South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust or SWAST is the medical iad provider in te English Counties of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. It was only last March 1 2011 that the Foundation Trust was given full authority to supervise the ambulance services as a result of the union of Westcountry and Dorset ambulance service.
The Service funding is received from the general tax which means that UK citizens can freely enjoy the services offered by the Service.
The Service is divided into two areas: the West and East Divisions. In West division, the stations are installed at Devon and Cornwall including West Divisional GQ, 999 and PTS Control at Exeter. The 999 control covers Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, PTS Devon and Cornwall. In the East Division, the stations are installed at Somerset and Dorset including East Divisional HQ, 999 control which covers Dorset, PTS Dorset and Somerset, and PTS Control based at Ringwood. In addition, there are 65 ambulance stations among the four counties that it serves.
Moreover, the Service give ambulance support for the Strategic Health Authority NHS South West. It is also in cooperation with following Patient Care Trusts for ambulance issues: Cornwall (Cornwall and Isles of Scilly); Devon (Devon, Plymouth Teaching, and Torbay); Somerset (Somerset); and Dorset (Bournemouth and Poole, and Dorset).
Also the Service along with Cornwall FRS, Devon FRS and Dorset FRS give emergency medical cover to areas identified as having in great need of ambulance support. The main aim of the co-responder team is to execute first aid to preserve the life in danger until the arrival of either the Rapid Response Vehicle or the ambulance.
Also, the Service owns a number of updated equipments:
- A&E vehicles-194
- PTS vehicles-118
- RRV cars-86
- Pool cars-28
- Other vehicles-59
- Air Ambulances-4 (Cornwall Air Ambulance, Devon Air Ambulance (2), and Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance)
- Air Bases-4
- Boats-1
