New and updated vehicles will be added to ambulance fleets to help staff provide emergency care to patients this winter following a £36.3 million government investment. The new and improved vehicles will still come with all the essentials needed in an emergency with one of the most important pieces of equipment being the mobile oxygen. Part of the long-term plan for the NHS, the capital investment will increase support for paramedics and ambulance staff.

Announced by Health Minister Stephen Barclay as part of the NHS’s 70th birthday this week, the funding builds on the recent announcement that paramedics will be given body cameras to increase protection from violence, in a trial involving 465 ambulances and paramedic teams.

London Ambulance Service is set to increase its fleet with an extra 25 double-crewed ambulances as a result of £3.85 million investment, and Yorkshire Ambulance Service will increase its fleet with 62 double-crewed ambulances, due to £7.5 million in funding.

Doubling up on the crews will provide a stronger output for ambulances who are responding to call-outs as they will be able to have the necessary help in serious situations which can become overwhelming for one professional to deal with. Consistent training is also essential in this area, with the hope that EMTs and paramedics are able to be trained up by using resources such as a practice EMT test and paramedic training, to ensure that they are following each and every protocol when out in the field.

Nationally, the investment will buy 256 new state-of-the-art vehicles, more than half of which will be on the road for this winter.

Funding will also go towards further training for staff through organisations like London Coast2Coast, and ‘make ready’ hubs at ambulance trust headquarters, which will allow better restocking and maintenance of vehicles. This will see specialist staff quickly restock, refuel and clean ambulances, getting them back on the road faster.