Blue light services launch life-saving co-responder scheme

Wednesday, 25 October 2017 07:00

West Yorkshire’s Firearms Officers are now responding to certain life-threatening medical emergencies at the same time as an ambulance to give patients the best possible chance of survival.

The joint initiative between Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) and West Yorkshire Police aims to help patients in cardiac or respiratory arrest. The emergency co-responder scheme has been activated 40 times since its introduction on 5 September and five patients have been successfully resuscitated and transported to hospital with a cardiac output.

The officers are already trained to provide life-saving emergency care and carry defibrillators as part of their standard kit.

In line with strict criteria, a team of two Firearms Officers are despatched to patients in cardiac or respiratory arrest at the same time as an ambulance and do not replace the usual emergency medical response from YAS. Their location within local communities means they could be nearer to the scene in those first critical minutes.

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