West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust was authorised as a Foundation Trust in January 2013 and in line with the provisions of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, licensed as a provider of NHS Services on 1st April 2013. As an organisation, we were formed in 2006 bringing four previous services together.
The Trust serves a population of 5.6 million people covering an area of more than 5,000 square miles made up of Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Coventry, Birmingham and Black Country conurbation.
As the regions emergency ambulance service, we respond to around 3,000 '999' calls each day. To manage that level of demand, we employ approximately 4,000 staff and operate from 16 new fleet preparation hubs across the region and a network of over 90 Community Ambulance Stations.
Many people still think ambulance services only take patients to hospital. In fact, less than 60% of our patients end up going to an emergency department with the rest either being treated at the scene, given advice over the phone or taken to another service such as a GP or minor injuries unit.
We provide the NHS 111 service across the region, except in Staffordshire. 111 makes it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services when it is not an emergency. It is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.
We also provide non-emergency patient transport services across some parts of the region for those patients who require non-emergency transport to and from hospital and who are unable to travel unaided because of their medical condition or clinical need. Our staff complete approximately 700,000 non-emergency patient journeys each year.
As a Foundation Trust, everyone living in the West Midlands region can have a say in how the service develops. For more information, please contact us by email at foundationtrust@wmas.nhs.uk
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