with UEA on graduating. 4 months later (February 2018), I had officially started a remote paramedic role in the tropics, the Cook Islands. I held this position as the only practicing paramedic in the country, being the youngest working for the local ambulance service at the age of 23. I had helped develop a local Community First Responder (CFR) scheme alongside the local fire service. I had written a paramedic scope of practice, ambulance officer scope of practice and a medicines management policy which was put forward for approval in New Zealand. I had spent some time training local ambulance officers, nurses, student nurses and doctors within the pre-hospital environment. My role also involved medical retrieval via boat and plane from the more remote islands.

I left my remote paramedic role in April 2019 to return home and enroll on a MSc in Extreme Medicine. In May 2019, I gained a role with Lubas Medical Ltd as a Medic Coordinator for approximately 80 medics. My role consisted of working as a film set medic for a HBO and BBC production, His Dark Materials (Season 1 and 2), as well as coordinating the medics to cover other locations for filming and set building. I would also cover Cardiff City Football Club (CCFC) as a pitch-side medic. Before leaving Lubas Medical, I spent the last 2 months training Welsh Dental and GP surgeries in compulsory basic first aid and Basic Life Support (BLS).

On leaving Lubas Medical, I joined the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) in February 2020 as a frontline paramedic to support the demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. I held this position until November 2020. I had then joined the Paramedic Science team in Plymouth and continue to evolve into the clinician I aspire to be. My aim is to gain a PGCert in Clinical Education to further my skills in educating future paramedics. I am aiming to further my knowledge on Global Health whilst with the University of Plymouth (UoP).

I have a specific interest in polar, tropical, wilderness/remote medicine and global health which I aim to use to assist students within their training.

Qualifications

2020 - Introduction to Teaching and Learning (ITL) Level 7 - University of Plymouth (UoP)

2020 - Lecturer in Paramedic Science - University of Plymouth (UoP)

2020 - Paramedic - Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST)

2020 - Winter Alpine Skills Level 7 - University of Exeter

2019 - Core Concepts in Extreme Medicine Level 7 - University of Exeter

2019 - MSc in Extreme Medicine (current) - University of Exeter

2019 - Medic Coordinator and Trainer - Lubas Medical Ltd.

2018 - Remote Paramedic - Cook Islands

2017 - Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) - East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST)

2017 - Advanced Life Support Certified - UK Resuscitation Council

2017 - BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science - University of East Anglia (UEA)

2015 - Current: Volunteer Events Medic - Festival Medical Services (FMS)

2012 - Hospital Pharmacy Dispenser - National Health Service (NHS)

Professional membership

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) - Registered Paramedic (PA42937)

College of Paramedics - Member

Helsedirektoratet - Registered Ambulansearbeider/ Paramedic (10118832)

Teaching interests

Trauma Management

Clinical Skills

Environmental Factors

Wilderness and Expedition Medicine

Tropical, Polar and Remote Medicine

Global Health

Positive Attitudes in Practice

My main aim and passion is to assist student paramedics find their own career direction, which ever path it goes down.

Reports & invited lectures

ADV759 - International Perspectives - 02/2021

ADV769 - Patient Management in Hazardous Environments - 01/2021

Conferences organised

Remote Medicine and Retrieval (Guest Lecturer) - Norwich Pre-Hospital Care Programme (UEA) - 05/06/2021