Gibraltar gets its own paramedics

Four members of the ambulance service in Gibraltar have become the territory's first paramedics after being trained by staff at Kingston University and St George's, University of London.

Previously, ambulances in Gibraltar were staffed by emergency medical technicians who had less clinical knowledge.

But now with the four new paramedics - Jenny Garrett, Mike Valarino, Sigurd Haveland and Paul Watson - Gibraltarians will get the benefits of improved knowledge and specialist skills.

The paramedics were trained by the Centre for Paramedic Science in the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education - run jointly by the two London-based universities.

The Faculty has been training nurses for Gibraltar since 2007 through a franchise set up by the Gibraltar Health Authority. The contract was extended to paramedic training, because of the need to transform emergency services for the territory.