After an extended pilot scheme since July 2019, the North East Ambulance Service 's (NEAS) community paramedic scheme in Berwick has been granted permanent funding.
The NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has confirmed it will back the service - which sees a team of three paramedics working in and around Berwick from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.
NEAS said this service had, since the pilot began, halved emergency response times for the highest category of incident to just over six minutes and seen close to 6,000 patients.
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The paramedics work with the primary care teams at the Wells Close Medical Group and Union Brae and Norham Practice, while out-of-hours they work within Berwick Infirmary Minor Injuries Unit.
They tackle emergency calls, support GPs by making urgent home visits and help district nursing and healthcare staff look after patients more generally.
Laurie Robson, a commissioner at the CCG, said the project had been a great example of partnership working". Laurie added: "We are delighted to be able to commission this service on a permanent basis, as it has proved its worth in supporting high-quality care for patients in Berwick and the surrounding areas."
Ruth Corbett, who manages clinical operations for NEAS in North Northumberland, added: "I’m so proud of all my teams, but our Berwick community paramedics have shown real commitment over the past two and a half years to demonstrate that there is a real need for additional support in our more rural areas.
"When I first developed the team, I had no idea just how much of an impact the work they would go on to do would have on the local community. The work of the team has vastly improved not only the waiting times and pressures on the service, but also patient care and experience, which is the reason we’re here."
Ruth said the team had been vital, especially given the distance from Berwick to A&E at the Northumbria Specialist and Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington.
"The nearest emergency department is almost 60 miles away from Berwick," she said. "This is a long journey for any patient who needs emergency care, but it is also a very long way for one of our vehicles to go and not be responding to other emergencies back in the area.
"By having an additional team based in the Berwick area, we’ve been able to provide a much more hands-on approach to patient care within the community and prevent unnecessary journeys to hospital an hour away from home. Our team is always there to visit poorly patients, and support GP practices with their care of patients with long-term illness."
Local GPs like Dr Stephen Doherty and Dr Adelle Pears - both of the Well Close Medical Group - spoke of the difference the paramedic team made locally.
Dr Doherty said: "As a practice, we were delighted to hear that this project had been made a permanent fixture within the local community.
"The community paramedics are essential in providing urgent care when needed, as well as supporting local surgeries, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them”
Dr Pears also paid tribute to the "enormous amount of enthusiasm and experience" the paramedics provided.
Anna Wood, Modern Matron at Berwick Infirmary, said that working together with the paramedics had helped reduce the number of patients who need to be transferred to NSECH, leading to "less disruption for the patient while reducing pressure at that site".
Paul Liversidge, Chief Operating Officer at NEAS, said:"Two and a half years and a pandemic later, and our community paramedic team have not only been able to improve the experience of the patients they see first-hand, but the knock-on effect of them being there frees up both GPs and our ambulance crews to see more patients in need."
He said it was "fantastic" that the paramedic team was well thought of in the community, and said he was looking forward to seeing the project continue - and even be replicated elsewhere in the North East - over the coming years.
