Behind the scenes at the West Midlands Ambulance Service

During the winter months the number of 999 calls increases.
In an aim to reduce the workload on the ambulance service, some of the less serious (non life threatening conditions) are referred on to a team of dedicated paramedics known as the clinical support team.
This team offers advice over the phone to people with more minor conditions.
The benefit of this process is that it saves people waiting unnecessarily in A&E departments and frees up casualty doctors and nurses to deal with serious issues.

[@mattgompertz1805]

Do WMAS have any Mercedes ambulances? I've never seen one!
Will Pathways/CSD work? We stand in front of people and explain that they don't really need hospital treatment but they still want to go so we are obliged to take them!

[@xxlewisTORCHWOODdj]

no they dnt just vauxhalls and the odd rare citreons.