Mr Tom Kidney

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

As a student with UEA, he gained a roll with Festival Medical Services (FMS) as a volunteer student paramedic for Reading and Glastonbury festival. He is 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 Tom achieved as a student paramedic.

Tom began his career in October 2017 with the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) where he gained his initial 'on the road' experience. He had obtained an Associate Tutor (AT) role with UEA on graduating. 4 months later (February 2018), he had officially started a remote paramedic role in the tropics, the Cook Islands. He 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. He had helped develop a local Community First Responder (CFR) scheme alongside the local fire service. He 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. Tom had spent some time training local ambulance officers, nurses, student nurses and doctors within the pre-hospital environment. His role also involved medical retrieval via boat and plane from the more remote islands.

Tom left his remote paramedic role in April 2019 to return home and enroll on a MSc in Extreme Medicine. In May 2019, he gained a role with Lubas Medical Ltd as a Medic Coordinator for approximately 80 medics. This 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. Tom would also cover Cardiff City Football Club (CCFC) as a pitch-side medic. Before leaving Lubas Medical, he 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, Tom joined the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) in February 2020 as a frontline paramedic to support the demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. He held this position until November 2020. Tom then joined the Paramedic Science team in Plymouth and continues to evolve into the clinician he aspires to be. His aim is to gain a PGCert in Clinical Education to further his skills in educating future paramedics. Tom is also am aiming to further his knowledge on Global Health whilst with the University of Plymouth (UoP).

Tom has a specific interest in polar, tropical, wilderness/remote medicine and global health, which he aims to use to assist students within their training.

Qualifications

2021 - Associate Fellow in Higher Education (AFHEA)

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)

Advance HE - AFHEA (PR232510)

Teaching interests

Trauma Management

Clinical Skills and Application to Practice

Environmental Factors

Wilderness and Expedition Medicine

Tropical, Polar and Remote Medicine

Global Health

Positive Attitudes in Practice

His 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

Other academic activities

Tom is also paramedic lead for the Erasmus Exchange between paramedic students at the University of Plymouth and the University of Stavanger (Norway)

Additional information

Tom also works as a Home Visit Paramedic (HVP) for Devon Doctors.