Ambulance UK June 2022

Volume 37 No. 3 

June 2022 

DEDICATED TO THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AND ITS SUPPLIERS 

VCS Leads the Way as UK’s 

#1 Ambulance Converter

corpuls now connects with iOS via Bluetooth 

Ensuring patients get the most suitable treatment as quickly as possible. 

Connect corpuls devices to Apple products via Low Energy Bluetooth to transmit all relevant 

patient data in a bi-directional manner, as well as vital parameters and D-ECGs. 

The Monitoring Unit The Patient Box The Defibrillator 

Paramedics in England will benefit from the roll out of 30,000 Apple iPads aimed at increasing patient 

care by faster and more accurate transfer of data, access to patient records, and virtual collaboration 

with other relevant clinicians whilst on scene. 

With iOS integration, EPR systems can now push patient data direct to the corpuls devices, 

so the paramedics don’t have to. 

All D-ECGs, vital parameters and events can be sent automatically to the electronic patient 

record allowing for smoother and more accurate handover of patients to receiving hospitals. 

When connected via GSM or WLAN, live transmission of all mission data can be sent to 

hospitals or specialist clinicians to help provide immediate support where required or 

make decisions on where to take patients for further treatment. 

Learn more by visiting our website: www.theortusgroup.com 

Official UK supplier of corpuls 

devices and software. 

E: hello@ortus.co.uk 

T: +44 (0)845 459 4705 

W: www.theortusgroup.com

CONTENTS 

CONTENTS 

Ambulance UK 

68 EDITOR’S COMMENT 

70 FEATURES 

After choosing Apex’s Patient Transport Software, Patient 

Transport UK haven’t looked back 

72 NEWSLINE 

92 IN PERSON 

94 COMPANY NEWS 

This issue edited by: 

Sam English 

c/o Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks, Lockhill 

Upper Sapey, Worcester, WR6 6XR 

ADVERTISING: 

Terry Gardner, Samantha Marsh 

CIRCULATION: 

Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks, Lockhill 


Tel: 01886 853715 

E: info@mediapublishingcompany.com 

www.ambulanceukonline.com 

COVER STORY 

PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY: 

February, April, June, August, 

October, December 

VCS, the UK’s leading ambulance conversion specialist, has 

experienced remarkable growth over recent months. January saw the 

company score highest in the new NHS Collaborative Procurement 

Hub Framework Agreement for Ambulance and Specialist Vehicle 

Conversions, an initiative that aims to bring the specification of all 

ambulances in the UK under a single standard. 

The NHS framework assesses its bidders on their technical ability, their quality, and the 

financial packages on offer. Achieving the highest score is a clear indication of VCS’s 

excellent quality, innovation, and value for money, confirming the company’s position as the 

leading ambulance conversion specialist in the UK. 

Being accepted onto this framework allows VCS to undertake conversions of the Fiat 

Ducato Dual Crewed Ambulance for NHS ambulance services across the UK, ensuring that 

NHS fleets across the country have access to the most innovative, advanced, and efficient 

vehicles. The company has wasted no time in getting the ball rolling, with the first batch of 

the vehicles that have been produced as part of the initiative already being delivered. 

This is a significant achievement for VCS, and it has pleased its ambulance fleet service 

customers, who have been delighted to be able to continue their working relationship with 

the company as part of the initiative. 

The VCS’s top spot on the framework has provided it with an excellent platform from which 

to grow. This growth has been reflected in the flurry of recruitment that has been seen 

across the business of late, with the company working to boost its workforce in a strategic 

manner. Recent hires have come in with the aim of, for example, strengthening the 

business’ product development, supply chain management and manufacturing efficiency. 

This, combined with the framework achievement, has seen VCS take the business to new 

heights. 

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Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks 

Lockhill 


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67

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

Welcome to this issue of AUK 

It seems both pertinent and appropriate to begin this litany with a proud nod to the Ambulance Trusts and 

individual colleagues who have contributed to the ongoing humanitarian effort in the Ukraine and to extend 

a UK welcome to those so sadly affected by a war they did not want. Our thoughts are with you. 


“I think it’s just 

important to 

remember that, 

in the quest 

for efficiency, 

we don’t lose 

sight of the 

things that 

make us who 

we are, the 

compassion 

to manage 

whatever we 

are faced with 

and the skill 

to provide that 

reassurance 

in the worst of 

times that help 

is at hand.” 

On a similar vane, it’s now 5 years since the Manchester Arena atrocity. The scars will never leave families, 

friends and ambulance colleagues who were involved. It is also a sobering reminder of the way time seems 

to fly by and how things have changed in a relatively short time. The pressure on today’s ambulance service 

has not returned to pre-covid rates and there are other changes on the horizon including GP opening 

hours which may further stretch already stressed service provision. It is perhaps a good time to think 

about alternatives and there are some novel solutions out there including the jetpac medic. I wonder where 

science fiction becomes science fact, having said that, up here in the North we’re already investing in 

drones and robotic process, along with ‘smart’ stations and vehicles… a brave new world! I’m not sure it 

will ever replace the ‘human’ touch but every minute shaved off the cycle times is more resource available. 

I think it’s just important to remember that, in the quest for efficiency, we don’t lose sight of the things that 

make us who we are, the compassion to manage whatever we are faced with and the skill to provide that 

reassurance in the worst of times that help is at hand. 

Its turning out to be a busy month with the upcoming Jubilee celebrations which will no doubt be both 

a great party and at the same time a massive planning exercise, we will no doubt see a huge increase in 

demand over the extended bank holiday weekend but hopefully everyone will get a chance to join in at 

some point and enjoy being part of such a hugely important historical moment. Hopefully the Jubilee and 

the rest of the summer will give you something back for the hardships of the last couple of years and I hope 

you enjoy the family time when you have a chance. 

Sam English, Co-Editor Ambulance UK 

68 

For more news visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com

We’re Hiring 

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We have ongoing opportunities with various roles 

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Please send us your CV and cover letter to: 

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PART OF 

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE 

AFTER CHOOSING APEX’S PATIENT 

TRANSPORT SOFTWARE, PATIENT 

TRANSPORT UK HAVEN’T LOOKED BACK 

With over 15 years’ experience in the industry, Bradley Woods from 

Patient Transport UK Ltd has witnessed a huge evolution in how jobs 

are organised. “They used to be phoned through and written down,” 

he explains. “We had ledgers, folders and paperwork everywhere. 

Then we moved to spreadsheets. Now with Apex PTS everything is 

done within one system, managed and linked to PDAs.” 

CQC audit 

Operations Managers are skilled at juggling many factors, but an increase 

in workflow meant that Patient Transport UK had to step up a gear. “We 

needed a way to streamline everything between booking and dispatch,” 

says Bradley. “The requirements of the CQC were also instrumental.” 

Today Apex PTS enables him to have “all the ducks in a row” and the 

ability to pinpoint vital information for auditing. “As our governing body, 

the CQC needed essential information,” Bradley explains. “We had to 

time stamp and audit everything, such as the use of restraint in our 

mental health work. We document it all with Apex, plus vehicle locations, 

speed, journey information and audit review.” 

During their latest audit, they achieved a CQC rating of good. The CQC 

overviewed the entire system and auditing processes; Bradley showed 

evidence of secure elements of booking, and features such as Fleet 

Management and Vehicle Checks. “We were able to demonstrate the 

things Apex were able to provide,” he says. 

Customer benefits 

Bradley’s customers can now use the booking portal to book directly 

into their system. They can also monitor the exact point of a journey. 

This increases clarity when vulnerable people are being dropped off and 

picked up. Bradley believes the process is now smoother and easier 

for the crews because they turn up with all information already on their 

screen, eliminating any confusion. “Especially,” he says, “if there are 

three or four bookings on the same site.” 

Bradley says. “Any time a defect is highlighted, I receive a report so I can 

deal with that straightaway.” 

Fleet Manager keeps on top of MOT and licence details, and 

reminders are sent through the system, a fact that Bradley 

appreciates: “It’s an extra layer of protections, ensuring we don’t 

miss anything. That’s definitely a good feature.” 

Tracking of vehicles is now easy. Bradley doesn’t need to be ‘glued’ 

to this function, but it gives him confidence that if an investigation 

was necessary, a clear and accurate picture of exact time stamps 

and journey references would be available. “If we ever have to look 

retrospectively,” he says, “we can see what has been done and why, 

and also where it happened.” 

Surprise benefits 

Apex PTS Software is packed with features, but a crew’s ability to report 

delays has been an unexpected benefit. In addition, the system allows 

Bradley to narrow down the fields of the reports: “Being able to create 

a custom report for a customer means we are able to tailor these 

reports easily and meet their specific needs. As the one who has to deal 

with reports, that’s a nice surprise and helpful!” 

Of all the benefits, Bradley now couldn’t be without the PDAs. “As long 

as these guys have their devices, we can still allocate their journeys,” 

he says. “That point when a journey comes in and it is allocated to 

a crew, that’s the essential bit. But we’ll take all that’s in the software,” 

he adds, “as it’s there!”. 


Getting on with work 

With 60 road staff and a growing customer base, a positive impact has 

been the organisation of crews to cover patients with ranging needs. 

In addition to work with hospitals and mental health secure transport, 

Patient Transport UK offers renal and event management. The software 

helps manage journeys, and Bradley can colour code what type of 

journey is allocated to which vehicle, and which crew will be needed for 

‘x’ amount of time. Today customers make bookings on the booking 

portal and the new system is absolutely the norm with the crews. 

“Some were a bit ‘technophobic’ at first,” Bradley admits. “But now they 

couldn’t work without their PDA.” 

Fleet Manager and Tracking 

Apex Fleet Manager allows an overview of vehicles and gives additional 

reassurance through the vehicle checks a crew must carry out before 

their shift. “We know that every day, every vehicle has been checked,” 

70 

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71

NEWSLINE 

SCAS 

Ambulance service 

supplies vital 

medical equipment 

to Ukrainian field 

hospitals 

South Central Ambulance 

Service NHS Foundation Trust 

(SCAS) has sent enough vital 

medical equipment to maintain 

a Ukrainian field hospital for 

up to two weeks – potentially 

helping to save hundreds, even 

thousands, of military and 

civilian lives in the country. 

A team of staff have volunteered 

their free time over to co-ordinate 

a collection of decommissioned 

supplies and equipment from 

across bases in Hampshire, 

Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, 

Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex. 

The equipment includes 

traction splints, neck collars, 

back boards, tourniquets, 

stretchers, blankets, blast and 

field dressings, decompression 

needles, chest seals, bandages, 

haemostatic agents to stop 

bleeding, extrication devices 

(used to remove victims of traffic 

collisions) and cannulas for types 

of intravenous access. 

The supplies filled one full lorry 

going directly to field hospitals to 

enable some of the most severely 

injured soldiers and civilians to be 

kept alive for up to 24 hours while 

they await emergency surgery in 

hospital. 

As of 31 March, the Office of 

the UN High Commissioner for 

Human Rights (OHCHR) had 

recorded 3,167 civilian casualties 

since the launch of Russian 

invasion on 24 February – 1,232 

killed and 1,935 injured – with 

the actual figures likely to be 

considerably higher. 

Kate Ellis, a Paramedic Team 

Leader in Oxfordshire who has 

been helping to coordinate 

the SCAS response, said: 

“The response we have seen 

throughout the organisation has 

been incredible from the very 

start and we have now ramped 

it up further with the donation of 

medical supplies and equipment 

which we know are so desperately 

needed in the conflict zones. 

“This will help to ensure people 

can receive care for up to 24 

hours while they await emergency 

surgery in hospital, meaning 

there is the potential for this work 

to help save hundreds, if not 

thousands, of lives. 

“We estimate our volume of 

supplies will be able to supply one 

field hospital for up to two weeks 

and some of the equipment – such 

as the long boards and extrication 

devices – is of course reusable.” 

In addition, another two lorries are 

set to be loaded with additional 

donations from staff, members of 

the public, community groups and 

businesses from across the south 

and forms part of a large-scale 

donation effort coordinated from 

Didcot, Oxfordshire. 

This has already seen seven 

heavy goods vehicles packed with 

clothing, food and drinks, blankets, 

toiletries, baby products, first aid 

equipment and medicines reach 

Ukraine, with the next three loads 

leaving Boundary Park sports facility 

in Didcot.after a final collections on 

Friday 1 April and 2 April. 

Along with the medical 

supplies, the team has been 

inundated with first aid supplies 

(bandages, plasters, dressings), 

over-the-counter medicines, 

food, refreshments, camping 

equipment, baby and child 

clothing and baby items including 

nappies, wipes, formula and 

bottles. 

