Doctor returns from Dallaglio Cycle Slam

Dr Simon Morris and his team of physiotherapists and sports masseuse have recently returned from supporting the Dallaglio Cycle Slam - a 2700 mile cycle ride to all 6 Nation stadia in aid of Sport Relief. Reflecting on his time there he wrote:

"Phew. Finished, completed, home.  3000k across 7 countries, over 250 different cyclists throughout, more than 15 major sporting celebrities all home safely.

5 different physios and masseuse, but only one doctor !

We ran fitness to cycle clinics at daybreak, looked after everyone en route and treated injuries, aching bones and muscles after sunset.  We braved snow, sleet, hail, torrential rain but some days there was blue sky, the sun shone, and made it all worth while.

Injuries included a broken elbow, thumb, neck and back problems galore, painful tighs, knees, calves, even a potentially fractured neck.  We treated over 200 people, handed out over 1000 tablets, cleaned people up, stretched them out.

We kept as many people on the road as is humanely possible, to help in the combined goal of raising over £1 million for people less fortunate than ourselves. Throughout all this, the kit from Prometheus was invaluable, and highly regarded by our 5 different physios, sports masseuse and myself, the doctor.

 The travelling circus has disbanded................for now !"

Dallaglio Cycle Slam

On 1st March, Lawrence Dallaglio and his cycle team arrived at Old Sodbury after cycling 126 km on Day 2, Stage 4 of his Cycle Slam.  Dave Preece, our Equipment Manager, was there to meet  Lawrence, who said, "The medical kit has come in very useful during the trip so far and we would like to thank Prometheus for all of their support".

The riders have covered 1,994 miles so far and are now on the home straight with just 816 miles to go.  Well done everyone and best wishes for the rest of the journey!

Follow that Fire Engine!

FOLLOW THAT FIRE ENGINE is an awe inspiring expedition that has never been attempted before. A crew of friends plan to achieve Guinness World Record status by circumnavigating the globe... in a fire engine!

The crew will drive a fire engine an impressive 25,000 miles, through 27 countries, over 7 months, covering gruelling terrain, inhospitable territories and in extreme temperature conditions. The vast distances and many unknowns of the expedition will be both physically demanding and mentally challenging. Most days the crew will spend over 10 hours on the road.

The crew will be driving a Mercedes 1124 AF. The truck is designed for short, quick journeys. It will provide plenty of storage space, essential for the camping equipment and supplies required to be on the road for 7 long months. However, the fire engine is not designed for comfort or speed, so it's certain to be a bumpy ride.

Overnight accommodation will be a similarly no-frills experience as the crew plan to camp out wherever possible. In towns and cities where pitching a tent is not possible the crew hope to stay with welcoming locals and, in the process, discover and learn as much as they can about the different countries that they will be passing through.

Undertaking such a physically demanding and gruelling journey, through unfamiliar terrain, there is always the added potential of hazards such as road traffic collisions, injury etc and Prometheus is delighted to be sponsoring them by providing them with medical training (VIPER, Surviving Adventure and our RTC Management and Casualty Extrication course), 24 hour 'Reachback' to our medical support team, and medical equipment to offset these increased risks.

100% of money raised will go to three charities through the FOLLOW THAT FIRE ENGINE CHARITY. Shipping, fuel and living expenses will all be funded by the crew members.

Lawrence Dallaglio Gets on His Bike

In February Lawrence Dallaglio, alongside a bunch of celebrity mates and about 200 brave and generous people, will be cycling to all of the 6 Nations stadia starting in Rome then onto Paris, Twickenham, Cardiff, Dublin and finishing in Edinburgh on 13th March... the target, to raise £1 million for charity. That’s 24 days in the saddle and over 2,800 kilometres.  This immense challenge is all about raising money for Sport Relief and the newly formed Dallaglio Foundation. Every mile cycled is more cash in the charity pot. The net proceeds from the challenge will be split equally between Sport Relief and the Dallaglio Foundation.

Prometheus is pleased to be supporting this worthwhile event and their medical team by providing essential medical equipment and medication.

