West Midlands Ambulance Service loses V Festival contract
V Festival has cut its ties with West Midlands Ambulance Service. Staff from the service will no longer be providing routine medical cover at the Weston Park event after losing the contract.
The ambulance service has revealed that it bid to provide services at this year’s event in Weston Park, on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border but was unsuccessful.
WMAS has been providing medical services at the annual music festival for the past nine years and has looked after thousands of festival goers.
Bosses have voiced their disappointment at not being awarded the contract again this year. It will no longer provide routine medical cover, but will attend if called in an emergency.
WMAS spokesman Jamie Arrowsmith said: “The trust can confirm it was not successful in its bid to provide medical services at the 2017 V Festival at Weston Park.
“This is a disappointing outcome given the superb service that we have provided over the years, during which time we have successfully looked after thousands of festival goers.”
WMAS said it did not know the reasons behind the decision.
It is not yet known which organisation will provide medical services at this year’s two-day festival, which is set to take place over the weekend of August 19 and 20.
Last year, WMAS tended to music fans alongside St John Ambulance.
A total of 1,218 people were treated, slightly more than in 2015, while 40 were taken to hospital.
Heavy rain showers throughout the weekend meant many fell victim to the conditions, with slips, trips and falls accounting for a lot of injuries.
Others were treated for drinking too much alcohol.
A command and control centre was set up on site, staffed by call takers and dispatchers who co-ordinated ambulances and medical staff stationed within the park.
Alongside their ambulances, WMAS deployed a number of 4×4 vehicles to help staff gain access to injured people in difficult locations during the event.
This year’s festival will be headlined by Pink and Jay Z.
Other music artists expected to take to the stage include Ellie Goulding, Craig David, Jess Glynne, Rudimental, Pete Tong and Dizzee Rascal.
Lee Nelson and Seann Walsh will be among those headlining the comedy tent.
About 100,000 revellers attend the popular festival, including campers and day visitors.