Will Hancock, Chief Executive of 

SCAS, said: “We are all extremely 

proud of this work to support 

those most in need. The resolve 

everyone has shown to not only 

keep delivering in the day job after 

such a tough time of late but also 

drive forward with this outstanding 

voluntary programme is truly 

amazing.” 

The lorries will be driven by 

Ukrainian nationals who will leave 

Didcot for their final destination of 

a depot in Lviv in Eastern Ukraine 

where they will be unloaded and 

the supplies taken further into the 

country by humanitarian groups. 

SAS 

New boost for 

SAS’s mental health 

provision 


The Service has been provided 

with £1.6 million by the Scottish 

Government over the last three 

years as part of their Mental 

Health Strategy. The funding 

has supported mental health 

care initiatives, including 

establishing and staffing mental 

health triage cars, and boosting 

the care and support offered to 

individuals and communities. 

This investment supports the 

recruitment of 21 new mental 

health staff, including thirteen 

mental health paramedics and 

a manager, four mental health 

72 


NEWSLINE 

dispatchers and three clinical 

effectiveness leads. These leads 

offer support across a range 

of work streams, with a focus 

on education, mental health 

pathways and connecting with 

key partners. 

The funding is also assisting with 

the continuation of the Service’s 

Mental Health Triage cars, 

which provide specialist care to 

people who are experiencing 

mental health challenges and 

have contacted the Scottish 

Ambulance Service for help. 

These Mental Health Triage 

cars offer an adaptive and 

approachable way of responding 

to people experiencing mental 

health distress, with a joint 

response from a mental health 

practitioner and a paramedic, 

to meet the patient’s immediate 

needs. There are three mental 

health cars available for the east, 

west and the north, and are 

based in Dundee, Glasgow and 

Inverness. 

The Service has a further range 

of support services in place for 

people calling 999 to report 

mental health distress. SAS has 

partnered with NHS 24 and 

Police Scotland as part of the 

Enhanced Mental Health Pathway 

to continue the development of 

a Mental Health Hub which is 

hosted within NHS 24. Accessible 

for patients 24 hours a day, the 

Hub is staffed by psychological 

wellbeing practitioners, mental 

health nurse practitioners and 

mental health senior charge 

nurses. In support of the Distress 

Brief Intervention (DBI) national 

roll-out, SAS continues to connect 

people in distress through this 

initiative, offering a response to 

people who have called 999. 

The Scottish Ambulance Service’s 

Regional Director for the East 

region, Kenny Freeburn, said: 

“This funding continues to support 

the expansion of our initiatives to 

help in how we care for people 

experiencing mental health distress. 

“It’s estimated that at least one 

in four people a year in the UK 

will experience mental health 

challenges, and the number of 

people contacting the emergency 

services about mental health 

concerns is also increasing. 

“Our clinicians are often the first 

responders to have contact with a 

person experiencing mental health 

distress. Our ambition across all 

our initiatives is to connect people 

to the most appropriate care to 

meet their needs in as timely a 

manner as possible.” 

Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin 

Stewart said: 

“Mental wellbeing is more 

important than ever right now and 

I am pleased to see this initiative 

being established as part of the 

Scottish Government’s mental 

health strategy. With these three 

triage cars and over 20 dedicated 

roles within this service, it means 

people in need of mental health 

support will get it quicker and that 

can only be a good thing.” 

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73

NEWSLINE 

Rhondda Cynon Taf 

ambulance worker 

is tackling Mount 

Kilimanjaro to raise 

money for The 

Ambulance Staff 

Charity (TASC) 

Darren Panniers, Welsh 

Ambulance’s Head of Service 

for the South East Region, will 

be taking on the gruelling climb 

to Africa’s highest point later 

this year to raise vital funds 

for the national charity that’s 

dedicated to supporting his 

ambulance colleagues in their 

time of need. 

Just eight weeks after his 50th 

birthday, Darren will be setting 

off on his journey to Tanzania to 

begin his bucket-list challenge. He 

will leave Kilimanjaro basecamp 

on the 17th June 2022 and over 

the following seven days Darren 

will face a steep 6km climb to 

the mountain’s summit and back 

which will take him through 

tropical rainforest and snowcapped 

peaks. 

At 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) 

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest 

mountain in Africa and the tallest 

freestanding mountain in the 

world. According to Tanzania 

National Parks, Kilimanjaro 

attracts 50,000 climbers a year, 

about 50 times the number 

attempting either Everest. Darren’s 

love of walking and hill climbing 

first started during his career as a 

Royal Marine. Darren says: 

“I love the outdoors and to climb 

one of the highest peaks in the 

world has always been on my 

bucket list. I’m really excited to 

get started and have been doing 

lots of training and hill practice. 

My only slight worry is how I’ll 

handle the altitude challenges, as 

it’s almost impossible to prepare 

for, but I’m not letting it stop me.” 

An Cwmaman-native, Darren has 

spent over 20 years in the Welsh 

Ambulance Service and has 

performed many roles throughout 

his career. Originally joining the 

service in 1999 as an Emergency 

Medical Technician, Darren has 

also served as a Paramedic, 

Clinical Team Leader, and 

Operations Manager. Darren is 

currently the Head of Operations 

for the South East Region which 

includes Caerphilly, Blaenau 

Gwent, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, 

Newport, Cardiff and the Vale of 

Glamorgan. 

Darren is taking on this oncein-a-lifetime 

challenge to raise 

money for TASC, The Ambulance 

Staff Charity. Launched in 2015, 

TASC is the national charity 

dedicated to caring for the 

mental, physical and financial 

wellbeing of the UK’s ambulance 

community including serving 

and retired staff, their family 

members, ambulance service 

volunteers and paramedic 

science students. Speaking 

about why he’s supporting TASC, 

Darren said: 

to reach £5,000 by the time he 

starts his climb, which could 

help TASC pay for 112 mental 

health support sessions or 

139 hours of physiotherapy 

for ambulance staff injured 

in the line of duty. Darren is 

raising funds through an online 

JustGiving page: 

https://www.justgiving.com/ 

fundraising/darren-panniers 

Karl Demian, TASC’s Chief 

Executive Officer, said: 

“We’re very grateful that Darren 

has chosen to fundraise for 

TASC to help his colleagues. 

Demand for TASC’s services 

is growing rapidly, and we’re 

seeing a 400% increase in 

people contacting us when 

compared to 2017/18. 

Ambulance staff have one of 

the most stressful jobs in the 

UK and the long-term impacts 

of Coronavirus are making their 

job that much harder. Right now, 

ambulance staff need TASC 

more than ever, and we need 

the support of the general public 

“I have seen first-hand the great 

work ambulance staff do to 

support their patients; however, 

the job can take a real toll on 

staff, and sometimes they need 

to ensure TASC can continue 

being an independent source of 

support for the UK’s ambulance 

community in their time of need.” 

a bit of extra help to get back 

on top. From my experience as 

a paramedic and as a manager, 

I’ve seen the difference TASC has 

Jason Killens, Chief Executive 

of the Welsh Ambulance Service 

said: 


been making to my colleagues, 

not just with their mental health, 

but their physical health and 

finances too. The work TASC 

has done for Welsh Ambulance 

staff is fantastic but we’re just a 

small part of the UK’s ambulance 

service. I’m doing this climb for 

TASC because I want to give 

back to the charity so that they 

can continue providing their vital 

support to my colleagues across 

the UK.” 

So far, Darren has raised over 

£3,600 for TASC and is aiming 

“After a long delay due the 

pandemic travel restrictions, 

the moment has finally arrived 

for Darren, and we couldn’t be 

prouder of him for choosing to 

support TASC. 

Ambulance staff across the UK 

have faced what may prove to 

be the most challenging period 

of their career of late, and the 

wellbeing services that TASC 

provide free of charge are 

proving vital. Good luck, Darren. 

We’ll all be rooting for you back 

in Wales.” 

74 


NEWSLINE 

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75

NEWSLINE 

WAS 

Welsh Ambulance 

Service commends 

military’s 

contribution to 

Covid-19 effort 

The Chief Executive and Director 

of Operations presented a 

commemorative plaque to 

colleagues at Cardiff’s Maindy 

Barracks as a token of its 

appreciation. 

29 March 2022 marked the 

military’s last shift with the service. 

“We’ve enjoyed a long and fruitful 

relationship with the military, which 

has been further strengthened as 

a result of their support through 

Covid-19. 

“We were thrilled to present 

colleagues with a token of our 

appreciation today.” 

order to lessen the impact on 

patients, which has included the 

recruitment of 100 Emergency 

Medical Technicians who will 

become operational in May. 

“This will bring the total growth in 

new frontline posts to over 260 in 

the last 24 months. 

The Welsh Ambulance Service 

has extended thanks to the 

Armed Forces once again 

for its support through the 

coronavirus pandemic. 

Ahead of winter and the 

emergence of the Omicron 

variant, the Trust secured military 

assistance to increase emergency 

ambulance capacity across Wales. 

At peak were 235 Armed Forces 

personnel from the British Army, 

Royal Navy and Royal Air Force 

who joined the service in October, 

which was the third occasion the 

Trust had enlisted military support. 

Director of Operations Lee Brooks 

said: “The pandemic has been 

one of the toughest chapters in 

our history but having the military 

on board was a huge help in the 

collective effort against Covid-19. 

“Since re-joining us in mid-October, 

military colleagues have put in more 

than 11,500 shifts – or 121,395 

hours – to bolster our capacity and 

help us deliver the best service we 

can in the face of extreme pressures. 

“We also thank our staff who have 

worked differently to maximise 

benefits for as many patients as 

possible. 

Chief Executive Jason Killens 

added: “This was the third 

occasion that we had enlisted 

military support through the 

pandemic, in what was always a 

time-limited agreement to bolster 

our capacity during the busy 

winter period. 

“We’re extremely proud and grateful 

for military support, but long-term 

it is not the role of the military to 

compensate for the complex and 

long-standing issues in the NHS. 

“We’ve been making preparations 

over many months for the 

withdrawal of the military in 

“We’re also doubling the size of 

the control room’s Clinical Support 

Desk, which means that we can 

assess more patients – up to 15% 

– over the phone, which negates 

the need to send an ambulance. 

“Despite the growth in our 

workforce, the reality is that some 

patients will still wait longer than 

we would like in the coming 

weeks while pressures remain 

across the wider NHS urgent 

and emergency care system that 

inhibit our ability to respond. 

“The public can play their 

part by making use of the full 


76 

AVS STEPS_Ambulance UK Half Page Advert_June 2021_FINAL.indd 1 01/07/2021 18:04 


NEWSLINE 

range of options available to 

them, including the NHS 111 

Wales website for advice and 

information, Minor Injury Units, 

pharmacists, opticians and GPs.” 

Jason added: “Military support 

has not only strengthened our 

existing relationships with the 

Armed Forces community but has 

opened up new opportunities for 

collaboration in future. 

“We hope that their glimpse into the 

world of the ambulance service has 

been as rewarding an experience 

for them as it has been for us.” 

More than 20,000 military 

personnel were tasked with 

supporting public services across 

the UK during the pandemic as 

part of a ‘Covid Support Force’. 

Also among the ambulance 

services supported by the military 

were East Midlands Ambulance 

Service, South Central Ambulance 

Service and North West 

Ambulance Service. 

Military support of the Welsh 

Ambulance Service, under what 

is known as Military Aid to the 

Civil Authorities (MACA), has now 

drawn to a close. 

Brigadier Andrew Dawes CBE, the 

Military Commander for Wales, said: 

“We are humbled to receive this 

commemorative plaque from the 

Welsh Ambulance Service today. 

“It represents the culmination of a 

great collaboration during the past 

two years. 

“It has been an extraordinary time 

for everyone during the pandemic. 

“The military support we have 

provided since March 2020 – 

known as Operation Rescript 

– has seen service personnel 

involved in a wide variety of tasks 

in support of the civil authorities. 

“In that time, we have learned a 

huge amount and made many 

new friends across the length and 

breadth of Wales. 

“As we conclude our support to 

the Welsh Ambulances Service 

today, the soldiers, sailors and 

airmen, drawn from dozens of 

units across the UK, can be rightly 

proud of their contribution. 

“It has been an utter privilege to 

support the ambulance crews on 

many thousands of callouts. 

“We now return to our normal 

duties, but we depart with renewed 

respect for our emergency services 

who do such a fantastic job for us 

all day in, day out. 

“Thank you for allowing us to be a 

small part of your amazing team.” 

NWAS 

Ambulance trust 

scoop a string of 

environmental 

awards marking its 

efforts to reach zeronet 

carbon emissions 

North West Ambulance Service 

(NWAS) has been honoured 

with the highest number of 

awards of any health trust in 

Europe following a programme 

of initiatives to produce more 

eco-friendly energy by 2040. 