You can find out more about the Dallaglio Cycle Slam at www.dallagliocycleslam.com

Imja Tse - October 2009

Exercise Imja Tse, the Defence Medical Services expedition to the Nepalese Himalayas, took place in October 2009. The expedition involved all ranks from the three services trekking and climbing in the Everest region of the Himalayas. Of particular note they trekked up to Kala Patthar to view Mt Everest and culminating in the assent of Imja Tse (Island Peak).

Significant medical research was undertaken prior to and during the expedition, furthering the understanding of the human body at altitude – how it changes and adapts and whether, by using the data they measure, they will be able to predict who may subsequently suffer from Acute Mountain Sickness.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a common condition that affects millions of people each year who travel to high altitude. The symptoms include headache, stomach problems, difficulty sleeping and fatigue that can severely hinder performance at altitude. This can progress to the potentially life threatening High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPE) and High Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HACE). The benefits from being able to predict who may develop these conditions is self evident.

At certain altitudes during the course of the expedition they measured the vital signs of the team volunteers as well as taking blood, saliva and urine samples for further analysis. This data, in conjunction with a daily Acute Mountain Sickness questionnaire, will be used to describe the physiological changes seen at altitude and hopefully find a simple test to predict who may suffer from Acute Mountain Sickness.

The size of the expedition team constituted one of the largest sample sizes that have undergone high altitude research in this way and the research will be submitted for publication in due course.

Without exception team and personal goals were met and many team members exceeded their own expectations.  They all gained immensely in terms of personal development and, research aside, they hope to able to use newly acquired and/or honed skills for the benefit of their colleagues on return to normal duty.

Prometheus was proud to be able to sponsor the expedition and play a small part in advancing the research and understanding of this difficult subject.

Prometheus Meets Princess Anne

On Monday 26th October, Kev Gallagher (our Commercial Director) and Dave Preece (our Equipment Manager) met Her Royal Highness Princess Anne when she visited the county to meet a number of hugely successful companies connected to the defence industry.  

The Princess Royal, who is a regular visitor to the county started her visit at MilSys (UK) Ltd, where she was introduced by the Chamber of Commerce to key business leaders from the county, including Prometheus, GSEC Enterprise, Specialist Mobility Training, Central Group, KGD Industrial Services, LUK Aftermarket Services, and Collins Design & Build before all the leaders sit down for a round table discussion.

Kev Gallagher said, “We were delighted to be invited to participate in this event and to meet Her Royal Highness.  The defence industry remains an extremely important part of our business. We were very pleased to meet the other companies and to be recognised by such a senior member of the royal family.

Prometheus Sponsors MaxAdventure's 'Moss Marathon'

The Max Adventure team are to recreate a historic drive by Stirling Moss as part of their 'warm-up’ training to the London to Cape Town run in support of Help the Heroes.

 Back in December 1952, at the same time as George Hinchliffe was battling his way across Africa to establish yet another new record to Cape Town, Stirling Moss and three co-drivers left Norway in an attempt to visit 15 countries in five days before arriving in Portugal.

The Max Adventure team’s challenge will be huge, even though they will be using modern vehicles, fitted with much more economical engines allowing greater fuel ranges. Speed limits will hinder their progress and the amount of traffic on the roads is probably ten-times that of 50 years ago.

More remarkably though, was that Stirling Moss and his team didn’t complete the 3,280 mile journey in five days, but in under four - 89 hours and 59 minutes!

Prometheus was delighted to sponsor them and prior to their trip the participants attended the Surviving Adventure Course, a course designed to train people with little or no medical experience to manage a medical emergency while off the beaten path or in a remote location.

You can follow their blogs about this historic journey at Oslo to Lisbon 2009 - "The Moss Marathon" :: Max Adventure

Skeleton Coast Expedition 5 - 24 October 2009

One of our Directors, Dr Alastair Nicol is shortly to deploy overseas on a very challenging and unique opportunity.  He will be providing the medical support on an expedition to the skeleton coast of Namibia, where he will experience first-hand the extremes and challenges of exercise and endurance.

The coastline of Namibia is one of the most inhospitable, unexplored, and yet beautiful places on earth. Over the years it has captured the imagination of two explorers; Jason De Carteret and cameraman Andrew Miles. After many years of working in Namibia they are now planning to lead a small group of intrepid explorers, on a groundbreaking expedition and make a National Geographic quality film of this incredible journey.

