Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians from Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust have been training sailors and airman drawn from Ships, Naval establishments and RAF Air stations, ready to take up duties as ambulance drivers across Wales.
The 50 military personnel from the Royal Navy and RAF are the second tranche of volunteers, to come forward and will join a previous tranche of 50 soldiers from 4 Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps already on task.
"We’re proud and grateful to have the military working alongside us once again, who did a superb job of assisting us on two occasions previously last year. Having our Armed Forces colleagues back on board will help us put more ambulances on duty so we can get to more patients, more quickly, while the extreme pressure continues. Essentially, they’ll work with one of our clinicians on an emergency ambulance responding to the full range of emergency calls. The winter period is our busiest time, and having military support will bolster our capacity and put us in the best possible position to provide a safe service to the people of Wales."
Lee Brooks
Trust’s Director of Operations
Around 100 personnel from the Armed Forces will be on ambulance driving duties and supporting these will be a dedicated team of 29 personnel making a total of 129 sailors, soldiers and airmen committed to assisting Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust across Wales.
"Over this weekend we spent time training with the paramedics and emergency medical technicians to familiarise ourselves with the ambulances, equipment and processes to make sure we can assist in the best way we can. The sailors, soldiers and airmen are ready to begin the task we have been deployed to do in Wales. It’s a privilege to be working with our Welsh Ambulance Service colleagues in supporting the NHS in Wales to ease the pressures that currently exist."
Major Alex Wilson
Officer Commanding 60 Close Support Squadron
During the training sessions, military personnel learnt how to deliver support on emergency callouts and familiarised themselves with vehicles and equipment they will be operating. Military ambulance drivers will assist in patient handling, but not be conducting any patient treatment beyond the help a paramedic would normally call upon from a public bystander, should the need arise.
"I’m very proud to be doing this and my mum has sent me a message saying how proud she was of me volunteering, which was extra nice. It’s also a good chance to get to know other people from the three services it’s a good group we’re with. I’m looking forward to deploying to the ambulance station and know that people will appreciate what we are doing."
RAF Corporal West
Volunteer Driver, MOD St Athan
It is the third time the Military have supported Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust through the pandemic as part of the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities arrangement.
More than 200 British Army soldiers have already assisted the Trust’s COVID-19 effort by driving and decontaminating ambulance vehicles as part of Operation RESCRIPT. More broadly, around 20,000 military personnel have been supporting public services across the UK during the pandemic as part of a ‘COVID Support Force.’
