A WAVE of volunteers and paramedic students has enabled West Midlands Ambulance Service to double the number of its crews at its Bromsgrove hub from 20 to 40.
In just three days, more than 1,000 people have applied to join the service and backed by its students already in training, WMAS has been able to put in place extensive plans that will see a substantial increase in staff numbers and upskilling hundreds of existing staff so that they can help the public.
In recent weeks the service has been increasing its call assessors in both our 999 and 111 control rooms, but last weekend it asked for applications to increase that number further. In just 72 hours, more than 1,000 people had applied.
In addition, the Trust has been working with its local university partners at Staffordshire, Coventry, Worcester, Wolverhampton and Birmingham City to recruit around 200 third year paramedic students.
These students who are just weeks away from qualifying and have spent thousands of hours on ambulances.
All of them will work with fully qualified paramedics and technicians and this has paved the way for the boost at the Bromsgrove hub.
A further 130 Year 2 university paramedics have also been taken on to work to help clean and re-stock the ambulances allowing clinical staff to spend more time treating patients.
Emergency services operations delivery director, Nathan Hudson, said: “We are receiving huge support from our university students.
“Many are already very familiar to our staff and the response we have had from the team at Bromsgrove has been incredible with the students made to feel very welcome.
“These students would have qualified over the next few weeks so are a tremendous asset for us.”
Trust Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, said: “We are dealing with a Global Pandemic and a National Emergency. COVID-19 presents the NHS with arguably the greatest challenge it has faced since its creation.
“The message is clear, Stay at home; Protect the NHS; Save lives. Anyone can spread the virus so: Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home), stay two metres – six feet away from other people, and wash your hands as soon as you get home.
