
Show overview
RTB has been publishing since 2023, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 30 episodes, alongside 6 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 15 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence, with the show now in its 4th season.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 23 min and 31 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Education show.
There hasn’t been a new episode in the last ninety days; the most recent episode landed 4 months ago. Published by North East Ambulance Service.
From the publisher
RTB (Return To Base) is a podcast from North East Ambulance Service. In each episode, operational colleagues from across the service speak to experts within their field to try and answer some of the big questions staff members have about working in the ambulance service, from day-to-day issues like mental health and the importance of speaking up, to big picture ideas like the future of paramedicine.
Latest Episodes
View all 30 episodesS4 Ep 10Managing pain within the ambulance service
bonusIn this special bonus episode, NEAS locality manager Paul Elstob speaks to consultant paramedic Dan Haworth about pain management within the ambulance service.In their conversation, Paul and Dan discuss different tools available to NEAS clinicians for assessing pain in different types of patients, the simple actions clinicians can take before reaching for medication and the importance of documentation, not just at an individual level but in highlighting patterns of practice and influencing international best practice.If you have any feedback about this episode, or have a suggestion for a future topic to cover, please email [email protected]
S4 Ep 9RTB: Bonus Christmas episode
bonusOur guests and hosts throughout the year have been recording some bonus content for you especially for Christmas. In today's special Christmas episode, you can hear Paul Elstob, Fay Ord, Clare Graham, Dan Cooper, Louise Carbado, Kate Rogers, Yvette Campbell, Simon Kelly and James Atkinson talk about their Christmas guilty pleasures.If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, please email us at [email protected]

S4 Ep 8RTB: Ambulance Service and NHS partners working together for the right patient care
bonusIn this episode, newly qualified paramedic James Atkinson speaks to consultant paramedic in urgent care, Danielle Clark about how we are working with NHS partners to find the most appropriate care for our patients across the region during the winter period and beyond. If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at [email protected]

S4 Ep 7Evolving clinical practice: maternity tools, paediatrics and prehospital research
bonusIn this episode, Paul Elstob, locality manager in the south division talks to Dan Haworth, consultant paramedic in emergency care about the changes to clinical practice including the national prehospital maternity decision tool, learning from paediatrics and research. For more information: Maternity Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=QnvqHiVNqwvtga25&v=a-iS6as5pJ8&feature=youtu.be Paediatric Resources: https://spottingthesickchild.com/ Research Paper Link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642%2825%2900098-7/abstract If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at [email protected]

S4 Ep 6RTB: Supporting the ambulance service and the wider health system at times of pressure
In this episode, locality manager Paul Elstob speaks to operational delivery manager Clare Graham about the work going on to support the frontline from behind the scenes within the Operations Co-ordination Centre (OCC).If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at [email protected]

S4 Ep 5RTB: From call to care: how clinical assessment service (CAS) clinicians are helping reduce ambulance demand
In this episode, Yvette Campbell, clinical section manager in our Clinical Assessment Service (CAS), joins James Atkinson to discuss how CAS clinicians help patients access the most appropriate care — often preventing unnecessary ambulance dispatches. With a career spanning hospital care, patient transport, and frontline paramedicine, Yvette shares her unique perspective on the impact of effective signposting for both patients and crews.

S4 Ep 4RTB: Empowering colleagues to call out inappropriate behaviour
In this episode of RTB, Louise and Dan talk with Kate Rogers about the importance of Call it Out – our year-long campaign to empower colleagues to speak out about inappropriate behaviour they experience or witness.If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at [email protected]

S4 Ep 3RTB: How we’re supporting crews to prevent unnecessary emergency department admissions
In this episode, newly qualified paramedic James Atkinson speaks to clinical pathways lead Simon Kelly about the support he and his team provide to frontline ambulance crews, ensuring they have viable alternative options to the emergency department for their patients.If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at [email protected]

S4 Ep 2RTB: Dose of excellence: how medicines management supports emergency patient care
Welcome back to Return to Base Season 4!In this episode locality manager, Paul Elstob speaks to medicines manager, Fay Ord to talk about the role of medicines management within the ambulance service and the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure our patients receive excellent patient care. If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at [email protected]
S4 Ep 1Outgoing chief executive Helen Ray reflects on her time at NEAS
In this special episode, outgoing chief executive Helen Ray reflects on her time at North East Ambulance Service and her thoughts on the future as she prepares to retire after 42 years’ service to the NHS.If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at [email protected]

