Yorkshire Ambulance Service to join forces with two other trusts

Yorkshire Ambulance Service is to team up with two other trusts to form a new Northern Ambulance Alliance.

North East, North West and Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trusts say the collaboration will help to improve the efficiency of ambulance services in the North of England.

Joint procurement exercises and major changes to IT systems will take place, and specialist expertise will be shared across the region.

The trusts emphasised that the alliance is not a 'merger' of the organisations, but "the creation of a body that will facilitate greater collaboration and realise benefits individual Trusts are unlikely to be able to achieve on their own."

Rod Barnes, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Ambulance Service described it as a 'great opportunity' that will be 'for the benefit of patients.'