THE Welsh Ambulance Service has re-enlisted the support of the military as it contends with a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 90 soldiers will once again assist the Trust’s Covid-19 effort by driving ambulance vehicles from tomorrow.

Among them will be soldiers from 9 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps.

On Sunday, chief executive Jason Killens visited their headquarters in Chippenham, where soldiers were undergoing training ahead of deployment.

“The extreme pressure on our ambulance service in the last couple of weeks has been well documented, and it’s why we’ve taken the decision to re-enlist the military, who did a superb job of assisting us earlier in the year," he said.

“Winter is our busiest period, and with the second wave of a global pandemic also to contend with, this is about bolstering our capacity as far we can and putting us in the best possible position to provide a safe service to the people of Wales.”

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More than 20,000 military personnel have been supporting public services across the UK during the pandemic as part of a Covid Support Force.

Their support of the Welsh Ambulance Service forms part of the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) arrangement.

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said: “With coronavirus case rates at high levels in many areas of Wales, it’s welcome and reassuring that our Armed Forces will help our ambulance and NHS services during what is set to be a very busy winter period.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the military has stepped up to support health services across Wales with the distribution of PPE, construction of a temporary hospital in Cardiff, assisting community testing in the South Wales Valleys and will help roll out community vaccine in the coming months.”