Bournemouth University Pre-Hospital and Emergency Care Conference 2016 (♯BUPECC2016) was the first of its kind and was held in Bournemouth House on the 18^th June. A small committee, consisting of paramedic science students and programme lead Peter Phillips, planned the project. The concept was to hold an educational, student-led conference with the aim of bringing together students from across the South West of England studying all aspects of healthcare and to promote Bournemouth University as a centre of excellence within the health and social science sector. Planning began in late September and frequent meetings were held throughout the year and BUPECC was born.

The team submitted the idea for consideration to the centre for excellence in learning (CEL) student/staff co-creation project. Winning the CEL award made a huge difference to our concept. Passionate about healthcare and the University we felt it essential to promote a professional image, after all we were planning an event that had never been done before and were representing the university, faculty and paramedic students. CEL funding was used to purchase banners, staff clothing and BU branded gifts for guest speakers and corporate branding. Without the CEL funding we would have had an extremely limited budget and believe our event would not have been as successful.

The BUPECC welcoming committee greeting guests at reception.

A huge amount of work was needed to make the project a success. Following months of meticulous planning, hundreds of e-mails and many phone calls BUPECC 2016 was extremely well received by all those attending. The project was an excellent opportunity for delegates who were able to network with health professionals and fellow students from across the South West, as well as forging links and creating valuable connections with future employers.

Linked to the conference, the flexible learning space was used as an exhibition area. Various organisations from across the healthcare sector were invited to attend. These included both London and the South Western Ambulance Service. Charities such as the local Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance also attended alongside trade unions and many more giving students great exposure to potential opportunities. Throughout the refreshment breaks, students had the chance to network (as well as gain a few freebies!) with these organisations.

During the day we had a programme of speakers each one talking on a particular topic related to pre-hospital, critical or emergency care. When planning our programme not only did we want it to be relevant to our target audience but also be interesting and exciting.

Andy Sharman, a College of Paramedics and Health Education England representative, was  our keynote speaker and discussed the future of the Paramedic profession.

BU Alumni, Alex Darby presenting on his experience as a newly qualified Paramedic.

A variety of topics were covered, including mental health, end of life care, drowning and traumatic brain injuries. The programme was educational and varied and our speakers included Bournemouth university lecturer Paul Savage OBE and a member of Bournemouth University’s Health and Social Science Alumni and registered Paramedic Alex Darby.

We were honoured to have the support of the College of Paramedics throughout the event: we were granted permission to use their logo on our programme and throughout our advertisement campaign.

Overall BUPECC 2016 was a resounding success and was a fantastic experience for all those involved. We are extremely proud of the passion and dedication demonstrated by the team who have worked extremely hard to make it happen. Delegates were invited to complete a short survey telling us what they thought of Bournemouth Universities first ever Pre-Hospital and Emergency Care Conference. The survey information will help us shape and improve BUPECC 2017, ensuring a fantastic student experience for next year. We’ve received some great feedback from delegates, speakers and organisations and we are extremely excited to start planning next year’s event.

The BUPECC 2016 Team (Missing a couple!). A mix of first and second year Paramedic Students and Program Lead Peter Phillips.

Thank you CEL for supporting us to help to make this all possible.

Definitely an achievement!

Post written by students Paul Dunn and Cleo Bishop-Bolt.