On Thursday last week we heard the sad news of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.
As many will know, the plans for what would happen at this point have been in place for some time. The state funeral service will take place in Westminster Abbey from 11am on Monday.
Following this the procession will travel to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle where the committal will take place. The journey will take in many counties and ambulance trust areas before arriving at the Royal residence in Windsor.
As the ambulance service for this county, the role of South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) and our staff in this part of the proceedings is significant and we feel extremely privileged that we are able to be part of the final journey.
During this week and until after the funeral SCAS will play a major part in the response in Windsor working alongside partners such as St John Ambulance and other emergency services.
Attendance in Windsor has been significant this week and, therefore, the day of the funeral is likely to be incredibly busy.
Our planning will ensure that we help to keep visitors safe as they visit Windsor to pay their respects, but equally to ensure that events in Windsor do not impact upon our normal 999 response in local communities in and around Windsor at this time.
Members of the public should continue to access care in the same way as they would ordinarily, calling 999 for serious and life-threatening medical incidents and accidents and contacting NHS 111 or visiting 111.nhs.uk for medical advice, support and signposting to the most appropriate service.