Taking home gold for Greenhouse 

Gas Reduction and Climate 

Leadership and silver for Climate 

Resilience and Renewable Energy, 

the accolades – awarded by 

Health Care Without Harm - are 

in recognition of the trust’s Green 

Plan response to the wider NHS’ 

commitment to climate change. 

As part of the plan, NWAS has 

committed to: 

• 51% reduction in carbon by 

2025 (1990 baseline). 

• Net Zero Carbon by 2050. 

• Cut business mileages and fleet vehicles will be fully electric within 

air pollutant emissions by 20% the next few years, so we’ll 

by 2023/24. 

see more charging points and 

• Ensuring at least 90% of infrastructure to support them on 

the fleet uses low-emissions our sites. 

engines (including 25% ultralow 

emission) by 2028. 

“Estuary Point, our office and 

• Phasing out primary heating contact centre site in Merseyside, 

from coal and oil fuel in NHS has had 65 solar panels installed 

sites. 

following a string of initiatives 

to reduce fossil fuel use and 

Environmental leads and 

decrease carbon emissions at the 

executives across the trust site. The solar panels will provide 

have made significant headway an eighth of Estuary Point’s 

in reducing its overall carbon electricity consumption, around 

footprint including the introduction 60,000 kWh – that’s equivalent to 

of electric-powered logistic fleets, boiling a kettle 600,000 times!” 

becoming 100% LED compliant 

and solar panelled energy at its Later this month, the trust 

office and contact centre bases. anticipates the arrival of three 

zero-emission vehicles to join the 

Chief Executive at NWAS, Daren emergency fleet as part of an NHS 

Mochrie said: “We are very England funded pilot to test and 

passionate about reducing our evaluate the effectiveness of such 

carbon emissions and working vehicles in the emergency service. 

more sustainable to ensure we One will be based in a rural location 

meet our targets to better our own and the other in an urban city. 

health, that of our communities 

and the health of the planet.” Commenting on the award wins, 

Assistant Director of Estates 

“Earlier this year, the transport and and Fleet Neil Maher said: “I am 

logistics department acquired two very pleased about receiving 

fully electric-powered vans for its these awards in recognition of 

Preston base. The department is our commitment and excellent 

in charge of transporting, amongst achievements to date in a broad 

other things, mail, bloods, PPE range of activities and at all levels. 

and specimens for NWAS and 

other NHS partners and we “It’s also a recognition of the 

are now seeing around 10% of passion and commitment shown 

the team’s mileage delivered by individuals and teams within 

by electric vehicles and this the organisation. This isn’t the end 

continues to grow each month. of our journey, but the start and I 

The team’s fleet of 15 logistics look forward to continuing it.” 

NWAS Transport Supervisor with electric logistic van 



77

NEWSLINE 

As allergies rise 

32%, are climate 

change measures 

adding to the 

problem? 

NHS data says 1 in 4 people 

have allergies, but the latest 

results from London Medical 

Laboratory show it is likely to 

be as high as 1 in 3. It says 

climate change is exposing us 

to new allergens, but cautions 

some measures aimed at 

halting global warming could 

actually put us at a higher risk 

of asthma or anaphylaxis. 

There has been a significant 

increase in the amount of people 

developing reactions to allergens 

such as pollen and insect venom. 

The National Health Service 

traditionally states that around 

one in four Brits will be affected 

by allergies at some point in 

their lives. However, new data 

from London Medical Laboratory 

reveals one in three people are 

now showing potentially severe 

allergies – 32% more than 

previous estimates. 

The leading testing expert, Dr 

Quinton Fivelman PhD, Chief 

Scientific Officer at London 

Medical Laboratory, says: 

’Looking at the results of our 

allergy tests, there have been 

a considerable jump in the 

number of people showing high 

sensitisation to allergens. With 

most allergies, the first exposure 

sensitises our body to a particular 

allergen, so that the second 

time we come into contact with 

particular pollens or are stung, for 

example, the reaction could be far 

worse.’ 

‘It’s highly likely that climate 

change is one of the key reasons 

for this rise. The warmer weather 

means non-native plants and 

insects are becoming established 

in the UK, and the pollen season 

is getting longer. 

‘New University of Michigan 

research reveals that, by the 

end of this century, global pollen 

emissions could begin 40 days 

earlier in the spring compared to 

1995. Allergy sufferers could see 

that season last an additional 19 

days before high pollen counts 

subside. 

‘As the average UK temperature 

rises, new species of plants, 

grasses and trees are taking 

root here. These bring with them 

new pollens. Brits will have to 

get used to a wider varieties of 

insects in the future as well. For 

example, the first colony of paper 

wasps was found in Warwickshire 

in 2019. These usually live in 

southern Europe, where it is far 

warmer. The venom in their sting 

is a known trigger of allergic 

reactions. 

‘Ironically, some measures being 

introduced to counteract global 

warming could also be increasing 

our exposure to potential 

allergens. To help meet the 

UK’s target of offsetting carbon 

emissions, the Government plans 

to increase woodland cover in the 

UK from 13% to 19% by 2050. 

Fast-growing, non-native conifers 

are being recommended by 

some scientists. These trees will 

expose us to new pollens. London 

Medical Laboratory’s allergy test 

looks at pollens from coniferous 

trees as diverse as Arizona 

cypress and mountain cedar, the 

latter being a notorious trigger for 

“cedar fever” allergy in parts of 

America. 

‘As the world tries to grow 

greener, there will also be an 

increased emphasis on easting 

less meat. Cattle produce 

methane, a greenhouse gas with 

a warming potential more than 

28 times that of carbon dioxide 

(Co2). To increase grazing land, 

forests around the globe are 

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NEWSLINE 

being destroyed. Food scientists 

are increasingly investigating a 

far more compact, protein-rich 

source of food – insects. For 

example, crickets are superfoods 

of the near future, containing 12 

times more protein than beef. 

‘Unfortunately, insects are also 

potential allergens. Crickets and 

mealworms may be staple foods 

of the future, but our tests are 

detecting quite high sensitisation 

levels among people who have 

tried them once. They may be 

similar to shellfish as a potential 

cause of allergic reactions. 

‘Despite these issues, something 

clearly must be done to reduce 

pollution. Co2 levels are now 

known to directly increase 

the quantity of pollen in the 

atmosphere. A recent study in the 

European medical journal “Allergy” 

revealed that plants produce 

more pollen as a response to 

high atmospheric levels of carbon 

dioxide. 

‘Allergy tests typically grade 

people’s reactions to many 

common and less familiar 

potential allergens from 0 to 4. 

A level 4 result indicates high 

sensitisation has taken place, 

which could prompt a reaction 

such as an asthma attack or 

anaphylactic shock if they are 

exposed to the substance again. 

‘Overall, we are seeing a higher 

number of level 4 results than 

previous official figures would 

lead us to expect. Our latest data 

aligns with recent findings from 

the Natasha Allergy Research 

Foundation, which shows the 

number of people living with 

allergies in the UK is rising by 5% 

every year. 

‘That’s why we need to be testing 

for more potential allergens, as 

the UK’s climate changes. London 

Medical Laboratory’s new Allergy 

Complete blood test is the UK’s 

most comprehensive allergy 

test, analysing 295 allergens, 

from paper wasp venom to 

mealworms, as well as all the 

traditional British allergens from 

dust mites to bee stings. 

‘For anyone concerned about 

their future reaction to a sting, 

certain foods or pollens, London 

Medical Laboratory’s Allergy 

Complete is highly accurate, quick 

and simple to carry out, either 

at home through the post, or at 

one of the many drop-in clinics 

that offer this test across London, 

the southeast and selected 

pharmacies and health stores. 

For full details, see: https://www. 

londonmedicallaboratory.com/ 

product/allergy-complete 

New helipad opens 

at Scarborough 

Hospital 

A new, lifesaving helipad is now 

open at Scarborough Hospital 

that will enable seriously ill 

and injured patients to have 

immediate access to the 

Emergency Department after 

landing by helicopter. 

Thanks to a £500,000 donation 

by the HELP Appeal, the only 

charity in the country dedicated 

to funding hospital helipads, work 

began in December on the new 

31 square metre helipad, destined 

to help to save the lives of people 

living, working and visiting in the 

region. 

The new larger helipad means 

that as well as landing the air 

ambulance, the much larger 

search and rescue helicopter 

will also be able to land near the 

hospital, making a huge difference 

for incidents out to sea. 

By significantly reducing transfer 

times, patients with serious 

injuries, such as those caused 

by road accidents can be 

transported by air from rural 

locations. 

State of the art lighting will be 

installed to enable landings 

during darkness hours, meaning 

that patients can be taken by 

air to Scarborough Hospital 24 

hours a day for the first time. 

Patients at risk can also be swiftly 

transported to major centres of 

clinical expertise for specialist 

treatment. 

The helipad has been relocated 

to free up space for the muchanticipated 

new Urgent and 

Emergency Care and Critical Care 

Departments at Scarborough 

Hospital. 

Simon Morritt, Chief Executive, 

York and Scarborough Teaching 

Hospital NHS Trust, said: “Thank 

you to the HELP Appeal for this 

generous donation – without 

doubt we could not have 

achieved this without their help. 

As a coastal town Scarborough 

faces unique challenges with 

its rural location and the sea on 

one side. The new helipad will 

make an enormous difference 

at Scarborough Hospital and 

will benefit residents and the 

countless visitors to the town for 

many years to come.” 

The hospital’s Deputy Medical 

Director, Ed Smith, said: “It is 

really going to transform our ability 

to manage transport in and out 

by air. “It gives us the ability to 

receive all types of helicopters 

and enables 24/7 access and 

night landings that we didn’t have 

before. It is clinically critical we 

have this access for patients and 

it enables us to bring patients 

from all over the region for 

emergency medical care.” 

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive 

of the HELP Appeal, said: “It is 

always great to see our projects 

coming together. Many people 

may just see a piece of concrete, 

but helipads are lifesavers in their 

own right and just as important as 

hospitals and air ambulances in 

giving a patient the best possible 

chance. We are delighted that 

construction has run smoothly 

and the helipad is up and running 

and saving lives.” 

Abby Barmby, Director of 

Marketing & Communications for 

Yorkshire Air Ambulance said: 

“We were absolutely delighted 

to attend the official opening of 

the new Scarborough Hospital 

Helipad today, even if our 

helicopter was unfortunately 

required elsewhere. Provision 

of a primary landing site at any 

hospital for the YAA helicopters 

land is key to our operations. 

The swift transfer of the patient 

from our helicopter straight into 

the hospital is crucial, and having 

an appropriate landing site that 

can facilitate this is vital. The 

investment that has been made in 

the new helipad at Scarborough 

will only enhance patient care, 

delivery and safety.” 


Do you have anything you would like to add or include in Newsline? Please contact us and let us know. 

79

NEWSLINE 

Finnish hospitals up 

preparedness with 

new technology 

All five University Hospitals 

in Finland come together to 

implement the new isolation 

and transport system. With 

EpiShuttles at all hospitals, 

Finland stands better prepared 

facing new pandemics or 

chemical and nuclear threats. 

As one of the actions to increase 

Finland’s preparedness, the 

five university hospital districts 

jointly procured the so-called 

EpiShuttles, a Norwegian 

invention that isolates a 

contagious patient while being 

treated. 

- We are implementing a highly 

efficient tool to transport patients 

with highly contagious disease, 

or chemical, biological or other 

contamination necessitating 

isolation. The single patient 

isolation and transport unit is 

designed to provide maximum 

public safety while allowing 

critical care and treatment to be 

performed on the contaminated 

patient inside. The unit can be 

used for patient transport through 

air, land and sea in collaboration 

with the Finnish Border Guard 

and Defence Force units when 

needed, keeping society safe, 

Tom Silfvast, Chief Medical Officer 

at the Preparedness Unit at 

Helsinki University Hospital, said. 

The procurement of the nine 

EpiShuttles are financed by the 

Government and steered by the 

Ministry of Social Affairs and 

Health. The new equipment will be 

used in all the areas that the five 

University Hospitals covers. 

IPRS Aeromed are now recruiting Paramedics & Nurses 

What sets us apart is the 

experience and skills of our 

valued clinicians who are 

well-versed in managing 

patients from around the 

world in a wide variety of 

settings. 

Primarily established to work in 

the world of international 

medical repatriation, the 

business has evolved to provide 

expert clinical solutions across 

a variety of specialist sectors 

and services. 

Ready for the next pandemic 

Back in 2018, the WHO made a list 

of 10 diseases with the potential to 

cause a public health emergency. 

On that list was Disease X, a 

pathogen currently unknown. As 

it turns out, Disease X was the 

coronavirus. However, the threat 

of yet another new pathogen 

emerging, has never been greater. 

