AN EMERGENCY services partnership is celebrating success after winning an award.

The Joint Response Unit (JRU), operated by the Welsh Ambulance Service and Gwent Police, was one of the finalists for the Working Together Award at the iESE Public Service Transformation Awards 2018.

The team made the cut after the shortlist was whittled down from 28 UK entries demonstrating innovation in public services, and took home the bronze award.

The JRU sees a paramedic and a special constable attending incidents together, such as assaults and road traffic collisions, to provide medical assistance and free up their colleagues to help others.

Welsh Ambulance Service JRU project lead Chris Hughes said he was delighted with the accolade, which was presented to both services at a glittering ceremony held at Church House in London

He said: “I’m really proud of the whole team and what they’re doing.

“What was originally a three month pilot has now become an integral part of our weekend cover in Gwent and is also being trialled in other areas, including Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire.

“I’m really grateful for everyone’s efforts. It’s become like a family and close network between the two emergency services, which is what makes it work.”

Their excellent work was also recognised at Gwent Police’s annual awards, where the team of five paramedics and ten Special Constables were awarded the Commandant’s Cup for Joint Working.

There were also two awards for paramedic Chris, who spearheaded the initiative after witnessing a similar operation involving London Ambulance Service and the Metropolitan Police.

Under the scheme, the team in a specially marked vehicle carry out shifts covering the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area, self-selecting appropriate 999 incidents via remote access to calls coming into local control rooms.

For patients who don’t require hospital treatment this enables ambulance crews who would normally attend to respond to members of the public facing potentially life-threatening emergencies elsewhere, while police officers can also move on to other cases when appropriate.

Currently the team works three 12-hour shifts per week on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when the emergency services often experience their highest demand.

Each member of the Special Constabulary team has been given additional training by the Welsh Ambulance Service so they can assist paramedics with medical incidents.

Richard Lee, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s director of operations, said: “The JRU is a fantastic example of partnership work and I’m really pleased that the team’s efforts have been recognised in this way.

“This initiative demonstrates an innovative, prudent and effective approach to delivering services to patients.

“It’s also benefitting both blue light services by increasing the availability of frontline ambulance teams and police officers.”