CREATIVE paramedics gave a life-saving treatment to an ambulance which was written off after it was damaged in a serious road crash.

The education team at South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) repaired the body of the vehicle to repurpose it as a training pod.

Even though it was taken 'out of action' after the traffic incident, the ambulance-now-simulator will provide students the opportunity to learn in the real thing.

The vehicle weighs 4.5 tonnes before the addition of kit and includes all the essentials.

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The refurb also includes a working tail lift and even a power line to flick on the blue lights and sirens to add to the experience.

It is the latest addition to the family of simulators at the SCAS Education and Enhanced Simulation Centre.

The facility includes six purpose-built training and environment rooms that recreate patients' journeys from home to a mobile simulated ambulance and then at handover to a hospital's emergency department resuscitation bay.

Darren Best, senior education manager at SCAS, revealed this is the first pod of its kind that has been saved from the scrap pile.

He added: "What we really love about the introduction of this simulation pod is that its authenticity will give students a much more enhanced and lifelike insight into the workings of the vehicle and its kit.

SCAS converts damaged ambulance into training pod for students

SCAS converts damaged ambulance into training pod for students

"The ambulance converted was unfortunately involved in a serious road traffic collision and was not fit to return to the road.

"So, not only have we avoided losing a vehicle from the fleet, we are now in the fortunate position of using this one to train a new generation of staff.

"While there are many simulators around, many of these are purpose-built as opposed to developed from real vehicles and are therefore limited in their ability to provide a real-life training environment.

"We believe this is the first pod of its kind having been salvaged from the scrapheap and able to provide the most realistic experience of any simulator.

"We have even had a label added to the side to say it is probably the best ambulance pod in the country."

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Mr Best added that the team behind this project are 'extremely pleased' with the outcome of their innovative work.

provides a range of emergency,

SCAS provides urgent care and non-emergency healthcare services, to Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire, as well as non-emergency patient transport services in Surrey and Sussex.

It serves more seven million people and employs more than 4,000 staff who, together with more than 1,000 volunteers, attend more than 555,000 incidents every year.