Our Managing Director, Heather Hamill-Vaughan, spoke to Ulster Business as part of their Entrepreneur of the Month feature. Find out more about Heather and her business journey below.
How is business?
As an independent ambulance service in business for 24 years, there is never a dull moment! We provide medical cover for a broad spectrum of events such as sporting events – from international football to school rugby, fun days out, music events and venues such as the SSE Arena and the Waterfront and Ulster Halls.
In addition, we have a patient transfer service which supports the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Our Training Unit also continues to go from strength to strength. We are not only training our staff with accredited qualifications, but we are launching our new venture ProMediKids, bringing first aid training to children.
How did you get started in the industry?
The truth of this one is really by default. My brother, John Cunningham, started Proparamedics in 1999, supplying medical cover for what we now know as the SSE Arena. Proparamedics was the first private ambulance service to be founded in Northern Ireland.
John became ill in January 2009, so whilst holding down my own job at the time, I took the phone and took over for a while and with the help of others in Proparamedics at the time we got through. As John recovered, he asked if I would come on board and by March 2009, I was hooked.
Even though I am completely non-clinical, I can say from experience that Paramedics and medical staff are truly wonderful at saving lives, but my skill is logistics and that’s what my day-to-day job mainly entails.
In 2009, we had four ambulances and 30 ad hoc staff. Today we have a fleet of ambulances and employ 135 staff for patient transfers, event medical cover, repatriations and training provision.
Sadly, John passed away in 2017 but his memory lives on for us as a business and as a family with what we do every day and how we help our healthcare colleagues, the community and families.
Typically, who are your clients or customers?
Our clients are essentially either those that have a requirement to get someone who needs medical assistance moved from A to B or an event organiser. One of our biggest clients is the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service which we support on a daily basis, along with individual Health Trusts as required.
In the event field, we provide medical cover to clients such as the RUAS for Balmoral Show, the SSE Arena, a number of the Northern Ireland Councils and the BBC. Sporting event cover includes Down Royal Racecourse, the British Board of Boxing, the IFA, Cricket Ireland, Athletics NI and the GAA.
Do you enjoy what you do, and what in particular?
There will always be challenges, but I love what I do. I’m the type of person if I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t do it - life is too short. I enjoy the diversity of the job and all that entails, from decision making to dealing with clients. Most of all I enjoy working with the team of people who have made Proparamedics what it is today. They ensure the patients are looked after and that our clients and their families receive a service that they would wish for their own family.
What is the most difficult part of your job?
The most difficult part of this job is the lack of regulation in the independent ambulance sector. We strive to run a professional business and as a sector, we want to associate with likeminded businesses who put patient care first and who invest in their staff.
Proparamedics Ltd is proud to be accepted as members of the Independent Ambulance Association UK (IAAUK). This is the only pathway to ‘voluntary regulation’ available in Northern Ireland and we are one of the two independent companies in NI that have this membership.
Recently I was privileged to be offered a Directorship post on the Board of the IAAUK – the only NI representative. I plan to use this position to promote Regulation for the industry in Northern Ireland and to bring best practice learnings back to Proparamedics.
What are the challenges facing your sector and the economy in general?
A non-regulated sector presents major challenges in ensuring a cohesive and collective approach in providing safe and professional ambulance services.
As part of the health sector, we are still viewed as an ‘arms length’ body and as such, different rules apply which can be very demoralising for staff. In addition, in a sector where budgets are allocated on a very short-term basis, our contracts mean that work can be allocated and taken away without much notice thereby making business planning at times very frustrating. At Proparamedics, we pride ourselves on being proactive in our diversification, and adaptable and flexible in our daily approach - complacency is not an option.
