The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has become the first in the UK to introduce ‘cutting-edge’ technology to aid in the training of their staff for workplace incidents. Virtual reality (VR) will be utilised for incident commanders, providing them with “an immersive training experience” that tests their knowledge, skills, and decision-making in a “realistic environment”.

The training scenarios may include managing multi-vehicle road traffic collisions, floods, and terrorist attacks. During the training, participants wear virtual reality headsets or use a joystick. They are then presented with a three-dimensional moving image accompanied by realistic sound effects and voice prompts, replicating a live incident.

Mark Harwood, command development officer and paramedic who provides the training for the ambulance staff, said: “As a Trust, we continue to work hard to develop the care we provide to our patients, by using innovative tactics to better equip our people. We are proud to be the first ambulance trust in the country, who is providing this type of virtual reality training.”

The training has so far been well received by some team members of the South Western Ambulance Service. The Service is eager to extend the VR training to other areas of the trust, such as the Emergency Operations Centres, where 999 calls are handled.

One commander concluded: “It provides an immersive, safe, and controllable learning environment which was very engaging and so realistic. It is really effective training.”