'DAV' ready to support women’s and children's health service transfers
The Dedicated Ambulance Vehicle (DAV) to support women’s and children's service transfers has arrived in Pembrokeshire.
The ambulance will be based at Withybush Hospital from August 4 and will be resourced 24 hours every day with paramedics and emergency technicians.
It has recently arrived in the county and is currently having equipment checks prior to its deployment.
This vehicle will be a ring fenced resource provided to transfer women, babies and children from Withybush Hospital to Glangwili Hospital (and other specialist centres if the need should arise) and is in addition to the existing ambulance establishment.
Rob Jeffery, the Trust’s Head of Service for Hywel Dda University Health Board area, said: “The Welsh Ambulance Service is committed to providing safe and high-quality healthcare and services to all communities in Wales, including Pembrokeshire.
“We have recruited sufficient emergency medical services staff to provide this vehicle for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“However, in an attempt to ensure equality of access for all staff who wish to experience working on the DAV, we have extended the recruitment phase to engage a further two staff. This will enable DAV and existing staff to fulfil shifts both on the DAV and at ambulance stations throughout Pembrokeshire.
“Our staff are looking forward to integrating with the hospital teams and there will be a joint programme of training and education to ensure that all staff function as one Multi-Disciplinary Team.
“Extensive modeling and profiling has been undertaken with our university health board colleagues, and when all services have been reconfigured, it is estimated that the total number of transfers will be a maximum of nine per day.
“However, paediatric services will not change until October, so the number of transfers will therefore be significantly less in the early stages. During this time the DAV staff will be otherwise utilised.
“It should also be noted that some transfers currently undertaken by our existing staff, will from August 4, have a response from the DAV, freeing up the time of the existing ambulance staff.
“We are committed to providing high quality ambulance services as detailed in our ambitious modernisation programme, Working Together for Success, and make every effort to ensure a safe service is provided to the people of Wales.”
Paul Hawkins, Chief Operating Officer at the University Health Board and Chair of the Programme Board tasked with implementing the new way of delivering maternity, neonatal, paediatrics and gynaecology across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire said: “Robust transport has always been a key element of the new services and a key component of the safety net function. It is important to remember this will not be the only ambulance available to transfer patients but is an additional resource to support the transport available to Pembrokeshire patients.”
For more information on women’s and children’s services go to www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/yourfutureservices
The ambulance will be based at Withybush Hospital from August 4 and will be resourced 24 hours every day with paramedics and emergency technicians.
It has recently arrived in the county and is currently having equipment checks prior to its deployment.
This vehicle will be a ring fenced resource provided to transfer women, babies and children from Withybush Hospital to Glangwili Hospital (and other specialist centres if the need should arise) and is in addition to the existing ambulance establishment.
Rob Jeffery, the Trust’s Head of Service for Hywel Dda University Health Board area, said: “The Welsh Ambulance Service is committed to providing safe and high-quality healthcare and services to all communities in Wales, including Pembrokeshire.
“We have recruited sufficient emergency medical services staff to provide this vehicle for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“However, in an attempt to ensure equality of access for all staff who wish to experience working on the DAV, we have extended the recruitment phase to engage a further two staff. This will enable DAV and existing staff to fulfil shifts both on the DAV and at ambulance stations throughout Pembrokeshire.
“Our staff are looking forward to integrating with the hospital teams and there will be a joint programme of training and education to ensure that all staff function as one Multi-Disciplinary Team.
“Extensive modeling and profiling has been undertaken with our university health board colleagues, and when all services have been reconfigured, it is estimated that the total number of transfers will be a maximum of nine per day.
“However, paediatric services will not change until October, so the number of transfers will therefore be significantly less in the early stages. During this time the DAV staff will be otherwise utilised.
“It should also be noted that some transfers currently undertaken by our existing staff, will from August 4, have a response from the DAV, freeing up the time of the existing ambulance staff.
“We are committed to providing high quality ambulance services as detailed in our ambitious modernisation programme, Working Together for Success, and make every effort to ensure a safe service is provided to the people of Wales.”
Paul Hawkins, Chief Operating Officer at the University Health Board and Chair of the Programme Board tasked with implementing the new way of delivering maternity, neonatal, paediatrics and gynaecology across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire said: “Robust transport has always been a key element of the new services and a key component of the safety net function. It is important to remember this will not be the only ambulance available to transfer patients but is an additional resource to support the transport available to Pembrokeshire patients.”
For more information on women’s and children’s services go to www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/yourfutureservices
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