Dunne welcomed WMAS Community First Responder recruitment drive in Ludlow

Philip Dunne joined the West Midlands Ambulance Service engagement event in Ludlow Market Square last Saturday, while acknowledging there is much to be done to improve ambulance response times in South Shropshire.

The outreach event was part of a programme suggested by Philip Dunne MP to encourage more local recruits to become Community First Responders. Building on his success ensuring that WMAS updated their recruitment website to advertise for the voluntary positions, the event on Saturday 23rd April saw local interest in both the First Responder Programme and in careers as Paramedics.

WMAS Chief Executive Anthony Marsh attended the event for over two hours where he was joined by Recruitment leads, local First Responder Leads for Shropshire and team leaders from across Ludlow and Cleobury Mortimer. Local residents enjoyed finding out about the service and exploring the vehicles, kit and equipment on display.

Community First Responders act as a rapid first point of contact in emergencies, before an ambulance can arrive. They are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service to provide basic lifesaving care, and work as volunteers in the community around their schedules. In incidences of cardiac arrest, CFRs and members of the public trained in CPR and use of the defibrillators in the community can be the difference between life and death, particularly in rural locations. After a cardiac arrest happens, for every minute that no-one is doing CPR, the chance of survival drops by 10%. 

The Community First Responder Team in Ludlow have a vehicle based at Ludlow Community Hospital for use when on call or on duty. The team are actively looking to recruit new Responders in Ludlow, Cleobury Mortimer and Craven Arms.

The Student Paramedic Apprenticeship Programme offers a great way to enter the Ambulance Service via a vocationally based education. Successful applicants receive on the job training, benefit from access to Clinical Team Mentors and ‘learn whilst they earn’ in post. Following three years of training, student paramedics graduate with a Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship qualification, without incurring any student debt.

A career as a paramedic offers high levels of job satisfaction helping those in need, equips graduates with extensive new and transferable skills and opens the door to further career development within the ambulance service or across the wider healthcare sector. Philip Dunne was pleased to meet local residents, some interested in joining the ambulance service, either as their first career or as an opportunity to retrain, as well as others campaigning to see ambulance response times improved.

Dunne has pledged to continue his work with the Ambulance Service, having scrutinised latest ambulance response times in South Shropshire with WMAS Chief Executive Anthony Marsh and campaigner Cllr Darren Childs on Saturday.

Commenting on the current service Mr Dunne said: “There is still much to be done to improve the ambulance service in South Shropshire, where response times have deteriorated markedly since last July. I am meeting NHS leaders across Shropshire this Friday and unblocking the handover logjam for ambulances queuing at our acute hospitals is top of my list.

“But I am encouraged by the immediate steps taken by WMAS to address recruitment concerns. The exhibit in Ludlow was a good indication of widespread support and interest in Ambulance Services across our community.”