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Suffolk Accident Rescue Service
Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended
31[st] March 2022
SUFFOLK’S EMERGENCY MEDICAL CHARITY
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Contents
| ITEM | PAGES |
|---|---|
| CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD | 3 - 4 |
| GOVERNANCE & ADMINISTRATION | 5 |
| REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES | 6 - 8 |
| ACCOUNTS | 9 - 12 |
| INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT | 13 |
| IMPACT STATEMENT | 14 - 18 |
Acknowledgements
The Board of Trustees generally acknowledges with gratitude the work of its officers for their support to the whole Board. Thanks too to our Operations Manager and his team, to all the volunteer clinicians and supporters who together deliver the work of this exceptional Charity.
Last, but not least, we would like to acknowledge the guidance and contribution of our various professional advisors and the assistance of our Independent Examiner, Price Bailey LLP.
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Chairman’s Foreword
As I pause for a moment and look back over the past 12 months, it is clear that we have much to celebrate and reflect upon.
The beginning of the year saw our latest rapid response vehicle, call-sign SMED27 come on-line thanks to extremely generous support from Tom Ward of Smarter Metering Services Limited. I hope by now that many of you will have seen this eye-catching Volvo V90 RapidResponse Vehicle whilst it is out on the roads of Suffolk - ready to answer calls for assistance and deliver expert teams of prehospital care clinicians in support of the East of England Ambulance Service. Tom has proved himself to be a staunch supporter of SARS and went on to donate an ultrasound unit which is now carried as part of the critical-care equipment on board our Rapid-Response Vehicles.
The support of local businesses is invaluable to us, thanks must go to all those who have supported us during the year.
Although SARS has come a long way since its inception in 1972, the steadfast commitment of those already busy healthcare professionals, who step forward to donate their precious ‘spare’ time to our charity - bringing expertise, that would otherwise only be found in hospital, to the patient’s side (be this at work, home or in a public place), is truly humbling.
All of our volunteers are shining examples of the very best from their communities. It is only right that we thank them and their families, for making themselves available to help others - irrespective of the time of day, in support of our charitable objectives.
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This year I have the pleasure of highlighting two of our longstanding responders. Paramedic Stephen Murrow was awarded the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award at our AGM in November. Steve consistently volunteers hundreds of hours each year placing himself on-call, ready to answer requests from the Ambulance Service at a moment’s notice. Steve is also a familiar face at many of our fundraising events throughout the year.
Critical-Care Paramedic Rod Wells retired after 11 years of dedicated service to SARS in order to be able to take up a full-time role as Coxswain with the RNLI. During his time with SARS, Rod has given thousands of hours of voluntary coverage, the majority of which was spent covering the north-east sector of Suffolk - an area which has traditionally proved to be challenging to cover. We wish him Godspeed as he continues his lifesaving at sea.
To close, I would like to commend the annual report to you and hope that you enjoy learning more about the wonderful work of this remarkable Suffolk-based charity, which has been serving the County for the past 50 years.
SARS Critical Care Paramedic, Rod Wells, retired this year after 11 years of service to take up a full-time role with the RNLI
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Governance and Administration
Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (“SARS”) was formed as a charity on 1[st] May 1972 and is now a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered under the Charities Act 2011 and governed by a Constitution dated 1[st] April 2017 with Charity registration number 1168764 and Company registration number CE008550.
Trustees
Clinical Trustees:
Mr James Whatling (Chairman) Mr Mike Hild (Vice-Chairman resigned November 2021) Dr Karol Silovsky Mr Tim Daniels Dr Patricia Mills
Non - Clinical Trustees:
Mr Harold Richardson (Secretary) Mrs Anne Daultrey (Treasurer) Mr Paul Hockey (Vice-Chairman from November 2021) Mr Michael Caddock
All served throughout the whole of the year.
Operations Manager – Mr Ben Hall
Principal Address: Unit 1b, Woolpit Business Park, Windmill Avenue, Woolpit, IP30 9UP
Independent Examiner:
Price Bailey LLP, Tennyson House, Cambridge Business Park, Cambridge CB4 0WZ
Bankers:
CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling ME19 4JQ
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Report of the Trustees
Principal Objects
The principal object of the Charity as defined by its constitution is to provide immediate medical treatment and care to persons in need by reason of accident or other emergency in the geographical county of Suffolk and adjoining areas. This work was first begun half-a-century ago by the CIO’s predecessor in 1972. SARS’ highlyskilled clinical volunteers provide prehospital care to patients suffering serious or lifethreatening medical emergency or trauma. The service is provided without charge and is available to anyone.
