Ambulance service bosses expect a rise in Covid-19 during the winter to add to the pressure on the NHS and exacerbate issues with ambulance handover delays.
North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has presented its winter plan to its board - and the plan features a stark warning about how the so-called "Twindemic" of a bad flu season kicking in alongside the continued spread of Covid-19 could add to the stress on an already under-pressure health service. However, despite the warnings, NEAS has laid out a range of measures to help cope with what's anticipated to be a tough few months and says it has a "robust" plan.
These include increasing ambulance capacity by boosting the number of "third party" vehicles used to raise the number of ambulances on the road, increasing overtime, and boosting the number of call handlers and health advisors available to support the public.
