You are in:
Welsh Ambulance Service Sign up to Airwave
The Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust has signed a £32m contract with O2 Airwave for the provision of world class digital communications including a wide range of highly resilient and secure data services to front-line ambulances that will enhance the scope of care delivery by paramedics at incident scenes and help to improve ambulance response times.
Under the ten year Welsh contract, O2 Airwave and it's partner SunGard Vivista will supply a range of products and services that include supplying radio terminals to ambulance staff, providing Integrated Communications Control Systems (ICCS) for their three control rooms and installing radios in 827 vehicles, including 454 emergency vehicles and 3 helicopters; a third of the fleet will have data terminals.
The rollout of Airwave in Wales has two implementation phases across its three service areas. The first phase starts in April 2007, the second phase commences June 2007, and both are due to complete early 2009.
Richard Bobbett, O2 Airwave's Chief executive said, "The Welsh Ambulance Service is a welcome addition to the growing number of emergency responders now on the Airwave network. The Airwave service offering to Welsh Ambulance will bring significant improvements including improved coverage, reliability and responsiveness, all of which will help to enhance overall patient care".
Welsh Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons said, "The new communications system will provide far greater radio coverage across Wales, compared with about 65 per cent at the moment.
"This will help the control rooms keep in touch with the crew and will enable the Trust to become more efficient and effective in deploying their resources, which will ultimately improve response times and patient care.
"The new system will be more reliable and provide a safer working environment for NHS staff by ensuring that radio contact can be maintained at all times. It will also provide further opportunities for the Ambulance Trust to work closer with the other emergency services. "
Concluding, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust Chief Executive Alan Murray said, "The system, will replace all existing communication equipment in ambulance control centres and stations and will provide staff with immediate and dependable communications with other emergency services whether attending local incidents, or wider national events.”
