Draft:BASICS Devon

Volunteer immediate care in Devon has roots in earlier local schemes, including Plymouth Immediate Medical Support (PLIMS) and the Tamar and Torridge Immediate Care Scheme (TACTICS). Contemporary newspaper coverage reported on PLIMS in the 1990s as a voluntary doctor service supporting ambulance crews in Plymouth.^[3][4]

TACTICS developed in North Devon. In a 2023 local press article, Dr David Hillebrandt, a BASICS Devon doctor, described how the Tamar and Torridge Immediate Care Scheme evolved in the area and later developed more formal links with South West Ambulance Services.^[5]

BASICS Devon was later formed through the merger of PLIMS and TACTICS in 2013, creating a more coordinated immediate care scheme for the county of Devon.^[6]

BASICS Devon responders attend medical and trauma emergencies across Devon, including road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests and other serious incidents. The charity's clinicians provide enhanced pre-hospital care at the scene, often before or alongside ambulance crews.^[7]

The organisation’s volunteers are dispatched at the request of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. A 2018 report in the Cornish & Devon Post described BASICS Devon as a network of emergency volunteer doctors providing immediate access to specialist medical care at the scene of accidents or illness.^[8]

In 2021, the charity launched a rapid response vehicle funded with support from the HELP Appeal.^[9] The HELP Appeal has also supported BASICS Devon through grants for emergency response vehicles, equipment and clinical governance systems.^[10]

BASICS Devon publishes annual operational statistics in its annual reports. Reported activity has included incident activations, scene attendances, mileage travelled, time spent with patients and occasions where BASICS Devon responders were first clinician on scene.^{[11][12][6][13][14]}

The charity reported that its 2024 activity included 420 patients treated, 105 evening or night-time incidents, more than 25,180 hours of on-call availability and eight training events.^[14]

In addition to emergency response, BASICS Devon provides life-saving education and community training. Local press coverage has described its volunteers as educators who teach life-saving skills to emergency carers and community groups, including Young Farmers' Clubs, Scouts and Guides.^[15]

The charity has also developed an online clinical governance dashboard to capture non-identifiable incident data and support education, governance and equipment tracking.^[16]

BASICS Devon is governed by a board of trustees and supported by operational, fundraising and clinical governance roles. Its internal structure includes an Operations Group, Finance and Fundraising Group, and Medical and Quality Group.^[13]

The Charity Commission lists the charity as operating in Cornwall, Devon and Plymouth, with activities classified under the advancement of health or saving of lives.^[17]

BASICS Devon receives no government funding and is funded through donations, grants, fundraising and charitable support.^[18]

According to the Charity Commission, for the financial year ending 31 March 2024, BASICS Devon reported total income of £58,602 and total expenditure of £64,526.^[19]

The charity has received grant support from organisations including the National Lottery Awards for All scheme and the HELP Appeal.^[20][21]

In 2025, BASICS Devon received the King's Award for Voluntary Service. The Lord-Lieutenant of Devon listed BASICS Devon as one of four Devon recipients of the 2025 award, describing it as a network of volunteer emergency doctors providing immediate access to specialist medical care across Devon.^[22]

The award was also reported by the Mid Devon Advertiser, which described BASICS Devon as a team of volunteer medics delivering emergency pre-hospital care and life-saving education.^[23]

BASICS Devon has been featured in local and national media in relation to individual patient stories.

In 2020, Devon Live reported on an incident in which parents performed CPR on their newborn child before two BASICS Devon doctors attended, one of whom was first on scene.^[24]

In 2023, the Plymouth Herald reported on the case of a patient, who was treated by a volunteer BASICS Devon doctor after suffering serious injuries while walking her dogs.^[25]

The BBC has also reported patient and community stories involving BASICS Devon, including an article titled "'I wouldn't be here' without volunteer doctors".^[26]

• British Association for Immediate Care
• Pre-hospital emergency medicine
• South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
• Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom

• Official website