Paramedics back in saddle on city streets

CYCLING paramedics have returned to the streets of a Yorkshire city.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service suspended their use in Sheffield, along with Leeds and Hull, earlier this year.

Staff returned to ambulances and rapid-response vehicles, while a trial of the scheme launched in Harrogate during the summer was ended by health managers last month.

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But paramedics have now returned at peak times to the streets of Sheffield’s city centre.

Alan Baranowski, locality director of A&E operations for South Yorkshire at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said the move : “Our priority is to respond to all emergency calls as quickly as possible and, in view of the growing and changing demand for our 999 service, we are always reviewing how we make use of our staff to ensure that our resources are utilised effectively and our patients receive the best possible care.

“In Sheffield, we are now operating our cycle response unit at peak times when the city centre is busy.”

The use of bicycles was seen as a way of getting paramedics to emergencies in pedestrianised or built-up areas which might otherwise be difficult to reach quickly by paramedics in traditional ambulances.

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The Lifecycle service was first introduced in York 10 years ago, where it remains in place, before being extended to Sheffield, Hull and Leeds.

The scheme was launched in Harrogate earlier this year but delivered inconsistent results, with paramedics receiving no call-outs on some days.

Bicycles used by paramedics are specialist mountain bikes with £5,000 of medical equipment, as well as blue flashing lights and sirens.

They have panniers equipped with a defibrillator and are able to carry almost as much equipment as rapid-response vehicles.

Ambulance chiefs are believed to be considering setting up a similar scheme in Scarborough.