Emergency Medical Services Personnel Benefits From Training Collaboration With West Midlands Ambulance Service

PRESS RELEASE

FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 10 March 2025: In an ongoing collaboration between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department and the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) from the UK, a recent clinical training initiative has been successfully concluded. The initiative highlights the strengthening of ties between the two organisations and focuses on enhancing the skill sets of EMS personnel working on the frontlines of emergency care across the islands.

A team of experts from the West Midlands Ambulance Service led by the Ambassador for Health of the Overseas Territories, Professor Ian Cumming, faciliated the specialised training, designed specifically to meet the needs of the EMS staff working in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The team included two highly experienced Clinical Team Mentors (CTMs) – Linda Wood and Adam Black – alongside Timothy Atherton, a 16-year veteran Paramedic and Tactical Incident Commander (TIC). In their respective roles, the CTMs bring invaluable expertise in clinical training, while Mr. Atherton’s extensive experience in managing major incident responses proved invaluable in addressing complex scenarios faced by EMS teams in the islands.

The initiative, held from 17^th February to 7^th March 2025, took place at the Ministry of Health’s conference room in Providenciales. The training program saw participation from EMS personnel from across the islands and focused on enhancing clinical skills and patient care. The goal was to improve the quality of emergency services, ensuring that both residents and visitors experience the highest level of care when using the ambulance service in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

This training marks the first phase of a broader strategy aimed at advancing prehospital care in the TCI. Developed through comprehensive data collection and analysis led by the Director of EMS, Andy Brijmohansingh, in collaboration with the senior leadership of the Ministry of Health and Human Services and the West Midlands Ambulance Service, this phased approach is designed to build a sustainable, long-term model for improving emergency services.

Honourable Kyle Knowles, Minister of Health and Human Services, commented on the success of the initiative, stating: “The Turks and Caicos Islands can look forward to an improved experience when utilising ambulance services across the nation, thanks to the enhanced training of our personnel. This is just the beginning of a continuous process of improvement aimed at providing exceptional care to our residents and visitors alike.”

For more information, please visit the Ministry of Health and Human Services’ official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/.

Photo Captions

1st insert: L-R: Adam Black, Linda Wood, Hugh Green, Howard Ainsworth, Andy Brijmohansingh, Tremayne Williams,

Maurice McKenzie, Maxie Pierre, Edwin Taveras, Zack Metus, Renende Charles, Delon Dennis, Timothy Atherton

2nd insert: L-R: Adam Black. Linda Wood, Professor Ian Cumming, Timothy Atherton