"No human has ever completed this journey on foot totally unsupported"

The explorers will walk this unique 300-mile stretch of this truly remote coastline. The team plan to take 19 days to cover the distance walking approximately 10 hours a day. It has never been done before and therefore each person will be required to carry their own supplies for a full 20 full days (5th - 24th October).  When they reach their destination each evening the work is not yet done, as they have to pump 700 Litres of sea water to desalinate 70 Litres of drinking water for the next day.

The explorers will have to work together as a team to make this expedition a success. Everyone will be pushed, everyone will be filmed, everyone will play a part in the success or failure of what they set out to achieve.

The coastline is beautiful but barren, with massive sand dunes leading right down to the sea. Explorers can expect to see seals, perhaps killer whales, as well as jackals, scorpions and snakes. Life will be basic and nomadic and the team will have to utilise whatever they find on the journey to make it the best they can. Totally unsupported, cooking over driftwood fires, catching fish, living by their own body clock, makes this expedition unique.  "We will see no one and hear no other voices for the expedition's duration."

The team of "would be" explorers were picked through a series of elimination tests, to find the most suitable people with the right mental and physical qualities needed to complete such an arduous journey as this.

"The idea behind this is to give people who have always dreamed of doing something like this, a once in a lifetime opportunity!  Andrew and Jason have put together a team of people that will find this journey both a mental and physical challenge but who have the ability to achieve their goal, and be filmed whilst doing it."

You can follow Alastair’s progress, read their blogs, and send messages of support on the expedition website www.skeletoncoastexpedition.com

Alastair is also using this unique experience to raise awareness for the charity Help For Heroes, who are doing a fantastic job supporting our injured soldiers as they face the much bigger challenge of rebuilding their lives and leaning to cope with significant disability.  You can see their great work at www.helpforheroes.org.uk

MARS Golf Day raises £3,900

Prometheus, in association with Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest Bank were proud to be sponsors for the 4th Charity Golf Day on Friday 26th June 2009.

Prometheus organised the event to raise money for Mercia Accident Response Service (MARS), the local emergency charity, which provides immediate medical care for the critically ill and injured in Herefordshire and Worcestershire in support of West Midlands Ambulance Service.  All MARS members are volunteers and provide their experience and services free of charge. Prometheus considers MARS to be the most valuable of our local charities, providing life-saving care at the roadside and fully deserving of support from the community it helps.

Prometheus was proud to be able to present a cheque for £3,900 raised at the Charity Gold Day and, on behalf of MARS and themselves, would like to thank all of the participants and supporters for making the day the success it was for for their kind generosity.

Prometheus Sponsors Exercise Imja Tse

Exercise Imja Tse, is the Defence Medical Services trekking and climbing expedition to the Nepalese Himalayas taking place during the post-monsoon period of 2009.

The aim of the expedition will be to take personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force through a journey of personal development and growth as individuals and as members of the Armed Forces. This will be achieved through outdoor and mountaineering training and the challenge of the journey through the most famous mountain range in the world, the Everest region of the Himalayas.

The team has been chosen and includes 35 of Her Majesty’s finest doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, nurses and medics. Some of the team are experienced in taking part and teaching adventurous training whilst a large proportion are novices to high altitude environments. This exercise provides a challenging and life changing experience for the whole team. Ultimately it will demonstrate the professionalism, diversity and opportunities available within the Defence Medical Services and military as a whole, particularly during this current period of increased operational demands.

The expedition will involve trekking up the main approach towards Mount Everest providing an opportunity to view Mount Everest from Kala Pattar (5545m). The team will then move to Imja Tse (Island Peak) and make an attempt on the summit (6189m). The expedition will have a two level approach. The first level will focus on novice trekkers, providing an opportunity to experience high altitude; the second will focus on the experienced trekkers and climbers in the team who will climb Imja Tse.

High altitude medical research will be a fundamental component on the exercise. On the last Defence Medical Services expedition, to climb Mt Aconcagua in 2007, they carried out a pilot study looking at changes in an individual’s physiology to altitude and the incidence of acute mountain sickness. This study produced some interesting results that have helped guide an original study design for the forthcoming expedition. By measuring physiological changes and using a novel blood sampling technique, that has not been studied before at altitude, we hope to be able to answer the currently elusive question – is there a simple test that can predict an individual’s susceptibility to acute mountain sickness? If successful then the research may pave the way for preventative strategies to be implemented in the future.

