Region’s ambulance staff to join Olympic emergency response in capital

AMBULANCE staff from Yorkshire will be joining a medical team in London to help to cover an upsurge in emergencies during the Olympics. Twenty eight people from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service are among 200 nationwide who have volunteered to work in the capital during the games, when there is expected to be an increase in demand of up to five per cent. Front-line clinicians and staff from emergency operations centres and support services across the region will join the 440 NHS ambulance staff who will provide emergency assistance at venues and fringe events.

The volunteers have taken part in specialist training with London Ambulance Service and will go through four days of intensive training on arrival to prepare them for their stint in the capital.

Ambulance chief executive David Whiting, said: “We have been working with them for two years to prepare for the Olympics and are delighted that we can do our bit to support a safe and successful London Games.

“As far as day-to-day services across the Yorkshire and Humber region are concerned, it will very much be business as usual during the games.

“We have planned very carefully to ensure there will be no impact on services here.”