Military brought in to support North West Ambulance Service
It comes as 1 in 4 staff are off work because of COVID
Last updated 7th Jan 2022
The military is re-joining forces with North West Ambulance Service to help tackle staff shortages caused by Covid.
The service says 1 in 4 members of their workforce are currently off sick or isolating.
Around 150 personnel will partner with NWAS clinicians on the road, allowing them to make more efficient use of our emergency resources and supporting the wider NHS system.
They will be available to respond to patients whose need is not urgent who often have longer waits when the service is busy.
From Tuesday 150 personnel will work with paramedics to respond to some non-urgent emergency patients.
Director of Operations Ged Blezard says:
“It is no secret that the ambulance service, along with the NHS as a whole, has been under extreme pressure for several months. Now we are also experiencing high numbers of staff absences due to confirmed COVID-19 cases and isolation, with around 25% of the workforce currently affected. As part of our resilience planning, we can make a request to the military for support and feel now is the right time to put the arrangements in place.
“We worked alongside the military last February and March, and it allows us to have more of our vehicles on the road, getting people the treatment they need sooner. This frees up emergency ambulances to attend to urgent, life-threatening cases.”
"I would like to thank our NWAS team of staff and volunteers for their continued dedication over the last two years. They have been working incredibly hard to deliver the best possible service for our patients. Taking this timely intervention to increase our resources means we can carry on doing that while providing extra support for our staff and patients during another challenging period.
“As always, we are here for you in an emergency, and you can assist us by using 111 online if you need urgent care advice and only dialling 999 in a life-threatening situation.”
The military personnel will receive NWAS training in driving ambulances, manual handling, kit familiarisation and basic life support, similar to the standards of the trust’s patient transport staff who have also been supporting the emergency service throughout the pandemic.