Reducing ambulance emissions in cold weather

The Welsh Ambulance Service is taking new steps to reduce its diesel emissions.

The Trust has procured fan heaters for its fleet of emergency ambulances to keep patients and staff warm as they wait outside hospital emergency departments.

Liam Williams, the Trust's Executive Director of Quality and Nursing, said: "The well-documented pressures across the system mean that some patients spend a considerable amount of time in the ambulance before handover to the emergency department.

"In turn, which means both patients and staff can be exposed to diesel emissions for long periods of time, which is clearly very unpleasant and absolutely not the experience we want anyone to have.

"We continue to work with partners to reduce handover delays and are thinking differently about the ambulance service of the future, with a focus on providing care closer to a patient's home, which will negate the need to take them to hospital in the first place.

"Meanwhile, in the busy winter period, we're doing all we can in the short term to protect our people and our patients, and the procurement of fan heaters supports that."

The multi-functional bladeless fan heaters have the ability to heat and cool, as well as capture airborne dust, allergens, odours, bacteria and other pollutants.

Graham Stockford, the Trust's Deputy Head of Health and Safety, said: "The procurement of fan heaters is one of a number of actions we're taking to reduce diesel fumes, which also includes the installation of shorelines at hospitals to reduce engine idling and maintain vehicle battery levels.

"It's part of a broader effort by our ambulance service to reduce our environmental footprint and support Welsh Government's ambition for a carbon net zero public sector by 2030, and for Wales to become carbon neutral by 2050.

"We're especially grateful to our Trade Union colleagues for their continued support to pro-actively address this issue."