More emergency care patients in the South West of England have the opportunity to take part in research studies out of hospital than ever before.

Six years ago South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT)

was not conducting a single research study on the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) portfolio and had no research-active paramedics.

In 2014/15 SWASFT was the top patient recruiting ambulance trust in England and it is the first ambulance service to sponsor a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) funded study.

SWASFT is one of four ambulance services in England conducting the AIRWAYS-2 study which is comparing the clinical and cost effectiveness of two ways to manage the airway of patients who have had a cardiac arrest out of hospital.