Yorkshire Air Ambulance forced to redeploy NHS staff during crisis

Due to the intensifying situation surrounding Coronavirus and the urgent need for more highly skilled paramedics on the frontline, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance have had to take the extremely difficult decision to redeploy all of their Critical Care Paramedics onto frontline land ambulance duties.

The YAA’s Critical Care Consultants are to be redeployed back to their respective hospitals to focus on their primary roles in emergency medicine, anaesthesia and critical care across Yorkshire.

The announcement coincides with the news that the Harrogate Convention Centre is to be opened as one of four national Coronavirus NHS Nightingale Hospitals specifically set up to deal with patients of the pandemic.

Peter Sunderland, Chairman of the YAA explains:

The YAA crew will complete their last shift from their Nostell Airbase today (03/04/2020) before being immediately redeployed to the YAS frontline.

Nick Smith, Executive Director of Operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust added: