Vikki Slade MP completes 10-hour shift with South Western Ambulance Service

Vikki Slade MP has completed a 10-hour observational shift with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), joining frontline crews responding to emergencies across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and East Dorset.

Riding alongside a paramedic and an Emergency Care Assistant, Vikki witnessed first-hand the professionalism, skill and compassion shown to patients during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Throughout the shift, she saw how crews not only delivered urgent clinical care, but also provided calm reassurance and dignity to patients and their families.

Vikki Slade MP said:

“Our ambulance crews are extraordinary. The professionalism and compassion they show under constant pressure is remarkable.”

During the shift, Vikki also learned more about the close coordination between the ambulance crews and critical care teams who deliver care by helicopter or car. Vikki also witnessed how the ambulance service supports patients not in a critical conditional alongside social care providers.

SWASFT serves a population of more than 5.7 million people across the South West, with significant seasonal pressures from an estimated 23 million visitors each year. In February 2026 alone, they managed an average of 3,318 incidents per week, across the Dorset ICB area.

“Our ambulance service is under sustained pressure, particularly in areas like Dorset with an ageing population and huge seasonal demand,” Vikki added. “Spending time on shift has only strengthened my determination to ensure our frontline services get the support and resources they need. I have repeatedly raised NHS funding in parliament and will continue to do so.”