The Surgeon General, Lieutenant General Lillywhite has kindly agreed to be the Expedition Patron.

“I am proud to be associated with Defence Medical Services expedition to climb Imja Tse.  The challenge of climbing and trekking at high altitude and in a remote area is significant, particularly for those with no previous experience in such a remote or high area.  For those less experienced, or with no previous experience, it is an ambitious project.  However, given the comprehensive training package available it is one which will be within the reach of many DMS personnel.

In addition to overcoming the challenge of achieving the mountaineering challenge, the members will also undertake high altitude research which builds on projects already carried out on both Everest and Aconcagua and will lead to further understanding of the complex physiological and metabolic adaptation to hypoxia.” Lieutenant -General LP Lillywhite

Prometheus Sponsors the Mongol Derby

The Mongol Derby is set to become the world longest horse race. The Derby, an idea dreamt up by The Adventurists, who are “fighting to make the world less boring” by organising adventures such as the Mongol Rally and Rickshaw Run, is a 1000km horse race across the Mongolian steppes on semi-wild Mongolian horses.  It will be undertaken by 25 intrepid riders and is due to start on 22nd August.

This promises to be a true adventure both for the riders and for doctor Jeremy Smith and paramedic Christian Wiggin who are providing the medical cover for the riders and support staff as part of Prometheus' sponsorship of the Derby.  Fortunately for them, Jez and Christian will be on four wheels rather than four legs but will be shadowing the riders and living on the steppes ready to respond to any medical emergencies that may occur.

Jez and Christian have recently departed for Mongolia and will be keeping us up to date with all the latest happenings via the Prometheus blog. Keep and eye on the website for tales of death (hopefully not), destruction (only after the party at the finish line) and daring do (by the riders not the softies in the comfy car)!

Prometheus at Defence Systems & Equipment International 2009

Prometheus will be exhibiting a wide range of its equipment at the Defence Systems & Equipment International Exhibition 2009 on 8 - 11 September.

The world’s largest fully integrated defence and security exhibition, brings together senior international trade and military experts from across the entire supply chain in an optimal business environment.  DSEi's truly comprehensive scale makes attendance a must for everyone in the defence, security and military aerospace community. Visitors come from UK and all over the world to experience first-hand the latest land, air and sea capabilities of more than 1,350 companies from 40 countries over four packed business day.

DSEi will take place at ExCel London, Royal Victoria Dock, London  http://www.dsei.co.uk/

Dr Malcolm Russell to speak at Police Tactical Emergency Medicine Conference - 19 October 2009

Dr Malcolm Russell will be speaking at the Police Tactical Emergency Medicine Conference on 19 October 2009.  The conference is run annually to encourage debate within the Police Force, specifically concerning tactical medicine. At the heart of the topic is the vacuum of care that may exist within a cordon on a firearms operation. To address this issue the conference will hear from a range of UK and international speakers with expertise in this area.

Dr Russell will speak about Hypothermia in Trauma, aiming to review the problem and address, in the context of police firearms operations, what measures should be implemented to optimise patient management and survival.

The Police Tactical Emergency Medicine Conference will be held at the Union Jack Club, London on 19 - 20 October 2009.

MARS Charity Golf Day - Friday 26th June 2009

Prometheus, in association with Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest Bank are proud to be sponsors for the 4th Charity Golf Day on Friday 26th June 2009.

Prometheus organised the event to raise money for Mercia Accident Response Service (MARS), the local emergency charity, which provides immediate medical care for the critically ill and injured in Herefordshire and Worcestershire in support of West Midlands Ambulance Service.  All MARS members are volunteers and provide their experience and services free of charge. Prometheus considers MARS to be the most valuable of our local charities, providing life-saving care at the roadside and fully deserving of support from the community it helps.

The event will be held at Belmont Golf Course and costs £140 for a team of four.  If you would like to book a team you can download an application form here

Prometheus Exhibits New Equipment at the Spring Scientific Conference of the College of Emergency Medicine 2009

Prometheus will be exhibiting some exciting new equipment at the Spring Scientific Conference of the College of Emergency Medicine 2009, which is being held at the Dome in Brighton from 20th - 22nd April.  The College of Emergency Medicine is the academic body for all Consultants and most junior doctors in Emergency Medicine, and the Scientific Conference is the major meeting point for these doctors.

The Conference will hold a 'Gadget Show' on the 20th April, where doctors can get 'hands-on' with the latest military and civilian gadgets and equipment.

Prometheus will show off some of their newest equipment; the Inspectra StO2 Tissue Oxygenation Monitor, the enFlow IV Fluid/Blood Warming System and the Prometheus Major Incident Support Bag.  You can read more about this equipment by clicking on the equipment links at  our On-line Equipment Shop at the side of the page.

You can find out more about the conference itself at http://www.cem2009.co.uk/

Dr Malcolm Russell to speak at London Trauma Conference

The 3rd Annual London Trauma Conference is being held at the Royal Geographic Society in London from 12 – 14 November 2008.  Drawing from the success of the previous meetings, Dr David Lockey and Dr Gareth Davies have brought together a programme of formidable speakers with international reputations who have been posed challenging topics and questions. As ever it is hoped delegates will leave the conference with clear views on delivering clinical excellence to the trauma patient.

Dr Russell will speak on 14 November on the subject ‘Triage – Is it just a nice theory?’, and will discuss whether current systems are practical, whether there are alternatives and whether technology can help.  To read more about the conference please visit http://www.londontraumaconference.com/media/pdf/LTC08f.pdf

Dr Malcolm Russell Wins Regional Entrepeneur of the Year Award

Dr Malcolm Russell, Managing Director of Prometheus Medical Ltd has won The Credit Suisse Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Midlands and East of England regional finals of the National Business Awards.

This Award is presented to the outstanding individuals who can best demonstrate exceptional vision and leadership in the establishment and development of an owner-led business.  The judges looked for clear identification of a market opportunity, innovation, growth and evidence of strong financial performance in terms of sales and profit growth.  Henriette Svenson, press officer for the awards, said “With a small amount of capital, Malcolm and his partners have turned Prometheus Medical into a flourishing business."

The award was accepted on behalf of Dr Russell by Kev Gallagher, Commercial Director of Prometheus Medical.

Speaking live from Vietnam where he is taking part in the Land Rover GO-60 expedition, Dr Russell told Radio Hereford & Worcester, “I am absolutely delighted ... but it could not have been achieved without the hard work and support of Kev, my Commercial Director, and the rest of my team at Prometheus Medical”.

Dr Russell now advances to the finals, which will be held in London in November.  We wish him every success!

Trauma Care International Conference 2008

Dr Malcolm Russell attended the Trauma Care International Conference 2008 in April as part of an expert panel looking at the pre-hospital management of a number of challenging clinical cases. 

The conference was organised around two teams who ‘were volunteered’ from the audience to give their view on the optimal management of each case (eg. head injury, pelvic trauma, etc).  The audience then had to vote in favour of the team that they felt gave the best answer.  The panel, which included Dr Russell, then had to comment on the solutions presented and offer views on what should be the best management of the case.

The day was intense for the audience, the teams, and the panel but was a lot of fun and a very stimulating and engaging way of covering a lot of discussion.

The conference was held at the Park Inn in Telford and was attended by health care professionals.

Prometheus Demonstrates at Defence Services Asia in Kuala Lumpur

Prometheus Medical and DESO, UK appeared at DSA in Malaysia in April demonstrating in the new area of Battlefield Medical Live Demos displaying equipment and support packages to a captivated audience.

The demonstration lasted 20 minutes and exhibited the EZ-IO device, Team-8 Stretcher, Olaes and Blast Bandages and BGAN satellite system in practical, realistic scenarios stirring quite some interest from the audience.

DESO, UK and Prometheus Medical's stand was also well attended where the equipment was on display.

National Business Awards - Shortlisted

Dr Malcolm Russell, Managing Director of Prometheus Medical Ltd has been selected as one of four finalists for The National Business Award Credite Suisse Entrepreneur of the Year in the East of England and Midlands Region.