The Charity has expanded interpretation of its core objective to include the education of the public in basic life-saving skills, specifically Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the use of defibrillators.
The Charity receives no central government or agency funding and we rely wholly on voluntary grants and donations to enable us to continue saving and prolonging lives.
Activities in furtherance of Principal Objects
During the year under review, our volunteer clinicians were mobilised to 461 emergency calls compared to 356 the previous year - an increase of 29%.
The Trustees are committed to increasing SARS’ clinical resources to enable an expansion of our response. In furtherance of this strategic objective at the beginning of the financial year under review, a second mobile team was created and is operating from a base in Saxmundham, East Suffolk.
Public Benefit
The Charity provides public benefit by delivering its Principal Objects as outlined above. A more detailed description of how public benefit is delivered and recognised is contained in the Charity’s Annual Impact Statement, filed as an appendix with this Annual Report (Pages 14-18).
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Organisation and Structure
The Trustees are the Charity Trustees as defined by section 177 of the Charities Act 2011.
As a medical charity the Trustees are obliged to ensure that proper arrangements exist to ensure compliance with medical regulation and best practice, and the Constitution of the Charity requires a minimum three Trustees to be clinically registered.
The Board of Trustees meet a minimum of four times a year and receives reports from the Operations Manager and Treasurer, to review clinical operations and financial statements and to monitor the day-to-day activity of the Charity. In addition to monitoring these key features, the Trustees also review progress towards a number of defined strategic objectives and plans, and to consider risk.
Medical regulation and risk are overseen by the Clinical Management Committee whose primary objective is to develop and maintain clinical governance procedures to ensure safe and effective care for patients attended by SARS clinicians. The Committee must include a minimum of five SARS clinicians including at least one doctor and one paramedic.
Risk Management
Risk management is a standing item on the agenda of each Trustees’ meeting and Trustees aim to review a specific area of identified risk on each occasion.
During the year under review, the most difficult risk remained the ongoing effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst, like many charities, it has severely affected the ability to generate income, it has also had direct operational impact because our volunteer clinicians have also been directly engaged in assisting the NHS. Trustees have reviewed the financial effects each month and carefully monitored the Charity’s state of affairs.
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Financial reporting and review
Reporting
The Trustees have adopted the option of reporting the Charity’s financial activities through a Receipts and Payments Account supplemented by a Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The Charity has no permanent or endowment funding and is wholly dependent on day-to-day cash flow. The Trustees consider this is better reflected using this format.
Review
The Charity had a surplus of receipts over payments amounting to £26,460 (2021: £21,331) for the year ended 31[st] March 2022. As shown in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31[st] March 2022 the Charity had unpaid liabilities of £6,967 (2021: £4,619) and was not due to receive any additional receipts.
Donations to the Charity have fallen, with receipts of £47,604 (2021: £95,676); receipts from other activities have increased to £58,995 (2021: £10,175) which offsets this decrease. There has also been an increase in the level of specific funding to £44,984 (2021: £38,030) donated for purchase of items of medical and IT equipment and to cover some core costs relating to the solo- and team-responders.
A third Rapid Response Vehicle was leased on a peppercorn lease and use by the Charity on 1[st] April 2021 which has enabled the Charity to respond to more medical emergencies. Despite this, the costs related to providing the pre-hospital critical care by our clinical volunteers have decreased slightly to £100,496 (2021: £100,897).
