Reading town centre medical facility announced

A new Reading town centre medical facility is being launched in time for the Christmas festivities.

Reading’s FIRST Stop Bus is designed to help ease the burden on under-pressure A & E departments which are struggling to cope with demand. A team of trained medical staff and first aiders will be on hand on the bus to provide a wide range of assistance such as treating injuries from falls or stitching cuts. They will also be able to help with illnesses or anyone who is emotionally distressed.

When a pilot bus went live in Christmas last year it treated 37 people, of which 26 could have otherwise have gone to A & E for treatment. The pilot was also estimated to have saved up to 94 hours of police time.

The FIRST Stop bus will be parked in Hosier Street, close to the centre of Reading’s vibrant pub and club scene, on the 21st, 27th and 28th December and New Year’s Eve. It will then become a permanent fixture in the town centre every Friday and Saturday night going forward and will be used in the day time to provide health checks and other educational purposes.

FIRST Stop stands for First Aid; Information; Refuge; Safety; Treatment.

The FIRST Stop Bus is a partnership initiative between Reading Borough Council, Reading Local Strategic Partnership, Thames Valley Police, South Central Ambulance Service, The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the NHS. In addition the project is supported by Reading Buses, Reading University, Hanover Display, Reading BID, South East Coaches, Reading Football Club, St Johns Ambulance, RVA, and the Street Pastors. The bus will operate on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm – 4am and will be manned by volunteers and trained medical staff.