St John Ambulance Cymru saving lives and protecting the environment

St John Ambulance Cymru has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, and as Wales’s leading first aid charity we have recently commissioned eight new hybrid vehicles. They will be used by our Falls Response Team, who travel the length and breadth of Wales supporting the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust.

In our recently published ‘Strategy 2025’ we laid out our ambitious plans to monitor and assess our impact on the environment.

Since January 2018, we have been commissioned by the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust to work with them to respond to calls from people who have fallen in communities across Wales.

The service operates across Wales and is initiated by a 999-call received by the Welsh Ambulance Service. Callers are first triaged by a 999 call handler, and where appropriate a St John Ambulance Cymru falls assistant is then dispatched to the location of the call to perform a patient assessment. Working in collaboration with clinicians from the Welsh Ambulance Service we aim to ensure that the most appropriate treatment is provided and that any onward referrals are completed.

Since the start of the scheme in 2018, our Falls and Frailty Response Service has attended over 22,000 patients and travelled 490,000 miles. Last year the service helped to keep 57% of the 4,138 patients we saw out of hospital.

Ashley Jones, St John Ambulance Cymru’s National Fleet & Logistics Manager, says, “St John Ambulance Cymru is proud to introduce eight new Mild Hybrid vehicles into its fleet, the Toyota Rav4 emits less CO2 compared with the conventional diesel engine and will increase the miles per gallon, using less fuel each year, allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint and deliver a cleaner, greener service for our patients across Wales.”

You can find out more about St John Ambulance Cymru’s sustainability commitments, and our plans for the future in our Strategy 2025 which is available here.