Reserves
At 31[st] March 2022, the total available unrestricted cash amounted to £96,748 which is considered sufficient by the Trustees, to maintain its reserves policy to cover the total fixed annual costs of the Charity.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on Wednesday 20[th] August 2022 and signed on its behalf by:
James Whatling - Chairman Harry Richardson - Secretary
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SUFFOLK ACCIDENT RESCUE SERVICE
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022
| Note RECEIPTS Donations 1 Other activities 2 Investments Other income Revenue Receipts Sale of Assets Total Receipts PAYMENTS Raising funds Charitable activities 3 Revenue payments Purchase of assets 4 Total payments Net revenue movements in the year Net capital movements in the year TOTAL NET RECEIPTS Cash funds last year end TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD |
2022 Unrestricted Restricted Total £ £ £ 47,604 44,984 92,588 58,995 0 58,995 16 0 16 0 0 0 106,615 44,984 151,599 0 0 0 106,615 44,984 151,599 (15,034) 0 (15,034) (85,368) (15,128) (100,496) (100,402) (15,128) (115,530) 0 (9,609) (9,609) (100,402) (24,737) (125,139) 6,213 29,856 36,069 0 (9,609) (9,609) 6,213 20,247 26,460 90,535 7,479 98,014 96,748 27,726 124,474 |
2021 Total £ 133,706 10,175 26 0 |
|---|---|---|
| 143,907 2,000 |
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| 145,907 | ||
| (13,484) (100,897) |
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| (114,381) (10,195) |
||
| (124,576) | ||
| 29,526 (8,195) 21,331 76,683 |
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| 98,014 |
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SUFFOLK ACCIDENT RESCUE SERVICE STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 MARCH 2022
| Note CASH FUNDS Cash at bank Petty Cash Total Cash Funds Other Monetary Assets FIXED ASSETS retained for Charity's use 5 Estimated value at 31st March 2022 LIABILITIES Creditors due within one year Photocopier lease: due within one year due between 1 and 5 years RRV lease: due within one year due between 1 and 5 years |
2022 Unrestricted Restricted Total £ £ £ 96,493 27,726 124,219 255 - 255 96,748 27,726 124,474 - - - 58,252 - 58,252 6,967 - 6,967 493 - 493 370 - 370 1 - 1 3 - 3 |
2021 Total £ 97,706 308 |
|---|---|---|
| 98,014 | ||
| - | ||
| 71,208 | ||
| 4,619 493 863 - - |
The attached notes on pages 11 & 12 form part of these accounts
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on
Wednesday 20[th] August 2022 and signed on their behalf by:
…………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………. James Whatling - Chairman Anne Daultrey - Treasurer
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SUFFOLK ACCIDENT RESCUE SERVICE
Additional Notes to Accounts
| 1 Grants and Donations Donations Local Authority |
2022 Unrestricted Restricted Total £ £ £ 25,080 44,034 69,114 22,524 950 23,474 47,604 44,984 92,588 |
2021 Total £ 105,421 28,285 |
|---|---|---|
| 133,706 |
Restricted funds of £195 granted by local authorities remained unspent at year end due to an outstanding order of medical equipment placed before the end of the financial year.
2 Other Activities
Receipts from other activities has increased substantially to £58,995 (2021: £10,175) reflecting the increased opportunities for running fundraising activities which resulted from the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions of the previous year.
| 3 Analysis of expenditure - Charitable Activities 2022 Unrestricted Restricted Total £ £ £ Rescue Services 72,266 15,128 87,394 Support Costs 13,102 0 13,102 Charitable activities 85,368 15,128 100,496 |
2021 Total £ 89,464 11,433 |
|---|---|
| 100,897 |
4 Purchase of Assets
During the financial year, two medical and one office equipment items were acquired at a cost of £9,609 (2021: three medical equipment items £10,195) purchased with funds raised specifically for these items. A further medical item was gifted to the Charity.
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SUFFOLK ACCIDENT RESCUE SERVICE
Additional Notes to Accounts continued
| 5 Fixed Assets At 31 March 2021 At 31 March 2022 |
Medical Computer Equipment Equipment Vehicles £ £ £ 29,700 1,293 40,215 |
|---|---|
| 27,386 706 30,161 |
Fixed Assets are stated at the Trustees' estimate of net realisable value.
6 Analysis of staff costs and key personnel
A total of 4 staff (full time equivalent - 2.5) are employed by the Charity.
No employees received more than £60,000 during the year (2021: none).
7 Related Parties
There were no related party transactions during the year (2021: none).
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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Suffolk Accident Rescue Service
I report to the Charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2022, which are set out on page 10 to 12.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Charity’s Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Michael Cooper-Davis FCCA ACA
For and on behalf of
Price Bailey LLP
Tennyson House Cambridge Business Park Cambridge CB4 0WZ
Date: 7 October 2022
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Suffolk Accident Rescue Service
IMPACT STATEMENT
SARS Rapid-Response Vehicle (RRV) SMED27
When addressing the Charity’s aims and objectives and when planning future activities, the Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
This Impact Statement allows a fuller description of the Charity’s activities and achievements than is possible within the main body of the Trustees’ Annual Report.
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In essence, the presence of a SARS responder improves outcomes for patients by:
SAVING LIVES
DELIVERING VITAL ADVANCED INTERVENTIONS IN THE PREHOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT REDUCING THE RISK OF PERMANENT DISABILITY PROVIDING EFFECTIVE RELIEF FROM PAIN
Immediate medical care is provided by a network of solo-responders in their own specially-equipped vehicles responding from various locations around the county. They are supplemented by teams of responders using SARS Rapid-Response Vehicles (RRVs). All SARS volunteer responders carry equipment and drugs not normally found on emergency ambulances, thereby significantly enhancing the Charity’s ability to improve patient outcomes and save lives.
The Charity’s services are provided without charge to any person in need throughout the geographical county of Suffolk and its adjoining areas.
