TAVISTOCK will get one of 40 new ambulances introduced across the West Country this week.
The new patient transport service ambulances, costing more than £1.5 million, have been introduced to replace an ageing fleet.
Ten of the vehicles have been specially fitted with a state of the art electric stretcher lift, to enable ambulance crews to manoeuvre heavier patients unable to use a wheelchair. These ten vehicles will be strategically based to provide the best possible coverage across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. The vehicles are also equipped with oxygen, first aid kits and are crewed by trained ambulance staff.
The service says that the ambulances with specialist lifting equipment have not yet been allocated to specific stations, but they would make sure every area had access to them and would be able to deploy one where it was needed.
The new vehicles have been equipped to help with the rising demand of non-urgent patient transfers throughout the Westcountry. Last month alone, the patient transport service took 6031 patients to out-patient appointments in the South West.
The official handing over of the new fleet of ambulances from the managing director of Wilker, the company supplying the vehicles, to Mr Michael Willis, chief executive of Westcountry Ambulance Services took place in Exmouth yesterday (Wednesday).
Mr Willis said: 'Non-emergency patient transfers form an essential part of the ambulance services work. It is therefore essential that we provide patients with the most modern vehicles possible, which will assure improved comfort and reliability.
'I am sure that the public and staff will be delighted with the new vehicles.'