Military called in to support Yorkshire Ambulance Service
We're told 40 personnel will help with transporting non emergency patients in the coming weeks
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) has requested additional support from the military as it continues to experience operational pressures which have been exacerbated by COVID-19 related absence.
The request for aid has been accepted and this will see 40 military personnel supporting YAS clinicians by assisting with the transportation of patients with less urgent needs, enabling the Trust to make more efficient use of its emergency resources.
They will be available to work alongside YAS colleagues to transfer patients between hospitals and assist with non-emergency patient transport service, conveying the most vulnerable patients for life-saving treatments and transporting patients discharged from hospital.
The military personnel will begin training with YAS from 18 January and will be working with patients within two weeks.
Military personnel will be working with the Trust for a number of weeks.
Nick Smith, Executive Director of Operations, said: “Like all other ambulance, health and community services across the country, we are experiencing operational pressures which are exacerbated by COVID-19 related absence.
“Our dedicated staff are doing their best to respond as quickly as possible to all 999 calls, but we acknowledge that some patients are having to wait longer for an ambulance response. As part of our resilience planning, we have always had the option of making a request to the military for help and we have now asked for that assistance.
“We will be able to use military personnel to work alongside our staff, enabling us to support patients and get people the treatment they need sooner. This, in turn, will free up our staff to attend to serious and life-threatening cases. Military staff will work alongside a YAS colleague and attend minor cases, hospital transfers and discharges only.”
“They will receive YAS training in driving ambulances, manual handling, kit familiarisation and basic life support, similar to the standards of the Trust’s patient transport service staff who have also been supporting the emergency service throughout the pandemic. They will enable paramedics to accompany patients, whose condition is not deemed to be serious, in the back of vehicles while being driven to or from hospitals.”
Nick Smith added: “I would like to thank all our hard-working staff and volunteers for their continuing efforts and requesting this additional support means that we can further support our staff and volunteers as they care for our patients during this challenging time.
“We would like to reassure our patients and the public that, in spite of the challenges currently faced, our emergency service remains fully operational and anyone who needs our assistance for life-threatening of serious emergencies should continue to call 999.”