Paramedics in Hackney will now be rushing to the aid of patients on motorbikes thanks to a new scheme launched this month.
It is hoped response times to 999 calls in the borough will be slashed and more lives saved following the introduction of the new service.
Two motorcycle paramedics, based down the road in Shoreditch, will be answering emergency calls across the borough from 7am to 11pm every day.
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) has operated a Motorcycle Response Unit in central London for the past 17 years, providing a speedy reaction to emergencies. Growing congestion in the capital however, has led to increased cases of ambulances experiencing problems in responding to emergency calls. So now the scheme is being extended to areas outside central London.
Paramedics on easy to manoeuvre motorcycles can reach and assess patients much more quickly, and potentially lifesaving treatment can be given while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
