Worsening NHS ambulance crisis sees 'gun police sent to patient suffering heart attack'

A deepening crisis in theNHS ambulance service has led to armed officers being dispatched to attend to patients suffering from heart attacks, according to a police chief.

A shocking revelation by Andy Cook, Chief Inspector of Her Majesty's Police Department, comes as reports of paramedic shortages and slow response times continue to surface across the country. I was.

He argued that while this measure is usually only employed as a "last resort" in the most serious cases, it is now being used more frequently.

Many Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs) are equipped with defibrillators and firearms officers are also trained in first aid.

Cook told The Independent: "Recently trained in first aid and defibrillator use, police officers in armed response vehicles were dispatched after reports of people experiencing cardiac arrest when ambulance services were unable to meet demands.

“As a first and only last resort, the police will go.

Meanwhile, a police officer, who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity, claimed to have seen messages "every day" from emergency services staff asking for ARVs to be sent to cardiac arrest victims.

They recalled one incident involving a terminally ill patient. , worried that those who called for ambulances in times of distress would see "gun-toting police taking turns." Up. "

Meanwhile, new Health Secretary Steve Barclay said over the weekend that the combination of seasonal flu and ongoing flu would push theNHS to avoid a major crisis this winter. , admitted that a "sprint" would be needed across government. Problems caused by the Covid pandemic.