North West Ambulance service boosts workforce during pandemic

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has boosted its workforce to support the region throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing more than 450 new workers to the frontline in recent weeks.
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An additional 187 staff are in place to handle 999 calls across the region’s emergency operations centres, while 150 additional NHS 111 clinicians, health and service advisors have joined the team at the Liverpool and Greater Manchester contact centres.

Recruitment and training of new starters is continuing in NHS 111, with 142 staff expected to have joined by August, ready to the public with urgent health concerns.

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Temporary centres were set up using empty spaces in local schools to help train the workers, which include student paramedics, apprentices, staff redeployed from other parts of the trust, and some agency workers.

Ambulance boostAmbulance boost
Ambulance boost

NWAS has also increased the number of ambulances available by converting 80 non-emergency patient transport vehicles and adding the equipment needed to respond to emergencies.

To staff the extra vehicles, student paramedics and apprentice emergency medical technicians have become fully operational and 150 of NWAS’s patient transport service employees have volunteered to receive additional training and work alongside emergency service clinicians to provide a safe and effective service.

Chief executive Daren Mochrie said: “Providing the right care to the people of the North West is always our number one priority and we knew from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic we would need to be ready for an increase in demand on our service. Expanding our workforce in this way has allowed us to continue to help those who need us.

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“It takes courage to step up to a challenging new role at a time like this and we really do appreciate the support and input from all our new starters and volunteers. We have received so much public support and all we ask is that everyone continues to help us by following government advice and doing your part to protect the NHS and save lives.”