Background At the end of 2022 Mountbatten Hampshire met with the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) to discuss how the two organisations could work collaboratively to improve patient care and outcomes. As a result of this meeting it was clear that there was a lack of understanding of what Mountbatten and indeed hospices can offer and how they can support paramedics in their role. It was agreed that Mountbatten would facilitate awareness training sessions for SCAS employees.

Aims The aim of the sessions has been to give a potted history of the hospice sector, provide a clear picture of Mountbatten’s strategy and communicate how Mountbatten can support paramedics in the roles through Mountbatten’s 24/7 Coordination Centre and rapid response service. It is hoped this will assist paramedics when out in the community to know they can call Mountbatten in order to make the right decisions for the patient they have been called to.

Method It was felt that it was imperative that paramedics attend sessions at the hospice to help break down some of the perceptions of what a hospice is and also provide an opportunity to meet with the teams at the hospice. Training sessions have been held with each team of paramedics, each team consists of 20–25 members.

Results To date over 100 paramedics have attended the session and the feedback has been incredible. All groups so far have stated that end of life was the one area they had the least confidence in and we know Mountbatten has now given great assurance.

Conclusion The sessions started six months ago, with six teams attending the training so far, with another scheduled. Mountbatten will also be holding the same sessions for the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service during May and June.