A PRIVATE ambulance company with staff out of work are looking to help the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.

A&E Life Support run by 45-year-old Les Hewitt in Blackburn are one of many private ambulance services currently with no jobs as their normal routine is to go out on events around East Lancashire and Manchester.

This means that highly trained medical teams are without work and could be put to better use helping hospitals transport patients or deliver equipment.

Mr Hewitt said: “All events are cancelled so we have staff and ambulance vehicles doing nothing.

“We specialise in mental health, but mental health ambulance services have been suspended.

“We have medical staff who are available to work, such as nurses, ambulance technicians and paramedics.

“We all want to help, whether this be transporting non-emergency patients from hospitals to clear beds or delivering essential items such as food and medication to the elderly or those people at risk.”

Some of the events they attend include the Christmas lights switch on in Blackburn, rugby league games for the Salford Red Devils, and concerts around the North West.

Mr Hewitt started the company in 2012 after he left the NHS ambulance service as an ambulance technician.

He added: “There is no reason we cannot be utilised to help.

“Companies like us have medically qualified staff able to assist in this current situation, and not only does this idea provide extra staff it also protects jobs and businesses within this sector.

“We are a small business so if we have no work then we won’t have this business.”

The last job they completed was on March 7.

Since then some of the members of the team have gone back to their full time jobs, but around eight of the staff members are out of work.

Government schemes do not apply to them as they are a small business and have a director, which renders them unable to apply.

Mr Hewitt said: “The only places to volunteer are in London and this is too far for us as we cannot travel there.

“I have seen many people charging the NHS double now to do work for them, which is just making money off them and is not right.

“They will charge the NHS over £600 for a job, when usually it costs around £300.

“Many volunteers are also not equipped to help, so we think it is beneficial for us to help as we are all medically trained staff with vehicles at the ready.”