Mayor launches ambulance service recruitment drive

By Joe Talora, Local Democracy Reporter

The London Ambulance Service is set to embark on its “most ambitious” recruitment drive in its history as it looks to bolster front line numbers by more than 1,650.

The service is aiming to recruit nearly 500 new paramedics by March 2023, as well as more than 1,000 members of operational staff working in control centres and handling 999 calls.

It comes following unprecedented levels of demand for ambulances in the capital over the past year, with 2021 being the busiest year on record for the London Ambulance Service (LAS).

Throughout 2021, the service responded to 2.1 million 999 calls – up from 1.9 million the previous year – and more than 2.1 million 111 calls.

According to the latest figures from May this year, the LAS took more than 6,000 calls per day on average compared to a pre-pandemic average of 5,500.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic between April 2020 and December 2021, around 500 firefighters from the London Fire Brigade acted as volunteer ambulance drivers to support the LAS and meet patient demand.

Despite this, the service has managed to keep response times for the most severe “Category 1” patients to seven minutes – the national maximum target – although waiting times have increased to around 42 minutes for Category 2 patients, which could include stroke patients.

Marking the launch of the recruitment drive on Monday, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visited Hounslow in west London to officially open a brand-new £7 million training centre.

Mr Khan said “there is no better time to join the London Ambulance Service” as he encouraged “Londoners from all backgrounds” to apply.

Pictured top: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (Picture: PA)