Publish date: 13 March 2026
Following the successful launch of our Urgent Community Response (UCR) North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) pathway, Granada Reports spent a day with the service to highlight how they are making sure patients get the help they need in the community.
The aim of the pathway is to get patients the right help, in the right place, as quickly as possible. This new approach to dealing with 999 calls is freeing up more ambulances so they can be sent to life and death situations faster.
Since its launch in November 2025, ambulance response times have improved and there's been a significant reduction in avoidable hospital visits.
While the most serious, life-threatening emergencies continue to receive the fastest ambulance response, less urgent calls are reviewed by clinicians and if deemed appropriate transferred to the 2hr Urgent Community Response Team who assess and treat them within two hours of referral.
So far more than 5,000 people have been assessed using this new pathway - getting patients the most appropriate care and keeping ambulances available for those most in need.
https://youtu.be/VB2PrqcxIJg?si=NXksR6aRBDtDsz9c