SARS responded to 461 calls in the year ending 31[st] March 2022 at a total cost of approximately £125,000 - the equivalent of £271 per call-out. This relatively low cost is only possible because all SARS clinicians give their time and expertise without charge.
At 50, SARS is more responsive and successful than ever before. This is thanks to the dedication and expertise of our clinicians supported by a small team of committed staff at HQ and our non-clinical volunteers.
Kevin Breitsprecher, SARS volunteer and Advanced Clinical Practitioner
“I love volunteering for SARS as I want to give something back to my local community and help people at the time of their greatest need. I can use my experience, knowledge and enhanced skills to help provide the best level of emergency care possible.”
16 SARS OPERATIONAL STATISTICS FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2021-22 MOBILISATIONS 461 (up 2V/•) 362 PATIENTS TREATED ADVANCED IHTERVEIITIONS ciirA 3V/ TEAM ACTIVITY 102 Team ShFA* 110 Team Res Mses IffERENT LOCA ONS 90 {1,258 hrg dlff•dl 1•4., A•••rth•%i$Qd¥Il1II111Iiia/llnI4Y M•Aa9•M•) SOLO ACTIVITY 131 Call$ 13,996 bm •ll•r•d) MILEA6E nils YEAR SIIEP27/SMED261$11U120 17,630 1&2% tl RTes 6.3% OF INCIDENT Pry¢hi•tri¢ 14.8% Oth•n SPECIAIIST EQUIPMEMT IJSE l•xampltt) FIRST 01 SCENE 117% In¢rtaM) $ERVIM8 IIJFFOIK and adjoifftin9 area Iwhlk VA LVCA5 au1cnal ¢W<4Mpr14elI¢ iitnME$ 4 Éwoi 5% e0 Laryl¥ OVER 160 INCIDENT LOCATIONS 00 EER VOL HO
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Saving lives by delivering advanced interventions...
In July 2021, Mark Youles, collapsed on Southwold beach and became seriously unwell. A 999 call was issued and a volunteer critical care team from Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS) was mobilised to provide advanced support to the East of England Ambulance Service. The SARS team, working alongside paramedics, assessed and treated Mark, stabilising his condition before requesting an air ambulance to provide further treatment and a rapid transfer to hospital. Volunteer Doctor James Price was part of the Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS) team that day, added: “ To now see him doing so well was extremely rewarding. His case was particularly complex due to the extremely challenging environment on the beach. We were glad to be able to work together with our Coastguard, Ambulance and East Anglian Air Ambulance colleagues to give Mark the very best chance of survival. It's a great illustration of the teamwork involved in the prehospital care of these critically ill patients and
I am absolutely thrilled that there has been such a positive outcome.”
Reducing the risk of permanent disability and providing relief from pain…
In May 2021, Graeme Byrne suffered a cardiac arrest in Eye. SARS volunteers Dr Patricia Mills and Paramedic Zoey Spurgeon were mobilised to provide advanced medical support at the incident. The SARS team undertook several complex medical procedures at the scene before accompanying Graeme to hospital, monitoring his condition throughout. Graeme has made a great recovery and has subsequently completed a 40km fundraising walk to help raise vital funds for our service.
“I’m extremely lucky to be here as there’s only a 10% chance of survival when this happens outside of a hospital. Without their help (treating me at the scene and staying with me until I went into theatre) I’m pretty sure my brain wouldn’t be working as it now is. I was astounded to learn that they are volunteers on top of their busy day jobs.”
Graeme Byrne with SARS volunteers Paramedic Zoey Spurgeon and Dr Patricia Mills
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Improving patient outcomes…
SARS clinicians carry advanced drugs, including painkillers and sedatives, which are not normally found on frontline ambulances. This enables them to undertake specialist interventions such as sedation and anaesthesia, which would not otherwise be possible outside a hospital environment.
Over the course of this year, SARS clinicians administered sedations and provided advanced pain relief to 74 time-critical patients to enable their rapid transfer to hospital. In the majority of these cases, the patients were accompanied to hospital by a SARS clinician to ensure their condition remained stable throughout the journey.
SARS clinicians also undertook surgical and advanced airway management procedures on a further 35 patients to help preserve life before transferring to hospital.
16 patients in cardiac arrest were also resuscitated with the help of fellow emergency service personnel.
In total, SARS treated 362 patients between April 2021 and March 2022 and a SARS responder was the first medical resource on scene in 32% of the medical emergencies that they attended.
A SARS team in attendance at a serious road traffic collision in 2021
“There are no words to explain my thanks to the amazing service you provide. Keep doing what you do – you save and change people’s lives every day. You are all an inspiration.” (SARS patient 2021)