Ambulance

Proud moment for paramedics as they complete degree level apprenticeship

The first cohort of East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) staff to qualify as paramedics through a new apprenticeship degree programme with the University of Cumbria have been celebrated at a special ceremony after achieving ‘phenomenal results’. The group of 20, who graduate at the University of Cumbria later this month, were presented with a… Read more »

London Ambulance Service celebrates 75 years of the NHS

London Ambulance Service is joining the nation in celebrating the difference the NHS has made to millions of people’s lives over the last 75 years with a range of events and will display a historic Daimler ambulance outside the Waterloo Road headquarters, which entered service a few months after the birth of the health service… Read more »

Ofcom launches investigation into 999 failure

The regulator has confirmed that it is investigating BT following a UK-wide disruption to emergency call services on 25 June. Ofcom said that its rules require BT and other providers to take all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency organisations as part of any call services offered. They also require providers to take… Read more »

Ambulance chiefs set out role of ambulance sector in reducing inequalities

The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives has published a consensus statement that sets out a shared commitment to strengthening the role that everyone working in the ambulance sector can play in reducing health inequalities. Working with leaders of Integrated Care Systems (ICS), ambulance chiefs are seeking to support improvements across communities and identify opportunities for… Read more »

New training facility opens for Scottish Ambulance Service

Part of the Scottish Ambulance Service’s civil contingencies response programme, the new special operations training facility in Newbridge brings training and equipment logistics into a single new hub. The £1.5m facility will be used for a range of training exercises, including how to respond to major incidents, and also Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN)… Read more »

East Midlands Ambulance expands green fleet

With the help of the NHS Charities Together grant, East Midlands Ambulance Service has bought nine new electric vehicles to support its Community Responder scheme, bringing its fleet up to 17 vehicles in total. The investment in electric vehicles is part of EMAS’s goal to becoming net zero by 2040. It started investing in its… Read more »

Dancing triumph for Wiltshire paramedic

A fast-footed paramedic from the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) has been crowned World Irish Dance Champion. Leon Westcott, who works out of the Trust’s Malmesbury station, triumphed at the World Irish Dance Championships in Killarney, County Kerry.  He says that the rapid toe-tapping moves of Irish dancing keeps him in top physical form,… Read more »

Identifying emerging workforce challenges across the emergency services

SFJ Awards has launched its 2023 State of the Workforce Survey to identify critical skills and development shortages at an individual, organisational and systemic level to support the UK government and sector leaders as they plan for the workforce of the future. This is the latest in a series of regular large-scale national surveys to… Read more »

Welsh Ambulance Service chooses LifeX to improve 999 call response

The Welsh Ambulance Service has introduced new technology to improve the way it responds to 999 calls. It has invested in LifeX from Frequentis to provide telephony and communications services that help control room dispatchers to better communicate with frontline crews and process information in a more streamlined way. The Trust is the largest ambulance… Read more »