30 | Q4 2020 Making A Difference From frontline backup to specialist care, iON Ambulance Care provides the flexibility and resources to make a difference. Domenic Kasinos tells us more about the private company and how it has held its own through the Covid-19 pandemic. iON Ambulance Care Ltd is a CQC registered independent ambulance operator with a national presence. Providing a professional and reliable service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, iON is forward thinking and embracing the challenges of healthcare in the modern environment which allows it to provide a reliable, responsive and regulated service to its patients. Patient needs are prioritised at all times and their care, respect and dignity remains at the core of iON Ambulance Care’s values. Through training, clinical excellence and innovative technology iON Ambulance Care aims to be the best in its field and, by constantly improving and monitoring its own standards, it can continue to provide care that is second-to-none. Founder, Domenic Kasinos, set up iON Ambulance Care in order to make a difference and to establish an ambulance company that was able to deliver safe, high-quality, personcentric care that was both effective and well-run. “I made the decision that investment was a key driver,” explains Dominic. “I have kept on investing ever since - in technology, in training and in our people. It’s the only way we can consistently uphold the exacting high standards we set ourselves.” Every three years, the entire fleet of ambulances is upgraded and furnished with the latest technology and equipment. Every six months, staff training is provided across all aspects of the business and, recently, the re-configuration the placement of stretchers in our frontline ambulances has been assessed to give staff access to both sides of the patient in order to provide treatment given quickly and safely. “These kinds of bespoke fit-outs all cost more to deliver, however I see these investment decisions as the route to giving service users a better treatment experience and keeping my crews’ working environment the best it can be for carrying out lifesaving treatment.” Sep20074 Luckily, these state-of-the-art ambulances have proved invaluable recently as the volume of patients needing transportation has increased drastically due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although there were challenges for Domenic and the team at iON Ambulance Care, the firm was on the front foot and able to deliver exceptional patient experiences, with high quality care. “With a growing fleet of vehicles and operational bases, we are in a great position to flex with peak demand,” says Domenic. However, what is more concerning is the safety of patients and the crews at such a time, especially as this is a relatively new virus that no-one really understood. At the onset of the pandemic, iON Ambulance Care was forced to deal with many factors: a lack of knowledge of the virus, worries about wellbeing, and massive shortages in PPE stocks across the world. Therefore, it was really important to iON Ambulance Care to ensure it could support the NHS and its partners to help them deliver care on a daily basis. “The mounting pressure and the uncertainty are far more intense for us because we are dealing with an evolving pathogen. It’s challenging being in such a fluid situation over the long term, where you simply don’t know how things will unfold.” Domenic has always focused on infection control as a top priority even before the pandemic arrived and has always gone the extra mile to ensure iON Ambulance Care is using the latest products and industry-leading cleaning systems. “Knowing we are doing all we can to protect people has really helped staff confidence. This is really important for me personally, because I know how much risk I am asking everyone to take on every time they turn up for work. Working in healthcare and in ambulances, crews come into daily contact with patients who have contagious diseases. They have to work alongside people every day, well aware of the risks.” To demonstrate iON Ambulance Care’s commitment to infection control, Domenic has invested heavily on a THOR UVC® system from ClearTrace and Finsen Tech. This R2D2style robot, affectionately known as Johnny 5, utilises unique room mapping technology to deliver a fast and effective germicidal continuous-wave UVC energy, killing germs and pathogens. It has enabled staff at iON Ambulance Care to terminally disinfect vehicles, stations, crew rooms, drug rooms and PPE safely and effectively. “Johnny 5 has become an integral part of the team and gives me absolute confidence that my staff and our patients are safe, first time, every time. We set him up in the room and watch him go to work. Then we look at the proof. Fully disinfected, first time, every time, in a game-changing 15 minute turnaround. “There is a constant time pressure on ambulance services to be there exactly when “Working in healthcare and in ambulances, crews come into daily contact with patients who have contagious diseases. They have to work alongside people every day, well aware of the risks.”
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