- With this new technology we 

stand better prepared for a new 

pandemic. Contagious patient 

logistics are complicated. Finland 

has a lot of remote areas, and 

transporting contagious patients 

fast over long distances, into 

hospitals for treatment is a severe 

challenge. Time consuming 

disinfection procedures of 

helicopters, aircraft and 

ambulances after each transport 

threaten capacity. Not knowing 

what comes next, the EpiShuttle 

is our best option. We now stand 

ready to deploy if needed, Sanna 

Hoppu, Associate Professor 

and Chief Physician at Tampere 

University Hospital, said. 


Join a team that's really going places! 

https://iprsaeromed.com/jobs/ or email IPRS Aeromed 

Recruitment aeromed.recruitment@iprsgroup.com 

Safe transport of contagious 

patients is essential when 

handling the epidemic. The 

Johns Hopkins Center for Health 

Security in partnership with 

the World Economic Forum 

and the Bill and Melinda Gates 

Foundation recommend such 

medical countermeasures as the 

EpiShuttle represent at a “Disease 

80 


NEWSLINE 

X dummy run”, the so-called 

Event 201. 

- Patient transport to where ICU 

capacity is available has proven 

to be a crucial piece of the puzzle 

when handling a pandemic. Only 

when safe transport is in place 

can we utilize the full capacity of 

the entire health care system and 

ensure treatment for everyone, 

Ellen Cathrine Andersen, CEO at 

EpiGuard said. 

The WHO R&D Blueprint Special 

Advisory Group said, “History 

tells us that it is likely the next 

big outbreak will be something 

we have not seen before.” This 

still goes, and a Disease Y can 

surface at any time. 

The UN Humanitarian Response 

Depot (UNHRD) holds six 

EpiShuttles, for safe transport of 

contagious patients. Congo was 

the first place they dispatched, 

during the Ebola outbreak. UNHRD 

offers storage at no cost at six 

strategically located locations near 

major ports and airports. 

EpiShuttles are used by WHO 

as well as first responders in 

Germany, Belgium, Denmark, 

Peru, Ireland, Greece, Norway, 

and the UK. Also, national air 

forces like the British, Australian, 

Canadian, Danish, Norwegian 

and others are equipped with 

EpiShuttles. In the private sector, 

EpiShuttles are a common sight 

amongst companies like FAI air 

ambulance, Air Alliance Medflight, 

DRF Luftrettung, Keewatin Air, 

Luxembourg Air Rescue, Loganair 

and others. 

North East Ambulance Service 

(NEAS) opened its third base 

at Wynyard Business Park in 

Billingham in October 2018 in 

order to house additional clinicians 

for its Clinical Assessment Service 

(CAS), which was expanded as 

part of the five-year Integrated 

Urgent Care Service contract, 

worth £55 million, won by the 

Trust earlier that year. 

Now, after gaining additional 

funding for more health advisors, 

the Trust is now in a position to 

begin using the base as a third 

Emergency Operations Centre, 

complementing the bases in 

Newcastle and Hebburn. 

The new team of 44 health 

advisors (consisting of existing 

staff transferring and new health 

advisors), together with a new 

section manager, and six team 

leaders moved in on Monday 9 

May. 

The building is named Winter 

House in memory of the Trust’s 

former chairman, Ashley Winter, 

who passed away in April 2018. 

Stephen Segasby, chief operating 

officer at NEAS, said: “Our 

Clinical Assessment Service has 

been running successfully from 

Winter House since 2018, and it’s 

fantastic to be able to make more 

use of the building by securing 

additional investment from our 

commissioners to expand our call 

handling capability amid rising 999 

and NHS111 calls. 

“Having a third base for call 

handling allows us to provide 

additional resilience for our call 

handling capability across the 

North East, and has also allowed 

us to recruit from a larger pool of 

candidates in a very competitive 

local job market by being able to 

offer a location in the Teesside 

area, as geography had previously 

prevented people from being 

able to apply to work within our 

Emergency Operations Centre.” 

Chris Dawson, deputy 

chief operating officer for 

the Emergency Operations 

Centre, added: “We received 

an overwhelming number of 

applications for the new roles, 

which shows us how welcome a 

third base has been in the local 

community. 

“What’s particularly pleasing to see 

though is that the management 

team established at Winter House 

has been recruited primarily through 

internal promotion; one of our 

current team leaders has been 

promoted as our new section 

manager, three new team leaders 

have progressed from roles within 

the senior health advisor team 

and two new team leaders have 

progressed from the health advisor 

role. Progression on this scale 

has only been possible through 

the expansion of our Emergency 

Operation Centre sites and presents 

an exciting new start for them all. 

Judith Grieves has taken on the 

role of section manager, having 

originally joined NEAS as a health 

advisor in May 2013, before 

progressing to team leader in 

October 2015. 

She said: “There is already a 

significant clinician base at Winter 

House, and it is my aim to mirror 

the close working relationships 

we have within the two current 

Emergency Operations Centres. 

We will operate as a cohesive 

team ensuring the health advisors 

have full on-site support from the 

clinician team”. 

“I’m really looking forward to 

welcoming a substantial number 

of new staff to the health advisor 

team as well as enabling existing 

health advisors to transfer and 

work closer to home.” 

One of the new team leaders 

is Jonathan Tones, who joined 

NEAS as a NHS111 health advisor 

in June 2015, before progressing 

to 999, a coach and then a senior 

health advisor. 

“I’m really excited to be part of the 

new site,” he said. “I’m looking 

forward to helping develop and 

grow our new health advisors and 

doing the best for our patients.” 

NEAS 

New ambulance 

call centre opens in 

Teesside 

A brand-new team of health 

advisors is ready to take the 

region’s 999 and 111 calls from 

Teesside. 



81

TESTED 

• More than two thirds (67%) 


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More than half of 

Brits unaware that 

stroke is one of the 

biggest killers in 

the UK, according to 

Stroke Association 

study 

More than half of Brits don’t 

know that stroke is the fourth 

biggest killer in the UK, 

according to new research by 

the Stroke Association 1 . The 

charity has released the survey 

findings as it calls for vital 

support to fund more research 

into the devastating condition. 

A stroke happens when the 

blood supply to part of the brain 

is cut off, killing brain cells. The 

charity’s latest study asked the 

general public to rank health 

conditions in order of the leading 

causes of death. 51% of people 

who ranked stroke placed it 

below its actual position as the 

fourth biggest killer 2 . 

The research also revealed that 

almost a fifth of people (18%) 

underestimate the impact of 

stroke, believing that stroke 

ranks lower than its actual 

position as the fifth leading 

cause of disability (and death 

combined) in the UK 3 . In fact, 

two thirds of people who survive 

a stroke find themselves living 

with a disability. 

There are 1.3 million stroke 

survivors living in the UK, with 

over 50% of all stroke survivors 

dependent on others for 

everyday activities. However, 

the Stroke Association’s survey 

also found that people don’t 

understand the true long term 

damage a stroke can cause: 

• More than two-thirds (67%) of 

people are unaware that fatigue 

is a common hidden effect of 

stroke 

don’t realise that stroke can 

cause depression and anxiety 

• Around a third of people (32%) 

don’t know that communication 

difficulties are common after 

stroke 

• Almost three quarters of people 

(74%) don’t know that stroke 

can affect hearing 

• Two thirds (66%) are unaware 

that stroke survivors can 

experience vision problems. 

Despite the devastating impact 

of stroke, stroke research is 

chronically underfunded and 

receives far less funding than 

other health conditions that have 

similar life-long effects. In the UK 

far less is spent per survivor on 

research into stroke than research 

into any other health condition. 

Data shows that annually, only 

1.2% of research budgets 

(approx. £30m) are spent on 

stroke, compared with 14.8% 

(approx. £400m) on cancer 4 , while 

there are 1.3m people living with 

the effects of stroke in the UK and 

2.5m living with cancer. However, 

the survey reveals many Brits 

believe more research funding 

is spent on stroke than other 

conditions including prostate 

cancer, dementia and chronic 

lower respiratory diseases. 

The study also found that almost 

half of people (46%) think that 

the number of deaths from stroke 

has increased in the last 10 years. 

However, despite stroke being the 

UK’s fourth biggest killer, the rate 

of deaths has actually decreased 

by more than half in the last three 

decades thanks in part to life 

saving research 5 , demonstrating 

the crucial need for continued 

investment in stroke research. 

Sam Webb, DPhil student at 

the University of Oxford, said: 

“Problems with memory and 

82 


NEWSLINE 

thinking are very common after a 

stroke and have a huge impact 

on a stroke survivor’s ability to do 

everyday tasks such as going to 

the supermarket or using money. 

“It’s vital that these problems 

are detected early on. However, 

current methods to assess 

thinking problems after a stroke 

do not replicate a stroke survivor’s 

real-life experience. With the 

support of the Stroke Association, 

I’m working on a promising new 

test – OxMET – that replicates 

a real-life shopping experience 

on a computer tablet and will 

accurately assess a stroke 

survivor’s ability to do complex 

thinking tasks. The test is easy 

to use for stroke survivors with 

movement and communication 

problems and is simple to roll 

out in hospitals. OxMET is a 

cornerstone of advancing stroke 

research and care and will enable 

us to understand the thinking 

problems stroke survivors struggle 

with daily, so we can develop 

new tailored treatments that allow 

stroke survivors to live their best 

possible lives after a stroke” 

Glen Eastick also wants people 

to realise that stroke can affect 

people who are young and fit – 

he was just 33 when he had his 

stroke in July 2020. 

Glen’s symptoms started while he 

was preparing his lunch. “I briefly 

lost the use of my arm for about ten 

seconds and dribbled a bit but then 

continued making lunch,” said Glen. 

“Then when I went into my next 

online session I realised I couldn’t 

talk. Nothing was coming out 

except the odd word. My client 

was saying are you ok? 

“My girlfriend Bex was out on a 

walk with our six-week-old baby 

Evie and as soon as she came 

back she realised something was 

wrong as I was struggling to talk. 

She called the ambulance and I 

was rushed into hospital.” 

Ironically, the stroke specialty 

doctor waiting to treat Glen at 

the Queen Alexandra Hospital in 

Portsmouth, was James Beckett 

who is also one of his personal 

fitness clients. 

A scan confirmed that Glen 

had had a stroke and he was 

thrombolysed – given special 

drugs to dissolve the clot which 

was blocking the blood supply 

and killing cells in his brain. 

“Despite stroke 

still being the 

fourth biggest 

killer in the UK, 

research has 

helped to more 

than halve the 

rate of deaths 

from stroke over 

the last three 

decades. It’s 

absolutely crucial 

that we continue 

this progress, 

but we can’t do 

this without vital 

funding.” 

Thanks to the prompt action by 

Bex who spotted the “FAST” 

stroke symptoms, the skills 

of hospital staff and his own 

determination, Glen has made a 

good recovery. 

Doctors found that his stroke 

was caused by a PFO ‘hole in the 

heart’ which allowed clots to travel 

between the chambers of his 

heart and up to his brain. In July 

2021 he had an operation to close 

this hole at the John Radcliffe 

Hospital in Oxford. 

Now Glen is backing the Stroke 

Association’s call for more research 

into stroke. Despite the devastating 

impact of stroke, stroke research 

is chronically underfunded and 

receives far less funding than other 

health conditions that have similar 

life-long effects 

Juliet Bouverie OBE, Chief 

Executive of the Stroke 

Association, said: “Stroke strikes 

every five minutes in the UK and 

while it changes lives in an instant, 

the brain can adapt and rebuild 

after stroke. That’s why research 

means everything to our nation’s 

1.3 million stroke survivors and 

their families, because of the 

life-changing impact it could have 

on their future. Our pioneering 

research has been at the centre 

of major breakthroughs that have 

saved lives and sparked innovation 

in stroke care and treatment. From 

laying the foundations for the Act 

FAST campaign, one of the most 

successful public health awareness 

campaigns in England, to funding 

early research into the emergency 

stroke treatment thrombectomy 

(the manual removal of strokecausing 

blood clots), many 

patients have been spared the 

most devastating effects of stroke 

as a result of our research. 

“Despite stroke still being the 

fourth biggest killer in the UK, 

research has helped to more 

than halve the rate of deaths from 

stroke over the last three decades. 

It’s absolutely crucial that we 

continue this progress, but we 

can’t do this without vital funding. 

Far less is spent ‘per survivor’ 

on research into stroke than on 

research into any other health 

condition. We would never want to 

take researchers or money away 

from other conditions such as 

cancer, but we do want to replicate 

the success that cancer research 

has had, so that we can continue 

to make breakthroughs in stroke 

treatment and care. 

