With Covid numbers spiraling earlier this year, St John Ambulance stepped up to support our NHS here on the Isle of Wight and the result has been so successful that more than 40 St John ambulances – crewed by paramedics, technicians and Emergency Ambulance Crews – were seen out and about on Island roads in August alone.
Since February, St John has been putting its life saving skills to extraordinary use for us and it amounts to more than 300 additional shifts being provided to the Island, giving an additional 2,700 hours of ambulance coverage to the Island.
Growing number of volunteers
As our relationship with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust continues to grow, the numbers offering their support to the Island are also growing too.
St John’s bright new ambulances can be seen on the ferry most days of the week, also supporting with mainland transfers to free up Island crews to remain on the Island.
Trained to the exacting standards we have all come to respect, these deployments have seen crews from all over the South, from as far afield as Bristol, Kent and London. Our crews are also gaining valuable support and expertise from their NHS counterparts as they are being used to support on all types of call.
Sheen: Our training is world class and literally life saving
Brigadier Maurice Sheen, Chairman of Isle of Wight St John Priory Group, says,
“As the #AskMe campaign shows, our training is world class and literally life saving here on the Island, so it is excellent to see the St John logo on teams of men and women out there on the front line.
“I am so proud of the Island volunteers, as well as the teamwork and can do attitude with crews from The Mainland.”
White: Very thankful to St John Ambulance
Victoria White, Head of Isle of Wight Ambulance Service added,
“At the beginning of the year the demand on the IW Ambulance Service rose significantly and Covid-19 related staff absences put additional pressure on our service. We are very thankful to St John Ambulance for working alongside us.
“Their ongoing support is helping us to care for our community efficiently and effectively, in what continues to be an incredibly busy time for urgent and emergency services. A huge thank you to the SJA team from all at the Trust.”
Join St John
As the St John training is once again opening up, there has never been a better time to update your skills or apply to join one of the groups here on the Island.
For more information call 0344 770 4800 (Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm), see our ‘St John Ambulance – Isle of Wight’ Facebook page or visit our Website.
News shared by Jacqueline on behalf of St John Ambulance. Ed
