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North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has marked its 20th anniversary by launching a new five-year strategy focused on improving patient care, addressing health inequalities and strengthening the public’s role in shaping services.
Formed in 2006, NWAS now serves more than 7.5 million people across Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, and has grown into one of the largest ambulance trusts in England. Over two decades, the organisation has evolved from a predominantly emergency response service into a broader provider of urgent and community-based care.
Today, the trust handles more than 1.4 million 999 calls and 1.8 million NHS 111 calls each year, while also transporting over a million patients to routine appointments and treating many more at home or in community settings. This shift reflects a wider move across the NHS towards delivering care closer to home and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.
The new strategy, covering 2026–2031, sets out how NWAS will respond to rising demand, increasingly complex patient needs and persistent inequalities across the North West. It is built around four priorities: delivering outstanding patient care, supporting a safe and inclusive culture for staff, strengthening collaboration across the NHS, and modernising how services are delivered.
A central theme of the plan is amplifying the patient voice. NWAS says it will expand opportunities for patients and the public to influence services through surveys, feedback and its patient and public panel, with patient experience identified as a key measure of success.
Chief Executive, Salman Desai said the strategy reflects both the organisation’s evolution and the expectations of the communities it serves.
“As we mark 20 years of North West Ambulance Service, I feel incredibly proud to have seen first-hand how far we’ve come. We are there for people at some of the most critical moments of their lives. That responsibility has always driven us, but the way we deliver care has changed significantly, and it must continue to change to meet the needs of the future.”
Chief Executive Salman Desai.
Desai, who began his career as a paramedic in Bury, added that the plan is shaped by what patients, staff and partners have said matters most: safe, compassionate care, better joined-up services and a supportive working environment.
Looking ahead, NWAS plans to expand the use of digital tools and virtual care, enabling more patients to receive advice or treatment without needing to attend hospital. The trust also aims to increase the number of people treated safely at home or in community settings.
Addressing health inequalities is another key pillar of the strategy. With nearly a third of people in the North West living in some of the most deprived communities in England, NWAS says it will target support towards those most at risk, including people experiencing homelessness, those with learning disabilities or neurodiversity, and patients requiring end-of-life care.
The organisation also places strong emphasis on its workforce of more than 7,500 staff and 1,200 volunteers, recognising that staff wellbeing, inclusion and development are critical to delivering high-quality care.
As it enters its third decade, NWAS says the focus is on building a more responsive, integrated and patient-centred service, ensuring people receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place.
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