Public urged to aid 999 crews as ‘remote response’

ALL hands on deck: passers-by were praised by medical staff for helping tend to a fall victim in Greenfield — now locals are being urged to become part of the team

AMBULANCE bosses are calling for community-spirited good samaritans to support their crews after it emerged there is a shortage of volunteers in remote Saddleworth villages.

Residents are being urged to join the North-West Ambulance Service NHS Trust Community First Responder service of volunteer lifesavers. Members are trained to deal with a wide range of potentially life-threatening conditions, and provide support to 999 calls until an ambulance arrives.

Volunteers are dispatched at the same time as ambulance crews - but in rural areas they can often be first on the scene. In some cases they can perform CPR or use a defibrillator to restart someone’s heart.

A NWAS spokesman said: “Rural communities will always be a challenge due to the distances. There is a shortage of Community First Responder volunteers in Saddleworth - the more people we have signed up, the greater the chances are patients will receive life-saving treatment should they need it.”

Recently an elderly man injured after a fall in Greenfield was treated by quick-thinking passers-by while waiting for emergency support. And as the Chronicle reported just over a week ago, a motorcyclist waited an hour before an ambulance arrived at a crash on the outskirts of Delph.

In both cases, locals were thanked by ambulance crews for their help.

“The trust is continuing to see a substantial surge in the number of calls we receive and a particular rise in the number of life-threatening ‘red calls’,” added the spokesman. “These specific calls have risen by 67 per cent in the last month across Greater Manchester compared with the same period last year. Our CFR network is crucial to rural communities in ensuring treatment is provided to patients as quickly as possible. We’re extremely grateful for their contribution and would urge as many people as possible to sign up and be part of our team of lifesavers.”

Anyone interested in signing up should visit www.nwas-responders.info.