ARMY medics will work alongside South Central Ambulance Service to support the NHS amid growing staff shortages due to Covid-19.

The Ministry of Defence has said SCAS paremedics will be bolstered with 32 military co-responders, who are expected to stay with them until the end of March.

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Around 200 armed forces personnel are being made available to hospitals across London, which has been the epicentre of the Omicron outbreak with a huge upsurge in cases.

The announcement comes after Boris Johnson said this week that ministers hoped to “ride out” the latest wave without the need for further restrictions in England.

The MoD said the deployment in London included 40 military medics and 160 general duty personnel to help fill gaps caused by absences of NHS staff unable to work because they were ill or having to self-isolate.

They will be deployed in 40 teams of five – comprising one medic and four support personnel – and will be targeted at areas where the need is greatest.

It is expected they will be “on task” for the next three weeks.

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Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The men and women of our armed forces are once again stepping up to support their dedicated colleagues in the NHS as they work hand-in-hand to protect the nation from Covid-19.

“They have shown their worth time and again throughout this pandemic, whether driving ambulances, administering vaccines or supporting patients in hospital, and they should be proud of their contribution to this truly national effort.”

Around 1,800 service personnel are already deployed across the UK to support the civil authorities in their response to the pandemic.

They include 313 personnel assisting the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and 96 with the Scottish Ambulance Service, while more than 1,000 are helping the vaccine booster programme.

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