A SCHEME to put volunteers behind the wheels of powerful ambulances is being pioneered in Wensleydale.

The revolutionary Yorlife community response scheme is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Designed to improve 999 response times in rural areas, it will see a network of specially-trained volunteers recruited - and if it is a success, it could spread nationwide.

Launched at Castle Bolton on Wednesday, the Yorlife scheme will train volunteers to drive high-speed Volvo V40 Estates and Vauxhall Frontera 4X4s to the scene of medical emergencies and road accidents.

Once there, they will use basic lifesaving training to stabilise ill or injured patients until a front-line ambulance arrives.

The scheme is an admission by Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service bosses that it is virtually impossible to meet the Government's target of reaching life-threatening incidents within eight minutes in rural areas.

Medical director Dr Colin Melville said lives could be saved if fully-equipped "blue-light" vehicles driven by volunteers could be mobilised close to the scene of incidents.

He revealed that when he checked on Tuesday, the nearest front-line ambulance was 35 minutes away from Castle Bolton.

TENYAS expects most of the new community ambulance vehicles will be "principally" crewed by paramedics and other ambulance staff living in that particular area.

There are also plans to invite local GPs, nurses and health visitors to join the scheme, but it will also rely on "civilian" volunteers, willing to be called out to emergencies.

Strong support came from Dr Adrian Dawson, a GP in Leyburn, who said he wanted to offer his "whole-hearted support," and Coun John Green, chairman of Preston-under-Scar Parish Council said: "This is really good news for our area."

Coun Sue Gall, chairman of Redmire Parish Council, said she was interested in volunteering. "I am a trained nurse and I think there is a real need in this area. It's a great idea."

While ambulance staff support the scheme, there is some concern about allowing civilians with two weeks' training to drive powerful 999 vehicles.

Steve Forsyth, Unison spokesman for TENYAS, said: "We feel it should just be an ordinary car."

North-East Ambulance Service spokesman Paul Liversidge said: "If it is successful we would have talks to see whether we could do something similar."

An ambulance service spokesman later told the D&S Times that volunteers would undergo accredited courses in clinical and driving skills, which would include three weeks' ambulance service emergency driver training (the same as an emergency ambulance person) and 40 hours' first-person-on-scene intermediate clinical training in life support. This would include the use of defibrillators, basic trauma care, management of airways and care of sudden illness patients, including management of cardiac emergencies.

The clinical training was devised specifically for community responders and would be followed by practical on-the-job clinical and driver training with full time paramedics and EMTs.

Vetting for volunteer applicants would be through an existing robust recruitment and selection process and would include occupational health and police checks