Ambulance UK February 2021

NEWSLINE
AMBULANCE UK - FEBRUARY
NWAS
Ambulance service
demand remained
high over the festive
period
The week between Christmas
and New Year is traditionally
one of our busiest times of year,
and this year was no exception,
albeit slightly less than the
previous year.
On New Year’s Day alone we
received nearly five thousand 999
calls*, which was around 350
calls fewer (6½ %) than last year,
while on Christmas Day and New
Year’s Eve levels were only slightly
reduced.
Director of Operations, Ged
Blezard said: “As always, we were
well prepared for the spike in calls
over the whole festive period with
months of planning and additional
resources available.
“The reduction in New Year’s Day
calls undoubtedly was down to
the restrictions placed over the
region which prevented the usual
alcohol related incidents in town
and city centres. However the
number of 999 calls we received
on New Year’s Day still represents
a high level of demand and
coronavirus itself continues to add
it’s own complications”
“However we have continued to
meet the challenges to provide a
safe service not only across our
999 emergency service, but also
our 111 and Patient Transport
services thanks to the skill and
effort of all the NWAS staff that
worked over the festive period
“Alongside our dedicated
workforce, we are also very
grateful for the support from our
Community First Responders
and other volunteers at this time.
Many have been helping to man a
specialist fleet of welfare vehicles
during busy shifts, supplying
drinks, snacks and wellbeing
advice to staff as they convey
patients to hospitals across the
region. The fact that they are
volunteers and give their time
freely makes their contribution
even more commendable.”
“I would like to thank everyone
for their support during this
busy time and using the service
appropriately. We must prioritise
life-threatening emergencies
which can mean that patients
in a less serious condition do
experience a wait. We have been
able to reduce wait times as
much as possible by managing
calls through our clinical hub
providing medical advice over the
phone and treating patients in the
community wherever possible,
reducing unnecessary emergency
department admissions.
“As we head into January and
February and the cold winter
continues, we are expecting the
high demand to continue and
ask for the public to continue to
help us by only calling 999 in lifethreatening
emergencies.”
*This statistic includes 999 calls,
duplicate calls, incidents at events
where NWAS is the medical
provider and 111 pass throughs.
LAS
Capital’s bluelight
services join
together to care for
Londoners during
second Covid wave
A new blue-light partnership
between London Ambulance
Service and Metropolitan Police
Service will see police officers
across the capital driving
ambulances and assisting
medics to help boost the
emergency response to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The Metropolitan Police Service
has agreed to provide around
75 police officers to London
Ambulance Service. The
new partnership will help the
ambulance service to continue to
put more ambulances on the road
responding to Londoners that
need them.
The officers, who began training
on Wednesday 13 January, are
blue light driving trained, have
basic first aid skills and know the
streets of London well, making
them the ideal partners to assist
the ambulance service during this
period of unprecedented demand.
Metropolitan Police
Commissioner, Dame Cressida
Dick visited the training on
Wednesday at Wembley Stadium
connected by EE.
Jason Hallahan, Emergency
Planning and Resilience Officer
for London Ambulance Service,
walked Ms Dick around the set
up and showed her how officers
are being trained on vehicle
familiarisation, manual handling
and ambulance equipment –
before the Commissioner spoke
with the Chief Executive of London
Ambulance Service, Garrett
Emmerson.
London Ambulance Service Chief
Executive Garrett Emmerson said:
“London Ambulance Service and
the Metropolitan Police Service
have worked hand in glove over
many decades responding
together to all of the most
challenging incidents in the recent
history of London.
“It makes perfect sense that in
the face of sustained levels of
unprecedented demand we are
taking steps to help our staff
and volunteers care for London
by enlisting the help of our MPS
colleagues.
“Partnership working with our
emergency services colleagues is
an essential part of our response
to the pandemic and will help us
to reach more patients in need of
our help during this difficult time.
We are also training more London
Fire Brigade firefighters, whose
support since April 2020 has been
invaluable.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Cressida Dick said although only
75 drivers were required initially,
hundreds of volunteers came
forward.
“London Ambulance Service really
are in quite severe difficulties with
servicing all the calls that they have
at the moment because of the
tremendous pressures brought by
the COVID virus,” she said.
“They asked whether we might
be able to assist – I had dozens
of volunteers and we have 75
officers who are assisting the
paramedics as they go about their
daily business.
“They are skilled police drivers,
they’re good decision makers and
I’m really pleased that we are able
to help the LAS at this incredibly
difficult time in this way.”
This training - which includes
familiarisation with ambulances
and some of the equipment such
as carry chairs and trolley lifts, is
being given at Wembley Stadium,
thanks to the ongoing support of
the Football Association.
Mark Burrows, The FA’s Chief
Operating Officer, said: “At this
unprecedented time in which
our emergency services are
under such sustained pressure,
we are privileged to be able to
play a small part in supporting
the London Ambulance Service,
Metropolitan Police Service and
London Fire Brigade in their
efforts to care for people across
the capital.
“After assisting with the delivery
of a similar exercise back in
16
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