Soldiers are called in to drive ambulances in Wales to help paramedics under 'extreme pressure' amid surging Covid cases

  • The Welsh Ambulance Service will have support from 94 British Army soldiers
  • Wales was put into lockdown on Sunday as its coronavirus cases continue to rise
  • Soldiers last helped public services during the first wave of Covid-19 in April
  • They will now help to drive vehicles, handle patients and assist paramedics 
  • British Army soldiers have been called back to help ambulance teams in Wales cope with the 'extreme pressure' of the coronavirus pandemic. 

    The Welsh Ambulance Service said 94 soldiers will be re-enlisted from Wednesday to support teams responding to emergency callouts.

    Wales was put into lockdown on Sunday with its latest seven-day Covid-19 case rate now at 623 per 100,000 people and rising, putting increased strain on the country's health services.During the first wave of coronavirus in April, soldiers helped ambulance teams as part of the Ministry of Defence's 20,000-strong Covid Response Force, set up to put service personnel and reservists on standby to support public services.

    The Welsh Ambulance Service said 94 soldiers will be re-enlisted from Wednesday to support teams responding to emergency callouts. Pictured, military personnel in April

    The Welsh Ambulance Service said 94 soldiers will be re-enlisted from Wednesday to support teams responding to emergency callouts. Pictured, military personnel in April

    Although unable to travel under blue lights to emergencies, their duties will include driving ambulances, lifting and handling patients and assisting paramedics with non-clinical tasks. The extra support will allow teams to split up and spread their resources across their fleet.

    Among the members of the armed forces linking up with ambulance teams will be soldiers from 9 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps, who have been undergoing training for deployment at their headquarters in Chippenham, Wiltshire.On Tuesday, the ambulance service's chief executive Jason Killens said: 'The extreme pressure on our ambulance service in the last couple of weeks has been well documented, and it's why we've taken the decision to re-enlist the military, who did a superb job of assisting us earlier in the year.

    'Winter is our busiest period, and with the second wave of a global pandemic also to contend with, this is about bolstering our capacity as far we can and putting us in the best possible position to provide a safe service to the people of Wales.'

    Although unable to travel under blue lights to emergencies, their duties will include driving ambulances, lifting and handling patients and assisting paramedics with non-clinical tasks. Pictured, military personnel during their training in April

    Although unable to travel under blue lights to emergencies, their duties will include driving ambulances, lifting and handling patients and assisting paramedics with non-clinical tasks. Pictured, military personnel during their training in April

    Wales has seen the total number of Covid-19 cases it reported double after 11,000 infections were added to figures following an IT update (dark red)

    Wales has seen the total number of Covid-19 cases it reported double after 11,000 infections were added to figures following an IT update (dark red)

    Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said: 'With coronavirus case rates at high levels in many areas of Wales, it's welcome and reassuring that our armed forces will help our ambulance and NHS services during what is set to be a very busy winter period.

    'Since the beginning of the pandemic, the military has stepped up to support health services across Wales with the distribution of PPE (personal protective equipment), construction of a temporary hospital in Cardiff, assisting community testing in the South Wales valleys and will help roll out community vaccine in the coming months.

    'The use of the armed forces to help with this vital work demonstrates the UK Government's commitment to meet the needs of the whole of the United Kingdom as we continue to tackle the pandemic.'

    Military personnel from 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh watch as learning and development officers teach basic life support as they take part in military ambulance driver induction training at Taunton Ambulance Station in April

    Military personnel from 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh watch as learning and development officers teach basic life support as they take part in military ambulance driver induction training at Taunton Ambulance Station in April

    Minister of the armed forces, James Heappey, added: 'The whole of the United Kingdom must pull together if we are to overcome coronavirus and get back to the way of life we know and value.

    'Our armed forces will do this again in Wales by joining the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust for the second time this year.

    'Ninety four military personnel, including medics and drivers, will support the ambulance service as they care for the most vulnerable during these challenging times.'

2 comments:

  1. Fear porn pushing bullshit this site just like CNN....Like when they were screaming the hospitals are overflowing in New York and LA so Trump sent the Hospital ships to cope...but it was all bullshit and they left 2 days later without seeing a patient.....Or when they built those make shift hospitals in the UK to cope with the amount of coronahoax patients that over flowed the hospitals...which turned out to be bullshit as well and the makeshift hospitals were taken down 3 days later with no patients....Same BULLSHIT all to coincide to panic the public to get Bills poisons vaccine...This site sucks even bigger than CNN

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