Back in 1998, Tom Lynch was working as an ambulanceman in London. He was on an emergency call out and stuck in traffic. It was then he had the idea – why am I here? I would be able to get to the accident much quicker if I was on a bike. By 2000, he had been given the go ahead for a trial cycle response unit. Working within a 5 mile radius of London, he was called out to accidents. In 88% of occasions he was able to beat the ambulances which got bogged down on London roads. The trial was deemed a success and London ambulance service set up an official Cycle Response Unit
There are now 16 trained ambulance cyclists in London and the scheme has been extended to other cities.
They have an average response time of 6 minutes, and have been known to arrive when the caller is on the phone.
They are often dispatched for minor accidents but carry a 20kg pack of medical supplies which can deal with most emergency situations.
Since their introduction they have seen a 50% reduction in ambulance cancellations; the team save £80,000 in not having to use proper ambulances and give an extra 251 hours of ambulance availability.
They use specialized rockhopper mountain bikes.
Source: On your bike by Matt Seaton
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