Great Western Ambulance Service

[3] In February 2009, a ceremony was held to present almost 60 staff, partner agencies and members of the public with Chief Executive Commendations.

In September 2010, a specialist unit, the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), was established and went live after months of preparation and training.

The GWAS HART was one of the last parts of the national scheme to be established; a base was built for the unit in Filton, North Bristol.

In 2009, David Whiting, previously director of operations at East Midlands Ambulance Service, was appointed as Chief Executive.

[6] Whiting's resignation came at the height of an industrial dispute as the trust attempted to adjust rota patterns, rest breaks and shift times, which caused staff to be concerned about safety and welfare of patients and colleagues.

[citation needed] GWAS was also supported in Wiltshire by a group of volunteer doctors ('SWIFT Medics') who respond from home, in their own time, to incidents involving seriously sick or injured patients throughout the county.

The pre-hospital care doctor team receive no funding from either the government or GWAS, and rely entirely on charitable donations and fundraising to pay for their drugs, kit and training.

From 2011, SWIFT doctors were tasked to a job either by the Emergency Operations Centre in Devizes or following a direct request from ambulance personnel at the scene of a serious incident.