A WRITTEN-off ambulance has been transformed to help future paramedics.

Paramedics at South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) have turned an ambulance written-off in a road traffic collision into a new training pod for students.

The SCAS education team in Newbury had the body of the vehicle repaired to repurpose it as a training simulator and provide the opportunity for students to learn in the real thing.

It weighs 4.5 tonnes before the addition of kit and includes all the essentials – as well as a working tail lift and even a power line to flick on the blue lights and sirens to add to the experience.

Darren Best, Senior Education Manager at SCAS, said: "What we really love about the introduction of this simulation pod is that its authenticity will give students a much more enhanced and lifelike insight into the workings of the vehicle and its kit.

"The ambulance converted was unfortunately involved in a serious road traffic collision and was not fit to return to the road, so not only have we avoided losing a vehicle from the fleet, we are now in the fortunate position of using this one to train a new generation of staff.”

He added: “While there are many simulators around, many of these are purpose-built as opposed to developed from real vehicles and are therefore limited in their ability to provide a real-life training environment.

“We believe this is the first pod of its kind having been salvaged from the scrapheap and able to provide the most realistic experience of any simulator – so we are extremely pleased with the outcome.

“We've even had a label added to the side to say it is probably the best ambulance pod in the country - we think it is!”