East Midlands Immediate Care Scheme expands to cover Lincolnshire at request of East Midlands Ambulance Service

A volunteer doctor scheme is expanding to help an under-pressure ambulance service.

The East Midlands Immediate Care Scheme (Emics) has expanded to include the entirety of Lincolnshire, following a request from East Midlands Ambulance Service.

This will add an extra 2,700 square miles to the area previously covered by Emics and mean another three doctors are added to their team.

The scheme was founded almost 40 years ago by Rutland doctor Tim Gray who volunteered with the ambulance service to treat seriously ill and injured patients at the scene and en-route to hospital.

It began as the Rutland Accident Care Scheme before merging with a similar scheme in Derbyshire run by Dr Andrew Davies to cover more ground, including the neighbouring counties of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

The charity has responded to more than 50,000 emergencies - an average of three patients every day - operating 24/7, 365 days a year.

Dr Gray said: “For 40 years, Emics has ensured patients receive expert care when every second counts. I’m delighted to welcome our new Lincolnshire doctors, whose dedication and expertise will be instrumental in saving lives.”

Emics doctors are called on by East Midlands Ambulance Service to help in emergency medical care situations - to either assist paramedics, or to be the first response at a scene. They help with incidents including severe trauma, cardiac arrest or a major road accident.

This specialist intervention is usually available only to patients in hospital and has been shown to significantly improve survival rates by delivering critical treatment at the scene.

While the arrival of Emics in Lincolnshire is being welcomed as a boost for the county’s emergency care provision, the charity relies entirely on public donations to fund its lifesaving work.

Dr John Inman, strategic lead for Emics, is urging Lincolnshire residents and businesses to help sustain the service:

He said: “This expansion is all about making sure that patients and their families get the best possible care when it matters most. But we can’t do it alone.

“We rely on the support of our community to keep this vital work going.

“As a charity, we receive no government funding, and we need £90,000 each year to keep saving lives. Every donation goes directly toward providing lifesaving treatment—whether that’s at the roadside or potentially in your own home.”