S3 Ep 7Clinical changes shaping paramedic practice across North East Ambulance Service
bonusRTB (Return to Base) returns with a brand-new podcast episode ahead of the series launch in the coming months. In this episode, paramedic, James Atkinson talks to consultant paramedic, Dan Haworth about the new changes to practice, research findings and learning from incidents across clinical practice.A list of additional resources for major trauma and anaphylaxis which can be found here:Major Traumahttps://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mattshttps://emj.bmj.com/content/37/10/e2.1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38946735/ Anaphylaxishttps://www.theresusroom.co.uk/courses/anaphylaxis/https://www.stemlynsblog.org/anaphylaxis-a-guideline-update/ https://parapassweb.co.uk/https://parapassweb.co.uk/ For NEAS Staff: Clinical care deskCDN 0033 Critical Care Desk.pdf CDN 0034 Major Trauma Bypass Tool and Open Fracture (Limb) Pathway.pdfSeason four will be launching very soon, so keep an eye on your podcast apps and internal channels for updates and of official launch date.

S3 Ep 6Developing your career within the North East Ambulance Service
In our last episode of Return to Base (RTB) season 3, Emergency Operations Centre team leader Ria Kilmister-Dawson caught up with Andrew Hodge, our director of paramedicine, and Karen Gardner, our head of workforce and development, to understand what career development looks like at North East Ambulance Service.

S3 Ep 5How we learn from incidents and support the region with large scale events: Part 2
In this episode of RTB (Return to Base), we continue the conversation with Marianne Walton, emergency preparedness, resilience, and response (EPRR) manager and Alan Potts, EPRR training manager. In this episode, they explain how we learn from incidents and how we plan and support large events.

S3 Ep 4How we support major incidents and prepare for emergencies: Part 1
In this episode of RTB, we speak to emergency preparedness, resilience, and response (EPRR) manager, Marianne Walton, and EPRR training manager, Alan Potts, where they explain what EPRR is, how it fits into NEAS and how we plan and provide support for major incidents.

S3 Ep 3The role of research within the ambulance service sector
Working hard behind the scenes here at North East Ambulance Service are a team of research paramedics, undertaking a variety of trials aimed at improving patient care, not just in our region but across the country.For this week’s episode of RTB, paramedic Stephen Hackles caught up with research paramedic Karl Charlton about current and upcoming projects and how to put forward an idea.

S3 Ep 2Palliative care in the ambulance service: a NEAS perspective
In this episode, newly-qualified paramedic, James Atkinson was joined by end-of-life facilitator, Karen Hertwick, on a discussion about the work our end-of-life care team does for our patients.Karen discusses her past 2 years with the service and how her past roles of working in the community has benefited her.

S3 Ep 1Being out and proud in the ambulance service - a National Coming Out Day special episode
In this week’s episode of RTB and in celebration of National Coming Out Day, our host and emergency operations centre team leader, Ria Kilmister-Dawson speaks to EPRR manager, Liam Garnett, about his experience of being proudly out as a gay man in the ambulance service.

S2 Ep 6How we safeguard vulnerable people in our service
In the final episode of the season 2 of the RTB (Return to Base) podcast series, we talk to Nichola Howard, named lead professional for safeguarding children at NEAS talks about how we safeguard vulnerable people in our service with the support of all of our teams. A paediatric nurse and health visitor by background, Nichola explains what her team are doing in the background when one of our call handlers or crews makes a referral and how they work with other agencies to share information to protect the vulnerable.

S2 Ep 5The role of mentoring within the ambulance service
Mentoring is a crucial part of paramedicine, ensuring the next generation of paramedics have the confidence and skills required to care for patients across the North East.In this episode, paramedic mentors Stephen Hackles and Stephen Greenwood discuss the role of mentoring within the ambulance service. As well as defining the role, they talk about the different types of mentor, the importance of being confident in your own ability as a paramedic prior to becoming a mentor, dealing with difficult conversations, advice for mentors, and what they personally get out of mentoring.

S2 Ep 4How we support health inequalities across the North East
In this episode of RTB (Return to Base), Frazer Gregory, EOC team leader at NEAS talks to Kavita Chawla, speciality registrar in public health about her placement role in the North East Ambulance Service and is the first registrar in the North East to be based within the ambulance service. This episode highlights one of the starkest inequalities in the North East is life expectancy between those living in affluent areas compared with more deprived areas. If you'd like to get in touch about anything you've heard on RTB, or if you want to suggest a topic for us to cover in a future episode, you can email us at [email protected]