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anaesthesia and certain surgical procedures normally carried out in hospital). The pre-hospital care doctor team receive no funding from either the government or GWAS, and rely entirely on charitable donations and fundraising to pay for their drugs, kit and training. All the doctors use their own cars and are permitted to respond with blue lights and sirens, having undergone an intensive three-week police driver training course with
Wiltshire Police. The team works closely with the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and the GWAS Air Ambulance. From 2011, SWIFT doctors were tasked to a job either by the Emergency Operations Centre in Devizes or following a direct request from ambulance personnel at the scene of a serious incident.
58:
25:
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181:(HART), was established and went live after months of preparation and training. This unit of 32 paramedics was trained to respond to complex or large incidents involving fire, chemicals, biological or nuclear risks, collapsed buildings, cliff or heights, confined spaces, water or firearms incidents. The GWAS HART was one of the last parts of the national scheme to be established; a base was built for the unit in
207:
Whiting's resignation came at the height of an industrial dispute as the trust attempted to adjust rota patterns, rest breaks and shift times, which caused staff to be concerned about safety and welfare of patients and colleagues. In
December 2010, the trust announced another interim Chief Executive,
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or hospital clinicians, who provide their time and expertise for free. The specially trained pre-hospital care doctors are able to supplement the skills of paramedics and other ambulance staff (for example with advanced decision making, administration of strong painkilling drugs, pre-hospital
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In the summer of 2010, the regional NHS announced that after a competitive tendering process, GWAS had secured the major patient transport service contract for the former Avon area, representing an estimated three-quarters of non-emergency patient journeys in the region. The revamped service,
170:
In
September 2008, the chief executive, Tim Lynch, resigned. He was replaced by an interim chief executive, Anthony Marsh, from West Midlands Ambulance Service. Marsh identified a lack of operational leadership and a "competition of priorities" within management and removed two directors: the
278:
GWAS was also supported in
Wiltshire by a group of volunteer doctors ('SWIFT Medics') who respond from home, in their own time, to incidents involving seriously sick or injured patients throughout the county. The doctors involved are all either senior
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was accepted) announced the results of a ballot for industrial action. From those that voted, the result was 96% in favour of taking industrial action as a form of protest against the changes implemented during 2010.
246:
The
Wiltshire branch of GWAS was a member of the WES project, a collaboration of emergency services in Wiltshire which ran from 1998 until the early 2010s. The project saw the construction of the WES building at
380:
163:, and criticism in local media. From the date of merger, GWAS struggled to achieve the Department of Health's key performance indicators. In 2007–2008 the trust lost two contracts for non-emergency
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In 2010, the trust board recommended the closure of at least one county's control room, and gave the go-ahead to an "Estates Review" to prepare the trust for closure of local ambulance stations.
712:
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199:, was appointed as Chief Executive. He announced his resignation in November 2010, having served just nineteen months, a situation the union described as "difficult".
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454:
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152:, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire ambulance services, the trust had a difficult start, marked by redundancies, closure of its training centre and the threat of
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In
February 2009, a ceremony was held to present almost 60 staff, partner agencies and members of the public with Chief Executive Commendations.
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109:, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire ambulance services. The ambulance service was acquired by neighbouring Foundation Trust
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232:(SWASFT) and on 1 February 2013, all of the GWAS services, vehicles and staff were transferred over to SWASFT.
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where information could be shared instantly among them. The project also oversaw the sharing of stations at
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At the beginning of
January 2011, UNISON (the only approved union within GWAS until January 2011, when the
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services (PTS) to private contractors. Many ambulance shifts were covered by private agencies.
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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closures; though in the end, only one station was closed, at Newent, Gloucestershire.
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77:(NHS) trust which provided emergency and non-emergency patient transport services to
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and the relocation of all three emergency services control centres into that one
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operated from the police HQ at
Devizes, although it has since moved. The
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This caused strained industrial relations with its recognised union,
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381:"NHS bosses send 'ill-trained' private ambulance crews to 999 calls"
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Parts of this article (those related to Whole
Article) need to be
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36:. The reason given is: This article needs updating to the 2020s..
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Later in 2011, plans were announced for the merger of GWAS with
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director of operations and director of corporate development.
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In 2009, David
Whiting, previously director of operations at
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602:"Why South Western ambulance may rescue Great Western"
105:. It was formed on 1 April 2006 by the merger of the
61:
Map of the Great Western Ambulance Service's coverage
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Delivery of New Hazardous Area Response Team (HART)
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136:, Wiltshire. The trust had one main call handling
275:on occasions when the ambulance service is busy.
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334:Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom
300:GWAS was able to deploy the services of three
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189:operating 24/7, went live on 1 October 2010.
124:, receiving government funding for its role.
571:"Ambulance staff vote for industrial action"
148:Formed on 1 April 2006 by the merger of the
132:The trust headquarters was at Jenner House,
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177:In September 2010, a specialist unit, the
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515:"Risk of action over change to 999 rotas"
67:Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust
722:Ambulance services in the United Kingdom
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485:"Union worry at ambulance chief's move"
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922:Defunct ambulance services in England
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312:and covers GWAS' northern areas. The
379:Donnelly, Laura (21 February 2009).
353:Burchall, Kevin (19 December 2006).
236:Wiltshire Emergency Services project
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16:Former NHS emergency services trust.
455:"Ambulance boss quits top position"
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876:St John Ambulance Northern Ireland
841:Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
600:Glaister, Dan (16 November 2011).
411:"Fear as 999 chief takes two jobs"
355:"Ambulance staff poised to strike"
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521:. 3 November 2010. Archived from
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577:. 7 January 2011. Archived from
140:(EOC) and two dispatch centres.
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113:(SWASFT) on 1 February 2013.
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120:providing England with free
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138:emergency operations centre
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912:Health in Gloucestershire
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118:ambulance services trusts
441:11 December 2013 at the
387:. London. Archived from
322:Filton Airfield, Bristol
257:emergency control centre
210:London Ambulance Service
866:St John Ambulance Cymru
825:Welsh Ambulance Service
314:Wiltshire Air Ambulance
269:Wiltshire Air Ambulance
208:Martin Flaherty of the
75:National Health Service
680:(archived copy at the
306:Midlands Air Ambulance
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116:It was one of the NHS
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653:"About SWIFT Medics"
296:Air Ambulance G-NDAA
907:Health in Wiltshire
391:on 25 February 2009
385:The Daily Telegraph
917:Defunct NHS trusts
902:Health in Somerset
551:. 17 December 2010
417:. 4 September 2008
415:Express & Star
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103:South West England
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897:Health in Bristol
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633:. 14 October 2011
359:This is Wiltshire
267:, the sharing of
203:Industrial action
185:, North Bristol.
165:patient transport
154:ambulance station
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778:South East Coast
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304:units. The
891:Categories
768:North West
763:North East
340:References
134:Chippenham
128:Operations
793:Yorkshire
310:Strensham
224:Successor
99:Wiltshire
802:Scotland
631:BBC News
439:Archived
328:See also
73:) was a
854:Charity
736:England
253:Devizes
144:History
95:Swindon
83:Bristol
34:updated
758:London
183:Filton
161:UNISON
818:Wales
395:4 May
101:, in
661:2011
639:2011
613:2011
587:2011
557:2011
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501:2011
471:2011
423:2011
397:2010
366:2011
265:Mere
263:and
150:Avon
107:Avon
97:and
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65:The
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281:GPs
217:GMB
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