As part of a £20 million announcement by the Scottish Government, 14 new ambulance posts will be set up in the north and west regions of Scotland.
The plan is hoped to reduce on-call working and provide 24-hour ambulance cover for the two regions.
It comes after shortages in drivers and continuing ambulance delays have swept the entire country.
New paramedics and ambulance technicians will be introduced to seven locations in the north of Scotland, including three in Broadford in Skye.
Two new ambulance posts will be introduced to Fort William and another two will be set up in Kirkwall – bringing the number of staff to 16 across Orkney.
All of the steps being taken are hoped to improve the work/life balance of staff and help relieve pressure during periods of increased demand.
Ambulance shortages being felt across the north and north-east
Over recent weeks, the crisis caused by the pandemic and facing the Scottish Ambulance Service has left people across the north and north-east begging for help.
In some cases, due to wards still operating at a reduced capacity because of Covid, paramedics have been forced to wait hours before taking patients through hospital doors.
Hoping to put a stop to what some have called a “crisis” for the Scottish Ambulance Service – the military have been brought in to bolster NHS front line efforts.
Now, additional ambulances and low acuity resources will also be introduced to ease the load.
They feature as part of a resources packages aimed at helping meet current and projected patient needs through the Demand and Capacity programme.
Pauline Howie, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “This funding announcement for fourteen new ambulance posts is great news.
“The additional paramedics and technicians will help to ensure we can provide full cover in some of our stations, including in Fort William and on Skye.
“These new measures will help to boost our capacity at a time when the NHS as a whole is facing unprecedented pressures, and will offer reassurance to communities across the region that we are investing in people and boosting our resilience.”
‘The Scottish Ambulance Service is the heartbeat of our NHS’
Scotland’s health secretary last week said he’d “be angry too” if he was in the shoes of those families affected by the ambulance crisis.
Health secretary Humza Yousaf added: “The Scottish Ambulance Service is the heartbeat of our NHS. It has a unique role in engaging with all parts of the health and social care system across the whole of Scotland – 24 hours of every day.
“It is vital that we ensure it has the support it needs to perform this crucial role which is why we announced an additional £20 million funding last week.”
Problems facing the Scottish Ambulance Service haven’t just been contained to rural areas either as many cities have also been affected.
Unimaginable pressure has been heaped on to paramedics during the pandemic, and the frontline workers would undoubtedly welcome an increase in resources.
Mr Yousaf added: “These additional posts will help to improve the level of service for communities in these rural areas while reducing the pressure on the workforce, who are doing so much to serve the public during these incredibly demanding times.”