“Now our focus is on improving 

life, after stroke strikes. The 

Stroke Association is the only 

organisation dedicated to 

funding research into ongoing 

rehabilitation for stroke survivors. 

Our research means everything to 

stroke survivors and their families. 

It gives hope for a better recovery, 

living more independently, a 

future. We’re calling on people to 

donate where they can to support 

our research and help give stroke 

survivors and their families the 

progress they deserve.” 

Donate to help fund the research 

that could mean everything 

to stroke survivors and their 

loved ones. Funds raised will go 

towards vital services for stroke 

survivors across the UK, including 

support and pioneering research. 

Visit www.stroke.org.uk/ 

supportresearch 

References 

1. Research conducted by 4Media 

Relations on behalf of the 

Stroke Association, April 2022 

2. Leading causes of death UK 

(Nomis [England & Wales], 

National Records of Scotland 

[Scotland], NISRA [Northern 

Ireland]). This excludes deaths 

from external causes of 

mortality – e.g. accidental falls 

or accidental poisoning – and 

deaths from “symptoms, signs 

and ill-defined conditions”. 

3. Causes of death and disability 

for the UK taken from the 

Global Burden of Disease 2019 

4. UK Health Research Analysis 

2018 (UK Clinical Research 

Collaboration , 2020) ISBN 

978-0-903730-29-7. https:// 

hrcsonline.net/reports/analysisreports/uk-health-researchanalysis-2018/ 

5. Global Burden of Disease 2019 

https://vizhub.healthdata.org/ 

gbd-compare/ 



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SECAMB 

SECAmb and IC24 

celebrated at 

the Healthwatch 

Recognition Awards 

South East Coast Ambulance 

Service NHS Foundation Trust 

(SECAmb), along with delivery 

partner Integrated Care 24 

(IC24), have been recognised at 

a prestigious award ceremony 

for their work to involve 

patients and the public in 

the design, procurement and 

implementation of the new 

enhanced NHS 111 service for 

Kent, Medway and Sussex. 

SECAmb and IC24 were 

recognised in the ‘Involving 

People in the Commissioning 

& Delivery of Services’ 

category in the Healthwatch 

Recognition Awards, organised 

by both Healthwatch Kent and 

Healthwatch Medway. 

The event – in its first year – 

celebrated the best in health and 

social care in Kent and Medway. 

Some 200 guests came together 

at the ceremony, which took place 

on 30 March 2022 at Revelation 

Ashford, to recognise the 

achievements and hear ideas that 

they can use in their own work. 

SECAmb and IC24 were 

commended by Healthwatch for 

‘showing a real commitment to 

actively involving and listening to 

local people’ during development 

and launch of their five-year 

contract to provide the NHS 111 

service for Kent, Medway and 

Sussex. 

Healthwatch representatives 

and other lay members were 

closely consulted via a range of 

programme boards and working 

groups, shifting this engagement 

online during the pandemic to 

support development of the Direct 

Access Booking service and NHS 

111 First – a national initiative 

rolled out at pace to reduce the 

number of people in emergency 

departments and shorten queues 

by offering ED and onward care 

appointments, thereby helping to 

prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Healthwatch volunteers Lyn 

and John Gallimore, said, 

“We have been involved at 

all stages from helping to 

develop the specification, 

through to the evaluation of the 

bidders’ responses, to the final 

procurement and the launch 

communication and engagement 

activity. It has been a remarkably 

interesting and rewarding 

experience. As we became more 

deeply involved our comments 

became integral to the whole 

process, which raised our 

confidence even more in offering 

the ‘patient voice’.” 

SECAmb’s Associate Director 

for Integrated Care (999 & 111), 

John J O’Sullivan, said: “We are 

delighted the 111 service has 

been recognised this way, and 

it reflects really positively on the 

hard work and commitment of 

our people, especially during 

the sustained demands and 

challenges that the COVID 

pandemic has presented. Great 

patient care is at the heart of 

what this service and SECAmb 

aspires to deliver and we regard 

the views of patients and the 

public as integral to programme 

and service design, and we will 

continue to explore new ways to 

involve and engage local people 

as our 111 service evolves and 

improves.” 

Katherine Pitts, Chief Strategy 

and Transformation Officer at 

IC24, said: “We’re very proud to 

receive this recognition and are 

even more proud of the way that 

our people and the patients who 

supported this work responded 

to the challenges presented by 

COVID-19, which really took hold 

as we prepared to implement 

the new service. As a social 

enterprise it is really important to 

us that we bring the patient voice 

closer to the design and delivery 

of services and have recently 

launched a patient network to 

support us with this.” 

Healthwatch Kent’s Manager, 

Robbie Goatham, added: 

“Healthwatch Kent and 

Healthwatch Medway work with 

every single health and social 

care organisation across the 

patch to ensure that they are 

hearing the public’s stories and 

using personal experiences 

to improve their services. This 

bird’s eye view means that we 

see what’s working well and 

what needs improving. Our 

Healthwatch Recognition Awards 

have given us the opportunity to 

take a moment to recognise and 

celebrate the best of health and 

social care in Kent and Medway. 

Congratulations to everyone who 

has been recognised.” 

UK medical charities 

join together to 

provide training 

videos for Ukraine 

war injuries, 

empowering citizens 

to potentially save 

the lives of others 


A series of training videos 

have been released today 

by a coalition of UK medical 

charities and senior trauma 

doctors to help civilians save 

lives in the war in Ukraine. 

London’s Air Ambulance 

Charity, StreetDoctors and 

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NEWSLINE 

citizenAID have provided advice 

and support to create the 

videos in partnership, alongside 

a group of senior doctors and 

emergency trauma specialists 

including Prof David Lockey, Sir 

Keith Porter, Dr Phil Ward and 

Dr David McAroe. 

The videos are narrated by 

Ukrainian TV presenter and 

activist Timur Miroshnychenko. 

They have been translated 

into Ukrainian and Russian. 

An English version has been 

narrated by the British TV 

presenter and historian Dan 

Snow. 

The videos, produced by film 

and production company 

Objekt, were filmed at London’s 

Air Ambulance helipad base, 

and show doctors and 

paramedics demonstrating 

techniques to instantly treat 

injuries of the kind that will be 

found on the streets of Ukraine. 

The series of videos 

demonstrate simple lifesaving 

first aid skills that will allow 

civilians in Ukraine to potentially 

save the life of their fellow 

citizens. 

Using simple techniques and 

readily available materials, the 

videos will show what to do if 

someone is bleeding from a 

gunshot or sharp object such 

as shrapnel, what to do if 

someone has lost a limb, has 

sustained a burn, eye injury. 

There are also videos on how 

to stop serious bleeding by 

creating a tourniquet and how 

to put someone in the recovery 

Also available via Facebook: 

Civilian First Aid, Instagram: 

@civilian.firstaid, Twitter: 

@civ_firstaid, YouTube: 

Civilian First Aid and Telegram: 

@civilian_First_Aid 

Doctors Simon Jackson, Nick 

Rhead and Tom Kirschen who 

came up with the idea and 

organized its grassroots said: 

“The charities and doctors 

involved in this partnership 

are changing the way first aid 

training is delivered in conflicts. 

As we’re seeing in Ukraine, 

civilians are on the frontline, 

and this format means people 

without prior training will be 

able to equip themselves with 

simple life-saving skills. By 

harnessing the immediacy and 

shareability of social media, we 

hope this information will reach 

the greatest number of people 

and save lives. These videos 

can be stored, shared and used 

as a resource at the point of 

care, which understandably is 

something traditional first aid 

teaching cannot achieve.” 

SWAST 

South Western 

Ambulances donated 

to Ukraine 

Three decommissioned 

ambulances have been 

donated to the Government 

of Ukraine, by the South 

Western Ambulance Service 

NHS Foundation Trust 

(SWASFT), as part of the UK’s 

package of NHS ambulance 

donations. 

to those injured by Russian 

bombardments. 

Will Warrender, Chief Executive 

of SWASFT, said: “Like so many 

people around the world, we 

have watched on with great 

sadness at the ongoing conflict 

in Ukraine. 

“Along with other ambulance 

trusts around the country, we 

are humbled to be able to 

provide these ambulances to 

the Government of Ukraine and 

its people. 

“We hope that this small gesture 

goes some way to helping 

provide immediate frontline 

healthcare support to the many 

people who so desperately 

need it.” 

The donation will help replace 

Ukrainian ambulances lost to 

Russian attacks, bolstering the 

existing fleet’s resilience as the 

war continues. 

Mr Warrender, added: “The 

thoughts of everybody at 

SWASFT remain with the 

Ukrainian people and with our 

colleagues in the emergency 

services, who are carrying out 

lifesaving work in such difficult 

circumstances. They have our 

utmost respect.” 

Elizabeth O’Mahony, NHS 

England and NHS Improvement 

South West Regional Director, 

said: “The scale of the 

humanitarian crisis grows by 

the day and the NHS continues 

to provide support to Ukraine 

through aid donations. Through 

our co-ordinated work with 

DHSC, the UK has already 

provided more than 5.29 million 

items of medical supplies such 

as wound packs, doses of 

morphine, and intensive care 

equipment, and deploying 

a humanitarian team to the 

region. 

“I would like to thank 

SWASFT for donating the 

decommissioned ambulances 

to help Ukrainians continue to 

receive lifesaving care during 

this terrible conflict.” 

The ambulances were driven 

to a nearby Government air 

field by lead paramedic, Kathy, 

paramedics Howard and Trudy, 

and event manager, Des. From 

there, they will be transported 

to Poland’s border with Ukraine. 

The NHS’s national ambulance 

service fleet strategy requires 

the replacement of ambulance 

vehicles every five years. 

After this time, vehicles are 

decommissioned and either 

kept back for resilience, given 

to approved charities or sent 

to auction. All vehicles and 

medical supplies are checked 

before being sent to ensure they 

meet the standards required. 

position if they are unconscious. 

It is hoped that by knowing 

what to do, citizens will be 

empowered to provide key prehospital 

care and reduce the 

number of casualties. 

The ambulances recently left 

Bristol Ambulance Station to 

start their 1,200-mile journey to 

Poland’s border with Ukraine. 

Each ambulance contains a 

stretcher, scoop stretcher, long 

board and carry chair. 


All videos can be downloaded 

at civilianfirstaid.org 

The ambulances will provide 

urgent and immediate care 


85

NEWSLINE 


SECAMB 

SECAmb’s tenth 

Make Ready Centre 

to open 

Ambulance crews and staff will 

begin moving into a brand-new 

ambulance centre in Surrey. 

The Make Ready Centre in The 

Horseshoe, Banstead, is on 

the site of the Trust’s former 

headquarters and is South East 

Coast Ambulance Service’s 

(SECAmb’s) first new-build Make 

Ready Centre in the county. 

The development boasts a fleet 

workshop and the Trust’s Make 

Ready vehicle preparation system 

along with modern office space 

and rest and wellbeing facilities 

for staff. 

SECAmb’s Make Ready Centres 

involve specialist teams of 

staff cleaning, restocking and 

maintaining the Trust’s fleet. 

SECAmb currently operates nine 

Make Ready Centres across its 

region with the Banstead centre 

following on from the opening 

of Brighton Make Ready Centre 

which became operational at the 

end of 2020. 

Ambulance crews currently 

starting and ending their shifts 

at Epsom, Leatherhead, Redhill, 

Dorking and Godstone ambulance 

stations will instead start and 

finish at the new centre. 

Service to the surrounding area 

is protected with the new centre 

supported by a network of 

Ambulance Community Response 

Posts (ACRP) at both existing 

ambulance stations and additional 

sites. The move brings the area 

in line with the system SECAmb 

already operated across much of 

its region. 

The response posts have suitable 

rest facilities for crews between 

calls and when on a break. 

As previously outlined, SECAmb 

has sold or is in the process of 

selling its Leatherhead, Redhill, 

Dorking and Godstone sites for 

redevelopment with response 

posts either retained on the 

current sites or moved to nearby 

locations in the towns. 

Many of the Trust’s older 

ambulance stations are outdated 

and not always in the best 

location for current patient need. 

Redhill ambulance station has 

been sold but will be retained 

as a response post until 2023 

unless a suitable alternative is 

found in the town before next 

year. Leatherhead ambulance 

station has been sold and crews 

will move to a new response post, 

also in Kingston Road, later this 

summer. Godstone ambulance 

station has also been sold, 

subject to contract and planning 

permission. Crews will continue 

to use Godstone fire station as a 

response post while a search for 

a larger site continues and crews 

are due to begin using a further 

ACPR at Oxted fire station from 

the autumn. 

Epsom and Dorking ambulance 

stations remain as response 

posts. The Trust also has a 

response post at Surrey Fire and 

Rescue Headquarters in Reigate. 

