A project to increase the number of ambulance drivers in Moray and beyond passed an important milestone recently when a group of recruits completed the first stage of their training.
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has invested £200,000 in the training initiative, which aims to lead to a greater number of skilled ambulance drivers on the road.
Recently 13 recruits completed an initial six-week course at Moray College, which was led by trained SAS instructors.
It was the first stage of a programme which will see the trainees ultimately qualify as ambulance technicians.
On completion of their training they will move into full-time posts throughout Moray and Aberdeenshire, which were previously part-time.
Previously, aspiring technicians could only complete such a course at a training academy in Glasgow.
The recruits will now undertake three weeks of driver training, before being paired with experienced paramedics for practice placements.
Following a further four-week course at the college the recruits will become qualified ambulance technicians.
General manager at the SAS’s nort division, Milne Weir, said: “This investment will increase full time ambulance cover in the north east and the northern isles, while at the same time enhancing clinical skills and giving more staff the opportunity to qualify as ambulance technicians.
“Now that we are delivering training locally, we can allow staff to improve their skills in a simplified, staged approach.”