A helping hand in the snow

Volunteers in Gloucestershire have been working at full capacity to help the region's ambulance service.

All three of the St John Ambulance four wheel drive vehicles have been pressed into action for the Great Western Ambulance Service every day over the last three weeks.

The fully equipped ambulances are providing transportation in locations that are hard to reach by normal land ambulances. They have either been staffed by two fully trained St John Ambulance volunteers who give up their own time to assist ambulance staff.

The charity has also been supplying its fleet of land ambulances to the trust most days, evenings or weekends along with crews to man the vehicles and complement the ambulance service fleet.

Dennis Egglestone, St John Ambulance Gloucestershire's Acting Chief Executive Officer, said: 'The four wheel drive ambulances really come into their own in conditions like this. We normally use them for providing first aid cover at events like auto grass races, show jumping and any other event where there is some cross country element – they certainly get very well used at numerous events in Gloucestershire each year.

'As they are specially designed to tackle difficult terrain it makes them ideal vehicles to use in the snow when patients are at rural locations.

'Our teams are working wherever the ambulance service needs assistance. Although we are a charity we have a close working relationship with the Great Western Ambulance Service and we are happy to help out when conditions like this affect the county.'