Staff from Redhill Ambulance 

Station will move into the new 

centre on Monday (16 May) with 

their colleagues joining them in 

staggered moves throughout the 

week. 

SECAmb Operating Unit Manager 

for Gatwick & Redhill, Paul 

Fisher said: “It’s great that the 

new centre is becoming fully 

operational. The new premises 

will provide staff with a modern 

building and bring this part of 

Surrey in line with the way in 

which we operate across the 

majority of our region including the 

neighbouring Gatwick area. 

“The public should be reassured 

that we are protecting the service 

we provide to the surrounding 

towns by operating from response 

posts at existing and new sites. 

I would like to thank everyone 

involved in this exciting project 

which will improve the way we 

operate and I look forward to 

seeing staff make it their home 

over the coming weeks.” 

What is Make Ready? 

Make Ready Centres house 

specialist teams of staff employed 

to clean, restock and maintain the 

Trust’s fleet. 

• The Make Ready initiative 

significantly enhances and 

improves the service SECAmb 

provides to the community. 

• It minimises the risk of crossinfection, 

frees up front-line 

staff – who traditionally cleaned 

and re-stocked ambulances 

– to spend more time treating 

patients, and keeps vehicles on 

the road for longer. 

• The system ensures that 

specially-trained operatives 

regularly deep-clean, restock 

and check vehicles for 

mechanical faults. 

• Make Ready Centres are 

supported by a network 

of Ambulance Community 

Responses Posts (ACRPs) 

across the area. 

• During shifts, staff will respond 

from the ACRPs which will 

provide facilities for staff. These 

are located based on patient 

demand. 

• Crews are expected to continue 

to respond from the same 

towns under the system but 

begin and end their shifts at 

staggered times with a vehicle 

that is fully prepared for them. 

• The system ensures crews have 

access to improved training 

facilities and opportunities 

and increased support from 

managers. 

Midlands Air 

Ambulance Charity 

extends operational 

hours 

Patients in Gloucestershire, 

Herefordshire and 

Worcestershire are already 

benefitting as Midlands Air 

Ambulance Charity’s southern 

critical care car is now 

operating into the night to meet 

increasing demand. 

The charity has changed its 

operational hours so that its 

vital lifesaving car will now run 

until 2am, allowing the team to 

attend a greater number of critical 

emergencies. In the first month of 

operation, the advanced clinical 

team has responded to almost 30 

medical and traumatic incidents 

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NEWSLINE 

between the extended operating 

hours of 8pm and 2am. Seven 

of these call outs were to serious 

incidents, demonstrating the 

direct need for the expertise of 

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s 

two critical care paramedics onboard. 

The car was dispatched 

to a variety of incident types 

including road traffic collisions, 

accidental injuries, assaults and 

medical conditions. 

Previously the rapid response 

vehicle, based at the charity’s 

Strensham airbase in 

Worcestershire, ran between 

8am and 8pm with one specialist 

critical care paramedic on-board. 

Following analysis of the times of 

calls where patients are in critical 

condition and could benefit from 

the advanced treatment, surgical 

skills, medicines and hospital-level 

equipment rapidly brought to 

scene, the service now operates 

its southern critical care car 

between 2pm and 2am with two 

critical care paramedics. 

Ian Jones, clinical operations 

director for Midlands Air 

Ambulance Charity, said: “We 

are committed to continuous 

improvement and delivering 

advanced patient care, which 

is why we constantly review 

patient data to ensure we 

provide the very best care to 

those who need it. When the 

research demonstrated that 

patients across Gloucestershire, 

Herefordshire and Worcestershire 

would potentially benefit from our 

expertise outside of our current 

operational hours, we knew we 

needed to adapt. This change 

of operating model has enabled 

us to attend those critically ill or 

injured via our southern critical 

care car beyond the times our air 

ambulance helicopters can fly.” 

Since April, the charity operates 

its lifesaving service 19 hours 

per day, rapidly bringing parts 

of the hospital to the patient in 

an average of just ten minutes. 

The operational day starts at 

7am via helicopter from RAF 

Cosford in Shropshire and the 

central critical care car (covering 

Birmingham and the Black 

Country, at 8am via helicopters 

at the charity’s Strensham 

airbase in Worcestershire and 

Tatenhill airbase in Staffordshire, 

from 10am via the northern 

critical care car (which covers 

Staffordshire and Shropshire) 

and at 2pm for the southern 

critical care car, covering 

Gloucestershire, Herefordshire 

and Worcestershire, which is also 

based at Strensham. 

The critical care cars carry 

the same advanced lifesaving 

equipment as the helicopters, 

such as hospital grade ventilators 

and a mechanical CPR machine, 

known as the Lucas device and 

Two of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s critical care paramedics, 

Mike Andrews (L) and Steven ‘Mitch’ Mitchell (R) 

advanced analgesic and sedative 

drugs not carried on NHS 

ambulances. 

Ian continues: “The way our 

clinical team provides patient care 

continually evolves. Thirty years 

ago, when we were first founded, 

our aim was to take the patient 

to the most appropriate hospital 

as swiftly as possible with timely 

interventions to preserve life. Fast 

forward to today and we aim to 

bring critical care rapidly to the 

patient, giving them the best 

possible chance of survival and 

good recovery before we leave the 

incident scene. 

“We can deliver this exceptional 

care via helicopter or critical care 

car and we are proud to extend 

our availability into the night, 

which is already proving to be 

an effective service within the 

southern counties we cover.” 

Find out more about Midlands Air 

Ambulance Charity and its fleet of 

three air ambulance helicopters 

and three critical care cars via 

www.midlandsairambulance. 

com/missions and follow the 

organisation on social media. 

NWAS 

NHS 111 service 

launches pilot text 

support service for 

patients 

An SMS pilot offering quick and 

easy access to health advice 

following a call is currently 

being trialled by NHS 111 in the 

North West. 

Helpful care advice, which is 

usually read to the caller following 

an assessment by NHS 111, will 

now be sent in a text message, 

making it easier for people to 

digest and refer back to. This will 

also reduce the length of the call, 

allowing NHS 111 to answer even 

more requests for urgent care 

advice from the public. 

When people call 111, if they are 

considered suitable for the text 

service, the health advisor will 

check they have access to receive 

SMS messages and give them the 

option to receive the appropriate 

care advice via SMS rather than 

listen to it being read aloud over 

the phone. 

When healthcare advice is 

given verbally, it raises the 

possibility that the caller may 

only remember or act on part of 

the advice given. This can mean 

people need to call back or seek 

further support from other NHS 

services. Having the information 

available to read again on 

their mobile phone will help to 

improve patient understanding 

of the advice, helping to reduce 

avoidable future contact with 

NHS services. 

111 Senior Service Delivery 

Manager Sally Rose said: “We 

handle over 30,000 calls per week 

in 111 and are always looking to 

make improvements that benefit 

overall patient care. 

“The pilot has been running for 

just over a month and we have 

already had feedback from our 

patients who have said they find 

it helpful. 

“It is enabling patients to properly 

receive all the advice, giving them 

time to digest the information at 

their own pace, whilst allowing 

them to refer back to the care 

advice following the call. 

“It is no secret how busy NHS 111 

has been and continues to be, 

and an added benefit of this pilot 

is the time it saves on each call, 

which allows our health advisors 

to assist the next patient more 

quickly.” 

The NHS 111 service is available 

24 hours a day by visiting 111. 

nhs.uk or dialling 111. This pilot 

is currently optional for people 

calling NHS 111. 



87

NEWSLINE 

WAS 

Modern new 

station for Cardiff 

ambulance crews 

The Welsh Ambulance Service 

has unveiled a state-of-the-art 

new station in Cardiff. 

The £8 million Welsh Governmentfunded 

facility on the Avenue 

Industrial Estate in Pontprennau is 

the new home of emergency and 

non-emergency crews previously 

based at the ageing Blackweir 

station. 

The Trust’s Cycle Response Unit 

is also based in the new facility, 

which boasts a Wellbeing Suite for 

staff and a ‘Make Ready Depot’ 

where dedicated Fleet Assistants 

clean and re-stock vehicles, 

enabling clinicians to spend more 

time with patients. 

Rob Brunnock, the Welsh 

Ambulance Service’s Locality 

Manager for Cardiff, said: “This 

project has been many years in 

the pipeline so we’re thrilled that 

it’s now complete. 

“We have fond memories of our 

time at Blackweir station, but the 

building was of its time and no 

longer fit-for-purpose. 

“This is a 21st century ambulance 

station to be proud of, and it 

means that crews finally get the 

facilities they deserve, which 

ultimately means a better service 

for people in Cardiff. 

“The Make Ready Depot in 

particular is a huge advance and 

not only frees up crews to spend 

more time in the community but 

also improves infection control, 

which has been more important 

than ever through the Covid-19 

pandemic.” 

Welsh Government has invested 

£8 million into the project, which 

began in July 2020 with the 

remodelling of the former Merton 

House. 

The opening is part of a broader 

programme of work to modernise 

the Trust’s estate, which last 

month saw the unveiling of a new 

station in Aberaeron for crews 

previously based in a Portakabin. 

Richard Davies, Assistant 

Director of Capital and Estates, 

said: “One of our key priorities 

as an organisation is to ensure 

our people have access to 

facilities that are safe, well 

maintained and fit-for-purpose 

and which allow them to serve 

communities to the best of their 

ability. 

“We’re grateful to Welsh 

Government for their investment in 

this project.” 

Eluned Morgan, Minister for 

Health and Social Services, 

added: “I am delighted this new 

ambulance station has opened in 

Cardiff. 

“These state-of-the art facilities 

will benefit local communities 

by increasing the time crews 

can spend with sick and injured 

people; ensure greater infection 

control of vehicles and equipment 

and help to maintain and develop 

ambulance staff skills. 

“I look forward to seeing the new 

facilities in action soon.” 

London’s Air 

Ambulance Charity 

announces most 

successful Gala in 

its history, raising a 

record £944,000 


Charity, the service that delivers 

rapid response and cuttingedge 

medical care to help save 

lives in the city has announced 

the total raised at their Gala 

dinner was a record £944,000. 

This is the equivalent of over 400 

potentially life-saving missions, 

helping the capital’s only 

helicopter emergency service to 

continue to provide immediate 

hospital level care to the 10 million 

people who live, work and travel in 

the capital. The need for support 

is particularly great as the Charity 

must raise an additional £15million 

by 2024 to replace their current 

helicopter fleet. 

The Gala was attended by the 

Charity’s Patron, His Royal 

Highness The Duke of Cambridge. 

The Duke met with some of the 

heroic medical and operational 

crew to thank them for their 

service, as well as meeting an 

inspirational patient of the service, 

Bruno, whose life was saved by 

the London’s Air Ambulance team 

when he was just 11. Bruno and 

his father, Daniel Machado, later 

gave a powerful speech to the 

assembled guests. 

The Duke also delivered a moving 

speech in support of the charity 

and its appeal for two new 

helicopters. As an air ambulance 

pilot himself, the Duke has 

witnessed the positive impact 

of rapid response trauma work 

first-hand. 

His Royal Highness The Duke of 

Cambridge said: 

What struck me when working 

as an air ambulance pilot was 

how serious injury does not 

discriminate. It can happen 

to anyone. At any time. In any 

place. Just one moment can turn 

a life upside down. Earlier this 

evening, I had the great privilege 

to meet a young man named 

Bruno, and his father Daniel. 

At age 11, Bruno was knocked 


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NEWSLINE 

off his scooter by a vehicle and 

suffered a serious brain injury. 

London’s Air Ambulance flew to 

him immediately, arriving within 

minutes to bring the hospital to 

his side and saving his life. As a 

charity, London’s Air Ambulance is 

reliant on support from the public. 

Tonight, your generosity will go 

towards this ambitious plan and 

will enable the charity to do even 

more in the future to deliver first 

class care when Londoners need 

it most. 

The event, held at The Londoner 

Hotel in Leicester Square, was 

also attended by a number of 

VIP guests, including Tamara 

Beckwith and her husband 

Giorgio Veroni. Sotheby’s 

Chairman Sir Harry Dalmeny was 

the auctioneer for the evening 

and the event was hosted by 

presenter and comedian Sindhu 

Vee. Entertainment was provided 

by Alessandro Ristori and the 

Portofinos, and Saloon Star. 

Jonathan Jenkins, CEO of 

London’s Air Ambulance Charity 

said; 

“When a patient is critically 

injured, there is often no time to 

get that person to hospital. In 

those instances, our teams can 

provide a lifeline, arriving within 

11 minutes to perform advanced 

interventions at scene to try and 

save a life. But they can only 

be there thanks to our generous 

supporters. It costs around 

£10million to deliver our service, 

the vast majority of which we have 

to find from donations. In addition 

we know that by 2024 we also 

need to raise an additional 

£15million so we can replace our 

current helicopter fleet. 

