The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) is welcoming calls for closer integration of blue light services as long as it doesn’t affect the number one priority for ambulance services; patient care.
A great deal of joint working already exists, but AACE believes this can be expanded with closer working between the three blue light services.
Earlier this year, the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), the Association of Police Chief Officers (ACPO) and AACE supported the principle of closer working as long as any proposed changes can be reasonably expected not to compromise clinical practice or public health, safety and wellbeing in any way.
In line with this, AACE will be participating in a meeting of the Emergency Services Collaboration Working Group.
Dr Anthony Marsh QAM, Chair of AACE says:
“It is important to remember that joint-working already exists between the three blue light services. For example, many ambulance services co-locate with police and fire colleagues so that they are closer to patients.
“It is also notable that the NHS Ambulance Service has already successfully led on a reduction in the numbers of services from 31 down to 10 regional ambulance trusts to realise significant efficiencies in back office costs and AACE is open to sharing the lessons from this work with Fire and Police colleagues.
“Equally, for the last two years, all three services have been working closely on the JESIP (Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme) which is training thousands of ambulance, fire and police staff. The work is embedding new protocols on working together at the scene of a major incident which will undoubtedly save lives and protect members of the public.
“There have also been a number of innovative projects that see police and ambulance staff working with mental health practitioners to help keep those with mental health issues out of police cells.
“While we consider there are undoubted benefits of closer integration, we must also remember the differences between the three services. The ambulance service is a clinical one, providing a wide range of NHS care, not just emergency response. It has different aims and objectives to those of the fire and rescue and police services with relatively few crossovers in front line services. This means that any new areas of collaboration must be fully evaluated so that we can determine which are sensible, workable and truly deliver benefits for our patients and the public alike.”
