Black Bag.

The 'Black Bag' contained intubation and infusion equipment.
In the early 1970's the Portsmouth Ambulance Service began a programme of training suitably qualified staff in the skills of intubation and infusion.

The initial pilot scheme (1971) for advanced training was organised under the auspices of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents ' Rescue and Resuscitation Committee'. This group was chaired by the late Professor Bernard Lucas. The ambulance services involved were Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and Hampshire. The Isle of Wight Ambulance Service joined the programme a little later, which was known as ' The Wessex Scheme'. - Other pilots in the UK included Nottingham, Brighton (which was one of the first to include Coronary Care), Bristol and London. In the Portsmouth area a lead figure for the schemes adoption was Dr D A Argent (Don), a Senior Consultant Anaesthetist, at St Mary's Hospital and Chairperson of the Portsmouth Group Hospitals Anaesthetic Group. The actual responsibility for the 'day to day' programme and training of personnel rested with Dr J R B Young (Bob) , a Consultant Anaesthetist.

Hospital training could be undertaken at a number of hospital sites within the Wessex area and I do believe that Pete Goater completed his theatre training at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Boscombe, Bournemouth.