The award is given to an outstanding individual who can best demonstrate exceptional vision and leadership in the establishment and development of an owner-led business. The judges will look for clear identification of a market opportunity, innovation, growth and evidence of strong financial performance in terms of sales and profit growth.

Malcolm has presented to a panel of judges this week and awaits his fate at the awards ceremony on 15th July 2008. Good Luck!

Prometheus shortlisted for National Business Award

Dr Malcolm Russell, Managing Director of Prometheus Medical Ltd has been selected as one of four finalists for The National Business Award Credite Suisse Entrepreneur of the Year in the East of England and Midlands Region.

The award is given to an outstanding individual who can best demonstrate exceptional vision and leadership in the establishment and development of an owner-led business. The judges will look for clear identification of a market opportunity, innovation, growth and evidence of strong financial performance in terms of sales and profit growth.

Malcolm will be presenting to a panel of judges in June and the award ceremony will take place on 15th July 2008.

Prometheus sponsors Land Rover GO 60

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Land Rover in 2008, a group of enthusiasts and employees will recreate the London to Singapore Overland Expedition of 1956 with Discovery 3 and Defender vehicles. GO 60 and its sponsors will be donating the proceeds of this high profile project to the Red Cross. Prometheus will be providing doctors, medics, equipment and training to the Land Rover GO 60 team helping to make the expedition a success and a difference to the Red Cross and the lives of vulnerable children and their families.

The expedition will run in four legs from Solihull to Singapore in 60 days and begins on the 4th May.

Prometheus have so far provided a bespoke medical course for the Land Rover team which was held at their new training facility, The Old Rectory on 12th - 13th April. Lectures and outdoor scenarios made up the weekend with a night-time exercise, vehicle extrication and dummy border patrols as the most testing elements. 

Surviving Prometheus Course

Please keep an eye on our blog page where regular updates will be available by the team during the expedition using our BGAN satellite communication systems.

Prometheus at DefExpo, New Delhi 2008

The annual Defence Exposition, India, organised by the Defence Ministry and CII took place in the Pragati Maiden Exhibition Centre in New Delhi during 16 – 18 February 2008. The theme was Protection of the Force. The exposition was well attended by 308 companies from 22 countries and many official government and military delegates from around the world.

DESO EST displayed equipment supplied by Prometheus Medical in a 132m2 static exhibition and illustrated its use during four live demonstrations each day. The demonstrations involved troops displaying products in a scenario-based situation with a short descriptive commentary provoking many business enquiries.  The stand itself was well attended by influential military, security and government service personnel, including the Indian defence minister A K Antony, who was also given a one-to-one demonstration of the equipment.

ExpeMed

Launch of new expedition medicine course...

Prometheus acquires the longstanding ExpeMed course.

Prometheus has recently acquired the UK’s longest established expedition medicine course from Voyage Concepts.  Developed to provide healthcare professionals with the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to manage a critically injured casualty in a remote location, this is the course of choice for expedition medics.  Delivered by doctors, paramedics and mountain rescue team members who are experienced and current in the field, topics covered range from expedition planning to casualty extrication. In keeping with Prometheus’ reputation for educational innovation, teaching is largely based on realistic practical scenarios delivered in a challenging, fun and highly stimulating way.  As a Prometheus medical course, ExpeMed is set to go from strength to strength and will rapidly become the essential course in this field.

Surviving Adventure Course

The Surviving Adventure course is a challenging, high-energy, hands-on experience that will give you the confidence and understanding in managing an emergency medical situation when travelling off the beaten track or in a remote environment.

The 2 day residential course consists of an intense series of interactive outdoor practicals to give you an understanding of how to react to and manage a medical emergency. These interactive sessions are interspersed with a small number of superb short lectures outlining key issues such as how to deal with illnesses caused by extreme temperatures, trauma management, and handling potential threats such as landmine risks and hostage situations.

Once the practicals and initial lectures are complete, the course progresses to a series of fully realistic exercises. These are designed to give you first-hand experience of what an emergency situation feels like, and how to manage one from start to finish. Key to the whole course is the fact that each and every lecture and scenario is presented by a medic, mountaineer or former Special Forces member who has encountered such a scenario first hand.