Great Western Ambulance Service or GWAS was established on April 1 2006 after the amalgamation of Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire ambulance services. Today, it is the National Health Service trust providing emergency and non-emergency services to Bath, north Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire in South West England.
Just like the rest of the ambulance services in UK, GWAS funding is from the general taxation that is why it does not charge its patients directly. Because of the nature of the funding, the patients, all UK citizens have the right to the attendance of an ambulance and they can avail all services freely!
The headquarters is based at Jenner House, Chippenham, and Wiltshire and has 1 Emergency Operations Center. The main EOC is based at Acuma House has been awarded as the Center of Excellence for emergency call handling and dispatch for 2006, 2007, 2008. Other EOCs are at Quedgeley, and Gloucestershire; WES building in Devizes.
The Hazardous Area Response Team was established in September 2010. The unit with 32 paramedics is trained to attend to complex or major incidents involving fire, chemicals, biological or nuclear risks, collapsed buildings, cliff or heights, confined spaces, water or firearms incidents. Also in summer of 2010, the regional NHS announced that GWAS has passed and secured a patient transport contract for the old Avon area. It operated 24 hours daily and started on live on October 1, 2010.
The three divisions have its own vehicle fleets. In Avon station, it owns PTS, A&E, RRV, Special Ops, and ASU. In Gloucestershire stations, it owns PTS, A&E, RRV and ASU. And in Wiltshire station, it has PTS, A&E, RRV and ASU.
In addition, GWAS has 3 operational air ambulances. The County Air Ambulance, provided by West Midlands Ambulance Service, operates from Strensham and covers GWAS northern areas. Then, the Great Western Air Ambulance which is based in Filton Airfield, Bristol operates daily during daylight hours. It covers the whole area of GWAS and it sometimes fly beyond the boundary to assist other ambulances.
The helicopters are receiving funds from charitable donations and not receiving monetary assistance either from the government or ambulance service.