That is why we are so grateful to 

the Duke for his sincere support 

for our cause, as shown by his 

attendance and heartfelt speech 

at the Gala. He continues to help 

us raise awareness of the unique 

work we do and inspire vital 

support so that we can continue 

to save lives. 

“It is humbling to see so many 

people donating so generously 

to our charity, making it our most 

successful Gala to date. All the 

funds raised will help us continue 

to be there for London when a life 

is on the line. 

“We are also very grateful to 

our committee, our sponsors 

AlbaCore Capital and CoinShares 

International Limited; to each 

of the table hosts, and to our 

auctioneer Lord Harry Dalmeny 

for helping us raise so much on 

the night.” 

World Extreme 

Medicine prepares 

for greatest 

challenge on 

Ukraine’s frontline 

Born out of expeditions over 

25 years ago, World Extreme 

Medicine is now in the middle 

of one of its greatest challenges 

- delivering highly specialised 

trauma care equipment to its 

network on Ukraine’s frontline. 

World Extreme Medicine is one 

of the world’s leading providers 

of education, conferences, 

consultancy, and medical cover 

in extreme medicine. Every year 

it helps thousands of medical 

and healthcare workers push the 

boundaries of their abilities and 

enables them to thrive and deliver 

in remote, austere, and hostile 

environments. 

Now a series of convoys, 

known as Medics4Ukraine, are 

being co-ordinated by a team 

of medical professionals and 

extreme medicine experts from 

its network, carrying highly 

specialised and focused medical 

equipment. The first convoy 

successfully delivered its cargo of 

urgently needed medical supplies 

directly into Ukraine in early April, 

including tourniquets, airway 

management kits, paramedic 

bags and bespoke trauma kits for 

improvised field hospitals. 

Convoy two will transport blood 

clotting agents, analgesic pain 

relief and antibiotics directly to 

frontline units including those in 

besieged cities such as Maruipol, 

Kherson and Kharkhiv. 

“What makes these convoys 

different is the network of medics 

helping us inside Ukraine, which 

means we can bypass many of 

the checkpoints and bottlenecks 

to get to the people who most 

need trauma kits the most – and 

quickly,” explains Mark Hannaford, 

founder of World Extreme 

Medicine. 

“Hospital staff in Ukraine are 

working non-stop in dangerous 

conditions, with resources 

diminishing by each passing 

day. We have been in direct 

contact with Ukrainian medical 

professionals, and their current 

situation is only set to get worse.” 

Drawing on the experience of 

organising successful medical 

equipment convoys to Syria 

and Myanmar the team have 

contacts, medical expertise, and 

the logistical setup to deliver 

convoys directly to hospitals on 

the frontline in Ukraine. Mark 

continues, “The objective is 

to send over multiple convoys 

throughout the conflict, which 

will each time supply medical 

equipment that is most in 

demand.” 

“The convoy has delivered 

lifesaving equipment. We are 

all medics. We talk the same 

language - the World Extreme 

medics can get us exactly what 

we so desperately need,” says 

Dr Olinsky an emergency doctor 

stationed in Lviv. 

“This was not an easy journey 

to make due to the nature of 

the conflict and the flow of 

the refugees out of Ukraine,” 

continues Mark. “It was 

heartbreaking to see, but what 

drives us on is making sure that 

supplies reach the East of the 

country, where they are most in 

need.” 

Find out more information and 

donate to the ‘Medics4Ukraine’ 

fundraising appeal today. Visit 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ 

medics4ukraine 

(Left to Right) Luca Alfatti World Extreme Medicine Faculty / Co-Lead 

for Medics4Ukraine, Dr.Olinsky Emergency Doctor stationed in Lviv, 

Ukrainian female soldier and Stepan Skobenyuk © Mark Hannaford, 

World Extreme Medicine 



89

NEWSLINE 

London’s Air 

Ambulance formally 

opens new helipad 

space following 

campaign during 

30th anniversary 


has celebrated the official 

opening of its new helipad 

space which will potentially 

give critically injured patients 

across London a better chance 

of survival by shaving valuable 

seconds off the advanced 

trauma team’s response times. 

The new offices are positioned 

closer to the flight deck, enabling 

the crew to reach the aircraft 

faster when a trauma call comes 

in. The new office complex also 

aims to improve crew wellbeing 

by giving space to debrief and 

decompress, vital for the mental 

health of the teams. 

At a ceremony at its base on the 

rooftop of The Royal London 

Hospital, funders, officials and 

crew members formally cut the 

ribbon to mark its first day in 

operation. The ceremony was 

attended by Minister for Health Ed 

Argar, who gave a short speech 

to mark the Department for Health 

and Social Care’s support for 

the project, and Sally Abbott, 

the Head of Fundraising at the 

HELP Appeal which provided 

a generous grant of £550,000 

towards the project. 


successfully bid for a grant of 

£1.4 million from the £10 million 

capital fund made available by 

DHSC to Air Ambulances in 2019. 

The grant was awarded to fund 

the vital redevelopment of the 

helipad base as well as a package 

of cutting-edge operational and 

training equipment to ensure 

the world leading medical teams 

continue to lead the way in prehospital 

trauma care. 

The Charity launched the 

campaign to raise the money for 

the facilities during a visit from 

their Patron, HRH The Duke of 

Cambridge to mark the 30th 

anniversary of the charity in 

January 2019. 

After initial feasibility work, the 

construction of the new facilities 

begun in September 2021. The 

facilities, which guests were able 

to view during the ceremony 

include; 

• An elevated operations room 

directly underneath the flight 

deck for pilots, fire crew and 

medical team. This will provide 

quicker access to the aircraft 

for faster dispatch and is 

anticipated to save 20-30 

seconds off each launch. 

• A quiet space for post-mission 

debriefs 

• A “safe space” for on-duty 

teams to find respite after 

challenging missions 

• A large multi-use training room 

/ simulation theatre for teaching 

and moulages 

• Rest pods for frontline crews. 

Jonathan Jenkins, CEO of 

London’s Air Ambulance Charity, 

said; 

Every second counts for seriously 

injured patients. By reducing 

the time it will take to get the 

helicopter airborne, the service will 

be able to respond to its patients 

ever faster, improve training and 

make sure its crews have the 

space they need for their mental 

health and wellbeing. It will also 

ensure that the world-class, world 

renowned service has the facilities 

to reflect this. 

We are immensely grateful to 

the DHSC, to the County Air 

Ambulance Trust, to our partners 

Barts Health NHS Trust and to the 

people across London who gave 

so generously to support this vital 

work. Thanks to them our doctors 

and paramedics can get to the 

side of a critically injured person 

as quickly as possible, providing 

rapid response care at the scene 

when there is no time to get to 

hospital. 

Minister for Health, Edward Argar, 

said; 

“Our £10 million funding for air 

ambulances has helped fantastic 

organisations such as London’s 

Air Ambulance Charity to invest 

in innovative operational and 

training equipment and crucial 

infrastructure so response teams 

continue to be ahead of the game 

in pre-hospital trauma care. 

“Air ambulances play a life-saving 

role in our emergency services 

by supporting the NHS and 

treating people in the most critical 

condition – I am thankful for all our 

rapid response teams, and it was 

a pleasure and privilege to visit 

the London’s Air Ambulance team 

once again, following my visit in 

January 2020.” 

A grant of £550,000 was also 

provided by the HELP Appeal, 

which is the only charity in the 

country dedicated to funding NHS 

hospital and air ambulance base 

helipads. 


Sally Abbott, Head of Fundraising 

at the HELP Appeal, said; 

“The HELP Appeal charity focuses 

on saving lives, whether that’s 

funding NHS hospital helipads, 

critical care cars or air ambulance 

medical equipment. We are 

extremely proud that this is the 

first time we have funded a facility 

90 


NEWSLINE 

which will help the fabulous air 

ambulance crew, who are under 

immense pressure to save lives in 

incredibly difficult situations. We 

hope this much needed space will 

give them the opportunity to rest 

and recover from their missions.” 

Alistair Chesser, Group Chief 

Medical Officer at Barts Health 

NHS Trust, said; 

“We are incredibly proud to 

be partners of London’s Air 

Ambulance. Thanks to these new 

facilities our doctors will be able 

to provide life-saving care for 

patients across London as soon 

as possible.” 

London’s Air Ambulance expert 

teams can deliver complex lifesaving 

interventions at the scene 

of an incident such as pre-hospital 

emergency anaesthesia; blood 

transfusion; thoracotomy (a 

surgical procedure which opens 

up the rib cage cavity to manually 

massage the heart) and REBOA 

(where a balloon is fed into the 

major blood vessels through an 

injection into the leg), all of which 

are known to have increased 

patient survival rates after 

traumatic injury. 

London’s Air Ambulance is a 

charity, operating in partnership 

with Barts Health NHS Trust 

and London Ambulance Service 

(LAS) NHS Trust. Barts Health 

NHS Trust employs and pays 

the doctors and provides the 

helipad space and LAS provide 

the paramedics as well as the 

flight paramedic situated in the 

control room who is responsible 

for dispatching London’s Air 

Ambulance to the most critically 

injured people in London, 24 

hours a day. 

Since its inception London’s 

Air Ambulance has developed 

cutting-edge medical care 

normally only found in the hospital 

Emergency Department for use at 

the roadside. The innovations and 

procedures it has developed have 

been adopted across the world to 

help save lives. 

St John Ambulance 

CYMRU - Rhayader 

Presentation Day 

The amazing work of our 

Rhayader volunteers was 

recognised recently at a special 

event held at their ambulance 

hall. 

Active for nearly 80 years, the 

division has established itself as a 

hub of the community, supporting 

events big and small and caring 

for those who need them. 

In 1999, they started a community 

first responder service, which has 

rapidly grown to become a lifeline 

for locals across Mid Wales. In 

2021 alone, they responded to 

a massive 570 emergency calls, 

which they’re on track to exceed 

in 2022. 

At the event, awards were 

presented by a number of special 

guests, including Jason Killens, 

WAST CEO; Robin Gibson Watt, 

Deputy Lord Lieutenant; and 

Councillor Mrs Lee Price, Mayor 

of Powys. 

Also in attendance was our 

Prior for Wales Sir Paul Williams 

and Chief Executive Officer 

Helen Smith, who presented 

a commemorative plaque to 

Divisional Officer In Charge (Unit 

Manager) Martyn Price. 

Our Chief Volunteer Richie Paskell 

said: 

“St John Ambulance Cymru 

have a proud history, helping 

communities for over one hundred 

years. Our presence in Wales has 

always meant that there will be a 

first aider close by when people 

need one. The Rhayader volunteer 

first responders and the service 

they provide to the communities 

of Mid Wales truly embodies this, 

and I am so proud of them all.” 

corpuls now 

connects with iOS 

via Bluetooth 

corpuls devices now fully 

integrate with Apple iOS, the 

first defibrillator/ monitor on the 

market to do so. This was the 

next logical step for corpuls, 

being fully interoperable with all 

systems, allowing Services to 

reap the benefit of innovations 

in the transfer, analysis, and 

interpretation of data. 

The NHS Long Term Plan 

underpins the importance of 

technology and its role in the NHS 

moving forward; setting out the 

critical priorities that will support 

digital transformation and provide 

a step change in the way the NHS 

cares for patients. 

Paramedics in England will benefit 

from the roll out of 30,000 iPads 

aimed at increasing patient care 

by faster and more accurate 

transfer of data, access to patient 

records, and virtual collaboration 

with other relevant clinicians whilst 

on scene. 

The full suite of corpuls products, 

available for purchase or lease 

from The Ortus Group, help 

fully realise the benefits brought 

by digital transformation and 

seamless, secure data transfer. 

Fully integrated wireless 

transmission of data over WiFi, 

4G, or locally via Low Energy 

Bluetooth (LE BT) allows bidirectional 

transfer of live data to 

Electronic Patient Records (ePRF), 

Hospitals, specialist clinicians or 

other tactical units that may be 

providing support. 

With iOS integration, ePRF 

systems can now push patient 

data direct to corpuls devices, 

so the paramedics don’t have to. 

All D-ECGs, vital parameters and 

events can be sent automatically 

to the ePRF allowing for smoother 

and more accurate handover of 

patients to receiving hospitals. 

When connected via GSM or 

WLAN, live transmission of all 

mission data can be sent to 

hospitals or specialist clinicians to 

help provide immediate support 

where required or make decisions 

on where to take patients for 

further treatment. Utilising the 

conferencing facility, missions 

using the corpuls system can 

initiate video calls with multiple 

other ‘tactical units’ at once, 

sending images, videos, voice 

notes and messages. 

