TWO ambulance trusts are set to work more closely together.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) NHS Foundation Trust and London Ambulance Service NHS Trust announced last week they have established a partnership to look at potential savings in projects like joint procurement of vehicles, equipment and IT systems.

The two trusts, which provide 999 / 111 urgent and emergency care services for about 16 million people between them, are also committed to working more closely together and learning from each other’s best practices.

SCAS chief executive Will Hancock said: “We already work closely together with London Ambulance Service, including at incidents which happen on or near our boundaries, during large-scale planned events and major incidents.

“With ever increasing demands on ambulance services across the country, such partnerships will be crucial to ensure that the improvements in patient care and experience, working environments for staff and innovations in service delivery can be delivered within our existing resources.

“Many of our residents in the South Central region commute into London daily to work. We would also therefore like to explore opportunities to improve patient care for that large body of people we share between our two services, for example, through closer working between our 111 and integrated urgent care services.

“People might call 111 during the day and have a face-to-face appointment booked for them nearer home when they return.”

SCAS covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire and London Ambulance Service covers the 32 London boroughs.