Yorkshire Ambulance Service joins new alliance

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has joined forces with two others to look at ways of working more efficiently.

North East, North West and Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trusts have formed the Northern Ambulance Alliance to look at efficiency through joint procurement exercises, changes to IT, accessing specialist expertise and learning from each other’s achievements.

Yvonne Ormston, Chief Executive of North East Ambulance Service, said: “Sharing borders as we do, the three ambulance trusts have always worked together for the benefit of patients and the communities we respectively serve.

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“The Northern Ambulance Alliance will allow us to work even closer as clinicians, sharing best practice and innovation at a scale that has not previously been possible.”

Derek Cartwright, Chief Executive of North West Ambulance Service, added: “The Northern Ambulance Alliance will work within the existing structure of organisations and their legal frameworks. The Boards of all three trusts will still have responsibility for their individual service but will also consider the work and objectives of the Northern Ambulance Alliance when making decisions.”

Rod Barnes, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Ambulance Service, added: “This is a great opportunity to explore how we can deliver the improvements expected from the ambulance service within existing resources and for the benefit of patients.

“This might mean the procurement of a single agreed vehicle specification for all three services, identifying savings through the standardisation of maintenance and equipment contracts, which is something that has proved elusive at a national level.”