Urgent medical help in Cambridge now arriving on blue lights – and two wheels

Cambridge is widely regarded as the UK’s capital of cycling. Cycle paramedics can cut through congestion and reach pedestrianised areas with ease, allowing them to quickly assess patients and deliver emergency care wherever it’s needed. Paramedics are also able to assess and treat a number of injuries on scene without the need for an ambulance.

The Cambridge cycle response unit will operate seven days a week. There are currently two paramedics in the unit, with the ambition to expand this to four in the coming months. The bicycle used by the cycle paramedics is fitted with blue lights and carries a full range of life-saving emergency equipment, including a defibrillator - matching the kit found in paramedic response cars.

Thanks to the kind generosity of St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church in the city centre, cycle paramedics will be able to use facilities there during their shift to restock the bicycle and to take meal breaks.

Jordan Ellis, one of the paramedics in the Cambridge cycle response unit, said: “Cambridge is an extremely busy city centre, and responding to 999 calls on a bicycle means we can navigate narrow roads and pedestrianised areas much easier than an ambulance. We can rapidly assess patients, decide whether they need urgent hospital transport, and begin treatment immediately.

“Because we can treat and discharge patients with a wide range of injuries and illnesses at the scene, we can free up ambulances for the most serious medical emergencies.”

The Rev. Simon Cragg, Minister at St Andrew’s, said: “We are a community church at the centre of a very busy city, and caring for the most vulnerable is an important aspect of our life as a church. We are thrilled to be able to support the ambulance service by providing a base for the cycle response unit.”