Canadian Advanced Care Paramedic visits Edinburgh Station

The Scottish Ambulance Service's Edinburgh City station welcomed a special visitor yesterday, as Luke Wangmann, an Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) from Canada, joined local paramedics for an observer shift.

Originally hailing from the NSW Central Coast in Australia, Luke completed his Bachelor of Paramedicine at the Australian Catholic University before moving to Canada. He now works with Medavie Health Services - West in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

His visit to Edinburgh provided a unique opportunity to explore the differences and similarities between North American and the NHS' Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems.

During his time on the road, Luke was paired with Paramedic Steve Reiffer, a fellow Australian, who currently serves on Edinburgh City's Paramedic Response Unit (PRU/3RU). The day-long shift offered both paramedics a chance to share insights into their respective practices and to discuss approaches to pre-hospital care.

"The experience was invaluable," said Luke.

"Observing how the Scottish Ambulance Service operates provided me with new perspectives on international EMS systems and opened the door for future collaboration between Canadian and Scottish paramedics."

Steve, who plans to travel to Saskatoon in the near future, expressed excitement about the opportunity to observe EMS operations in Canada. "It's an exciting opportunity to witness firsthand how various countries approach paramedicine" he said. "I'm looking forward to bringing back some of those insights to enhance my own practice and contribute to SAS here in Scotland."

Luke's visit marks an important step in fostering international relations within the field of paramedicine, laying the groundwork for future opportunities and collaborations between ---the Scottish and Canadian EMS communities.