Yorkshire Ambulance Service calls on military support

Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) said its emergency service was still "fully operational"

Yorkshire's ambulance service is to get support from military personnel amid pressure on staffing due to to Covid-related absences.

Around 40 members of the armed forces will be used to support its non-urgent work, the trust said.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) director of operations Nick Smith said the move would enable staff "to attend to serious and life-threatening cases".

The military personnel are expected to begin training on 18 January.

Mr Smith said the use of armed forces staff had always been part of resilience planning.

"We will be able to use military personnel to work alongside our staff, enabling us to support patients and get people the treatment they need sooner."

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Armed forces staff would work alongside a YAS employee and only attend minor cases, hospital transfers and discharges, he added.

'Fully operational'

Mr Smith said they would receive training similar to that provided to the trust's patient transport service staff.

"They will enable paramedics to accompany patients, whose condition is not deemed to be serious, in the back of vehicles while being driven to or from hospitals," he said.

Mr Smith added he wanted to reassure people, in spite of the challenges, the trust's emergency service remained "fully operational".

The trust said operational pressures had been made worse by rising Covid-19-related absences.

On Wednesday, it had suspended transport for non-emergency routine outpatient appointments.