By Brian Donnelly
The Herald
EDINBURGH, Scotland — The Scottish Ambulance Service is to introduce nine new motorbike response units across Scotland in a bid to cut through traffic congestion and achieve a faster response to call-outs.
The motorbikes will be used by specially trained paramedics and will be backed up by traditional ambulances.
The SAS said the bikes will provide a flexible, manoeuvrable resource that will result in paramedics getting to patients more quickly.
The units are equipped with the necessary medical equipment to allow paramedics to treat and stabilise patients who, if required, can then be transported to hospital.
A spoke woman for the SAS said yesterday: “The motorbikes will allow us to cut through the ever increasing traffic congestion in cities, ensuring a paramedic response arrives as quickly as possible to serious and life threatening calls.
“The most important aspect of ambulance care is the time it takes to get to the patient.”
The bikes will be operational by Christmas in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Paisley, Lanarkshire and Fife.