AN ambulance service will recruit 150 more frontline staff ready for winter and add 28 more ambulances to its fleet thanks to extra funding.

The extra millions have been allocated to the Yorkshire Ambulance service to cope with the pressure faced by paramedics.

NHS England has announced an additional £55 million of funding for the ambulance sector to boost staff numbers ahead of winter and to help address the current high demand for services.

For Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, this equates to £5.14 million of extra funding and comes at a time when the service is under immense pressure.

The Trust has seen unprecedented demand for its services recently and has been appealing to the public to only use 999 when there is a serious or life-threatening emergency so that ambulances are available for patients who need them most.

Demand for ambulances has been increasing month by month since January 2021 and July looks to be one of the busiest months ever.

During recent weekends, there has been a 40 per cent increase in the total number of emergency calls received and the Trust is seeing a higher proportion of calls to patients in a serious or life-threatening condition.

Chief Executive Rod Barnes said: “The additional funding is very welcome, in light of the considerable pressure currently being experienced by all ambulance services and the wider NHS.

“Our recruitment plans are underway and we are excited about taking on additional staff to provide care to patients across the Yorkshire and Humber region and ease the burden on our dedicated colleagues.

"Working for the NHS is such a privilege and I would highly recommend the ambulance service for a very rewarding career.”

The funding will help the service gain an additional 28 emergency ambulances available for winter and to recruit and train 150 more frontline staff.

It will also increase the number of emergency medical dispatchers in its two emergency operations centres in Wakefield and York by 90 and accelerate their recruitment and training.

 

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