VOLUNTEERS are being urged to come forward to help swell the ranks of a depleted group that helps oversee the region’s ambulance service.

A group of governors lobby on its behalf and hold its management to account.

The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which has more than 6,000 staff across its 131 sites, launched its nomination process at the start of November, and anyone can put themselves forward for a governor post until 5pm on Tuesday November 19.

Membership is already below its full level so the ambulance service is hoping greater numbers will put themselves forward this year.

Luke March, lead governor for the trust, said: ‘The number of governors we should have is 26, and we are running at about 18 governors now, so we’re a bit short already.’

Mr March stressed no prior experience is required, nor is medical experience.

The aim is to have a diverse, community-focused group who appreciate and understand the benefits the ambulance service provides and want to work together to make sure it is able to operate to the best of its ability.

Mr March said: ‘We’re definitely hoping that we get some interest in this nomination period as the ambulance service is one of the key services in this country in the health sector.

‘So it is absolutely vital that we as local people are willing to support them in their work, and to challenge them, and be beside them as they meet the daily challenges that we all know exist.’

A total of 14 seats are being put up for re-election this time, with three of those being for members of the public in Devon and one being for a staff member.

Other seats across the trust, which covers roughly 20 per cent of mainland England and deals with roughly 2,650 incidents a day, include vacancies for members of the public in other areas and one other staff member vacancy.

Terms are ordinarily for three years, and members of the public can stand in constituencies from Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire all the way down to Cornwall.