Corpuls devices are available to 

the UK market from 

The Ortus Group 

www.theortusgroup.com 

08454594705 



91

IN PERSON 

WAS News 

Trust appoints two new Non- 

Executive Directors 

The Welsh Ambulance Service has 

appointed two new Non-Executive 

Directors to its Board. 

Ceri Jackson, who has held a number of senior 

roles in the charity sector, and Hannah Rowan 

(nee Burch) who also has eight years’ experience 

in the third sector after beginning her career as a 

teacher, took up their posts on 01 April 2022. 

Ceri, who lives in Cardiff, has over the last year 

been interim Non-Executive Director for the 

Trust and is also a Non-Executive Director for 

the Stroke Association and Sight Life. 

Hannah Rowan (nee Burch) 

Non-Executive Directors are appointed on 

a fixed term basis by the Health Minister 

and bring to the Board independence of 

judgement, diversity of background and a wide 

range of skills and expertise drawn from public, 

third and private sectors. 

They work with Executive Directors to develop 

strategy, policy and ensure sound governance, 

and ensure the Trust delivers services 

and performs effectively at a strategic and 

operational level. 

News 


Charity boosts diversity by 

appointing five new trustees 

to its board 

She said: “I am delighted to be joining the 

Board of WAST as Non-Executive Director 

after a year in the interim role. 

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and 

am excited to help shape the future of this 

proud organisation as it looks to transform 

services across Wales.” 

Ceri was the Interim Director of Strategy and 

Transformation at Ty Hafan children’s hospice 

until 2020, and has previously worked as both 

the Director and Head of Community at the 

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). 

Hannah, also from Cardiff, is currently Change 

Manager for Citizens Advice and is also a Non- 

Executive Director for Qualifications Wales, the 

regulator for all non-degree qualifications in Wales. 

Hannah has a background as a business 

coach and specialises in high-level problem 

solving and strategic oversight. 

She said: “I am an enthusiastic advocate for 

equality, diversity and inclusion and the positive 

impact that this can have on the culture and 

performance of an organisation. 

London’s Air Ambulance Charity has 

announced the recruitment of five new 

trustees to the Charity’s board. 

Rita Chadha, Bianca Gill, Sheri Adigun, Gordon 

Pitman and Nick Goodwyn were appointed 

following a competitive process which saw 

over 40 applications to join the life-saving 

charity. It comes at a time of change on the 

Charity’s board with a new Chair, Bob Forsyth, 

appointed in March, a new Deputy Chair, 

Gemma Sherrington and two further trustees 

standing down in the summer. 

She has previously sat on several Boards 

in Wales in order to help review policy and 

practice across a range of areas, including 

health, social care and housing. 

“It is an honour to be joining the Board in the 

Non-Executive Director role and I am looking 

forward to working with colleagues in the Trust.” 

Martin Woodford, Chair of the Welsh Ambulance 

Service, said: “We’re delighted to have both Ceri 

and Hannah join us on the Board. 

“They bring with them a wealth of experience 

and strategic insight which will prove crucial to 

the Trust as we navigate change in this postpandemic 

period. 

Jonathan Jenkins, CEO of London’s Air 

Ambulance Charity said; 

London is the most diverse city in the world and 

we are committed to ensuring that we reflect 

the community we serve, from top to bottom. 

The addition of these five new trustees boosts 

expertise in areas including aviation, strategic 

finance, and diversity and inclusion and also 

ensures that we are more reflective of our 

incredible, vibrant city that we are so proud to 

be a vital part of. 


Ceri Jackson 

“I know colleagues will join me in extending 

a very warm welcome to them both and look 

forward to the contributions they will make to 

our development.” 

The Trust’s Board is comprised of the 

Chairman and Non-Executive Directors, Chief 

Executive and Executive Directors as well 

as Trade Union partners, all of whom work 

collectively as the Board. 

This comes at a particularly important time 

for the Charity as we are about to launch our 

biggest ever public appeal to raise £15million 

by 2024 to replace our current helicopter fleet. 

We are delighted to have the new trustees part 

of the team that will help make that happen.” 

The new trustees are; 

Sheri Adigun, Senior Commercial Finance 

92 


IN PERSON 

Manager at the Wellcome Trust, overseeing 

International activities & UK finance. 

incident. Since launching 33 years ago, the 

service has treated over 43,000 patients. 

Rita Chadha, who has had a lifelong career 

in the not-for-profit sector, working for over 

twenty different international, national, and 

local charities and is currently Director of City 

Sikhs. 

Bianca Gill, an audit associate partner at Ernst 

& Young, where she has spent over 20 years 

auditing both private and listed companies in 

the real estate and construction sectors. 

Nick Goodwyn, Flight Operations Officer at 

the Civil Aviation Authority and Master at the 

Honourable Company of Air Pilots. 

Gordon Pitman, Chief HR Officer at GKN 

Aerospace since 2016 and is a member of the 

Aerospace Executive team. 

London’s Air Ambulance delivers an advanced 

trauma team to critically injured patients when 

time is of the essence and serves the 10 million 

people living and working within London. The 

charity is the only one of its kind in London 

to perform immediate life-saving medical 

procedures normally only found in a hospital 

emergency department at the scene of an 

News 

Medic of the Year 2021 

Each year, the Council of Members choose 

someone in the medical community who 

has provided medical excellence above 

and beyond their daily medical practice. 

The Council of Members is a membership 

programme where medical professionals 

can join the College and be part of the 

team. https://corom.org/membership/. 

Dr Regan is an emergency medicine and 

prehospital physician in the Scottish Highlands. 

He has managed patients who have fallen in 

ravines and drowned in the North Sea. 

Dr Luke Regan was trauma lead at Raigmore 

Hospital Inverness and is the founder of the 

Highland PICT Team, the prehospital trauma 

team for the Scottish Highlands. He has been 

pivotal in the provision of high quality enhanced 

care in the Scottish highlands - an area 

traditionally under-served in this regard. 

Dr Regan has published widely in relation to 

rural prehospital care. Recently in relation to 

PoCUS: The effectiveness of ultrasound in the 

detection of fractures in adults with suspected 

upper or lower limb injury: a systematic review 

and subgroup meta-analysisN Champagne, 

L Eadie, L Regan, P WilsonBMC emergency 

medicine 19 (1), 1-15, 2019 

Luke was nominated for his ongoing work to 

develop a high quality evidence base for the use 

of prehospital ultrasound and his central role 

in guiding the PICT team to fruition as a 7 day 

a week prehospital, physician-lead, enhanced 

care service for the Scottish Highlands. 


Do you have anything you would like to add or include? Please contact us and let us know. 

93

COMPANY NEWS 


VCS placed first 

on new NHS 

national framework 

for ambulance 

converters 

VCS, the UK’s leading 

ambulance conversion 

specialist, has achieved the 

highest combined score of 

all bidders in the new NHS 

Collaborative Procurement 

Hub Framework Agreement 

for Ambulance and Specialist 

Vehicle Conversions. 

Assessed on its technical 

ability, exceptional quality 

and financial offers, the 

Bradford-based manufacturer 

is now positioned at the top 

of the framework. It will look 

to continue its innovative 

approach to ambulance 

production, continually 

striving to achieve technical 

advancements. 

The NHS Collaborative 

Procurement Hub Framework 

Agreement for Ambulance and 

Specialist Vehicle Conversions 

is a new initiative to bring the 

specification of all ambulances in 

the UK under a single standard. 

The new framework will be in 

place for two years with the option 

to extend for a further year to a 

three year term. 

Being accepted onto this 

framework allows VCS to 

undertake conversions of the Fiat 

Ducato dual crewed ambulance 

for NHS ambulance services 

across the UK. This builds upon 

the company’s rich history in 

providing vehicles for NHS fleets 

such as East Midlands Ambulance 

Service and West Midlands 

Ambulance Service. 

Paul Croom, Director of Sales 

at VCS, said: “Our top position 

placement on the new NHS 

framework not only confirms 

the superb quality, innovation 

and value for money that VCS 

offers, it also secures our future 

and provides an excellent 

platform for growth. This result is 

testament to the great work done 

every day by our engineering, 

manufacturing and commercial 

teams, and allows us to continue 

development and maintain our 

position as a market leader in 

zero emission ambulances, and 

lightweight conversions.” 

Mark Kerrigan, Managing Director 

of VCS, said: “Our placement on 

the new NHS framework proves 

that VCS truly is the UK’s leading 

ambulance conversion specialist. 

However, we don’t plan to rest on 

our laurels; VCS is committed to 

making our vehicles even more 

innovative, advanced and efficient. 

We’re looking forward to sharing 

future developments with the 

market in due course.” 

Tony Page, Head of Fleet and 

Facilities Manager at West 

Midlands Ambulance Service, 

said: “Having first started working 

with VCS in 2011, we are 

delighted to be able to continue 

our relationship under this new 

framework. VCS’s innovation 

and attention to detail enables 

us to operate one of the most 

responsive, accessible and 

efficient services in the country.” 

Steve Farnsworth, Assistant 

Director of Operational Support 

at East Midlands Ambulance 

Service said: “We have worked 

with VCS since 2013 and the 

quality and technical capability 

of its products have always lived 

up to expectation. We’re pleased 

that we will be continuing to work 

with them for years to come 

now that they will be delivering 

the new national framework, 

and ambulance services across 

the country will benefit from the 

vehicles we have utilised for 

many years.” 

Bluelight UK Ltd has 

just opened another 

vehicle storage 

facility 

Bluelight UK Ltd has just 

opened another vehicle 

storage facility in Ashton in 

Makerfield near St Helens. 

This site will allow the 

company to take on more 

assets for its remarketing 

operation and is equipped 

with workshops and offices. 

“We are constantly evolving,” 

commented managing director, 

Simon Forster. “Good secure 

storage has always been one of 

our biggest concerns and with 

this important addition to our 

armoury we now can stock up 

to 150 vehicles. We are selling 

more ambulances than ever, 

but sometimes the timeframes 

can be stretched due to 

charities, committees and export 

procurement processes. This 

space provides us with a mass 

of opportunities. In addition to 

this, our site at Atherton is being 

extended which will enable us to 

deliver even more vehicles.” 

Due to demand there are just 

15 frontline ambulance vehicles 

in stock today including 2015 

and 2016 Sprinters and national 

specification Ducatos, as well as 

a fleet of well-maintained PTS 

vehicles. 

“We are preparing for a glut 

of incoming Patient Transport 

Service vehicles ranging from 

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles to 

Bariatric over the coming weeks. 

This has been delayed due to the 

replacement vehicle supply, but 

we are ready. We are also due to 

take delivery of another 9 brand 

new High Dependency Units in 

the next few weeks and have 

more Rapid Response vehicles 

arriving soon with more Front 

Line National Spec ambulances 

due in the next four to five 

months.” added Simon. “This 

year in addition to our normal 

UK business, we have already 

supplied pre-owned vehicles to 

Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta, 

Uganda, Mozambique. We don’t 

make a song and dance about 

how we are helping in Ukraine, 

but we are currently aiding the 

cause on many fronts”. 

Bluelight UK is also heavily 

involved with new vehicle supply 

(not exclusively) for the UK 

market, in particular specialist 

conversions such as High 

Dependency Units (B category), 

Secure and Non-Secure Mental 

Health Transport Units and Driver 

Training Units as well as Support 

Vehicles and other specialist 

medical transport solutions. 

Their experience in this field is 

invaluable and the team also 

has expertise in helping new 

businesses establish themselves, 

providing sound advice for 

anyone planning a new “start-up” 

private ambulance business. 

All the vehicles in stock are ex 

NHS Trust and have been wellmaintained. 

Pre-owned vehicles 

(especially ex NHS Trust) can 

make a huge difference to your 

capital expenditure. Repurposing 

vehicles is also good for the 

environment. 

With the current exhaustive 

new vehicle lead-times Bluelight 

UK can often offer solutions for 

short, medium and long term 

whether you normally purchase or 

lease your vehicles. Their rental 

ambulances can also provide you 

with a stop-gap for delayed new 

vehicle builds, VOR downtime or 

new contracts. 

If you are interested in new or 

used ambulance or PTS vehicles, 

you can contact Bluelight UK Ltd 

on 01942 888800 or 

sales@bluelightuk.co.uk. 

Alternatively you can find them on 

www.bluelightuk.co.uk 

94 


Preparing our Emergency Services 

For Every Response 

At The Emergency Services Show you will 

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clothing and uniforms, training solutions, 

medical response, recovery equipment and 

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www.emergencyuk.com 

For the latest Ambulance Service News visit: www.ambulancenewsdesk.com

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United States and/or other countries. 

MCN EP 1811 0246

Ambulance UK June 2022

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