The Wish Ambulance

Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust

Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST) has provided transport for end-of-life patients for many years. In 2017 WAST introduced the End-of-Life Care (EoLC) Rapid Transport Service to improve the quality and timeliness of service provided. Although WAST crews had previously facilitated informal Wish requests during EoLC transfers, such as stopping en route to view a meaningful place, the provision had never been a formal offering.

The concept of the Wish Ambulance was born from a conversation between a doctor and a patient. The patient, in their last days of life, stated to the doctor that they wished they could have visited their favourite beach with their family for one last time. An enquiry was made as to whether the Rapid Transport Service could support this request. It was agreed that WAST would facilitate the request using a spare vehicle and a volunteer crew operating in their own time. Following this experience, representatives from WAST collaborated with staff from Palliative Care Wales to explore the development of a ‘Wish Ambulance’ service.

The most appropriate solution to the design was determined to be the recruitment of a pool of volunteers from within WAST who would help facilitate wish journeys when not on duty. WAST agreed that a spare vehicle could be utilised, and that the associated costs of fuel and consumables would be covered by the Trust. Further pilot journeys were facilitated, helping to establish how the service could run effectively and safely. An internal recruitment drive commenced to build-up volunteers across Wales, which received excellent uptake.

Whilst the service does not routinely seek feedback from Wish recipients due to the obvious sensitivities, feedback from families and carers is often received on how positive the Wish was for everyone. WAST has shared the design with ambulance services across the United Kingdom, with the aim of seeing Wish Ambulance Services developing and growing nationwide.