Knighton among towns to launch new life-saving initiative

The Welsh Ambulance Service and St John Ambulance Cymru have teamed up to create a scheme where volunteer alternative responders are trained to attend medical emergencies in their areas.

These volunteers are notified by the Welsh Ambulance Service when an emergency arises in their area and are responsible for providing crucial care until the ambulance arrives.

Rhayader in Powys was the first to start the scheme, with Caerphilly, Haverfordwest, Knighton, and Ruthin joining in September.

Judith Bryce, the assistant director of operations at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "We’re delighted to be working with St John Ambulance Cymru once again on another initiative with the potential to save lives.

"Volunteering at the Welsh Ambulance Service has come a long way in the last two decades, and the Volunteer Alternative Responder scheme is the latest in a series of new and exciting plans to further embrace our volunteers and make communities across Wales safer for all."

Volunteers come from different backgrounds but share a commitment to helping others in times of need.

The aim is to increase community resilience, which the Welsh Ambulance Service says has never been more important.

St John Ambulance Cymru has been running similar schemes.

Darren Murray, head of community operations at St John Ambulance Cymru, said: "St John Ambulance Cymru volunteers have been stepping up to provide first aid and life-saving support in communities across Wales for over a century, and this new scheme is the latest way their dedication and skills are helping people get the help they need as quickly as possible.

"Our community of volunteers regularly give up their time to hone their skills so they are prepared just in case someone needs their help, whether at home or at one of hundreds of events they provide first aid cover for each year."

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In addition to the partnership with St John Ambulance Cymru, the Welsh Ambulance Service has many other volunteering opportunities, supported by more than 600 members of the public across Wales.

One such opportunity is the community welfare responders (CWRs), who are trained to attend suitable 999 calls in their community.

Their responsibilities include taking initial observations and reporting them to clinicians in the ambulance control room, who then decide the next steps.

Another voluntary role is the volunteer car service drivers, who use their vehicles to transport people to and from routine hospital appointments.

Last year, they made 41,599 journeys across Wales and covered almost one and a half million miles in their cars.

They've recently launched an initiative pairing cancer patients with a specific volunteer to improve their experience.

Gareth Parry, operations manager (volunteer car service), said: "Volunteer Car Service Drivers transport thousands of patients every year to and from hospital appointments."

He added: "We’ve made more than 2,500 oncology journeys since the pilot began in March, and the feedback from patients – and volunteers – has been overwhelmingly positive."

Community first responders attend 999 calls and provide first aid before the ambulance arrives.

They are trained by the Welsh Ambulance Service to administer first aid, including oxygen therapy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as well as the use of a defibrillator.

Last year, they were also trained to administer Methoxyflurane, a fast-acting drug used to reduce pain in patients with a traumatic injury.

For more information about the volunteering opportunities at the Welsh Ambulance Service, visit the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust website.