Summary

This report provides a summary evaluation of feedback and themes from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) five ambulance awareness days, successfully delivered in each county across the region between July 2024 and April 2025. The events were delivered by the trust’s Communication and Patient Engagement Team, supported by front line colleagues and senior management.

Across the five events, over 600 people booked and attended on the day with additional ‘walk ins’ adding to total attendees. Attendees predominantly comprised young people, schools and colleges together with parents, support workers and carers. The events were also attended by NWAS staff (facilitators, speakers, and hosts), and external stallholders. It is worth noting that attendance at the Merseyside event was affected by the Grand National, which took place during the same week, while a road traffic collision (RTC) on the morning of the Lancashire event prevented some attendees from reaching the venue. As we strive to be as inclusive as possible in reaching young people, we will continue to support attendance from a diverse range of youth participants.

The ambulance awareness days followed a similar structure to the 2023/24 community listening events, with short talks, interactive activities, and Q&A sessions. This year, a key focus was engaging young people, so we tailored content around careers and volunteering and made activities more hands-on to increase engagement. One attendee reflected positively on the inclusive atmosphere, saying they felt “really involved and not judged.”

A new feature was a “You said, we did” segment in the opening speech, highlighting improvements made from previous feedback. We also aligned messaging with seasonal public health campaigns from the Communications Team.

Each event included a lunchtime marketplace with interactive stalls from NWAS teams and partners like Fire and Rescue, Police, Mountain Rescue, Blood Bikes, and St John Ambulance. Emergency vehicles were present where possible, and popular highlights included CPR demos and a VR experience. A participant commented on the lasting impact of these sessions, noting: “Seeing the children learning and practising CPR was absolutely fantastic, and if they ever needed to use it they knew exactly what to do, this will be my lasting memory of today.”

At the Greater Manchester event, we took a more informal approach with a fully interactive marketplace, more external partners, and a sticker collection activity to encourage engagement, moving away from previous structured sessions. The shift was well received, with one attendee stating: “Such a good event. Great activities and great to get involved in practical exercises. Everyone has been so friendly and been so interesting.”

We’re proud to share that a young lady from the Kendal Ambulance Awareness Day, held on 14 November, has since started working in the NWAS Patient Transport Service (PTS). Their story is a testament to the personal and professional impact these events can have.

At the end of the event, all attendees were given the chance to complete an evaluation form to give feedback. The most commonly mentioned highlights were the engaging activities, the clear and informative content shared throughout the day, and the CPR demonstration. The top three suggested improvements were to include more activities, adjust the overall timings of the day, and make the day more interactive. It’s important to note that the level of overall satisfaction at the events increased after we made changes to the activities following the Cheshire event.

Across all five ambulance awareness days, attendees provided valuable feedback highlighting ways to enhance future events. A key area of focus was presentation delivery. Participants suggested that PowerPoint slides should be clearer, more concise, and readable from a distance, with speakers avoiding reading directly from the slides. Attendees also expressed interest in more dynamic content, such as scenario-based discussions (e.g., “how would you react” situations) and talks from specialist roles like HART (Hazardous Area Response Team) paramedics. Suggestions included incorporating voices from other emergency services and allied health careers (e.g., nursing) to provide a more holistic view of collaborative working. There was also interest in hearing about non-frontline roles, such as corporate and volunteering opportunities, particularly for future events.

In terms of activities and engagement, many attendees recommended more hands-on demonstrations and interactive content. These included basic first aid skills like bandaging and wound care, CPR practice, and recovery position training. Feedback indicated a desire for more movement based activities to maintain engagement among school age participants, along with increased time to explore stalls and engage in practical sessions. Several also recommended displaying clear timings for when sessions resume after breaks and using breakout rooms or smaller tables to create a more focused and inclusive environment.

Event accessibility and atmosphere were also noted. Some attendees felt the room setup was intimidating or better suited to professionals rather than students or the general public. Others noted the need for more visible diversity among presenters and called for easy read materials to support wider accessibility. Suggestions included offering certificates of attendance for CPD recognition and increasing opportunities for one-to-one conversations with staff to encourage deeper dialogue.

Finally, attendees provided practical recommendations for improving the overall experience. These included increasing event promotion, expanding lunch and refreshment options to include hot food choices, avoiding water waste during demonstrations, and resolving sound or technical issues. There was also a suggestion to provide information on sponsorship opportunities, especially for individuals who have studied abroad, and to expand discussions around mental health and mental health first aid. Following the successful delivery of our five ambulance awareness days, we will take several actions to build on this progress. We plan to follow up with individuals who registered but did not attend to understand their reasons and reduce non-attendance in future. This overall summary evaluation report will be shared with attendees and published on our Trust website. A working group will be established to develop an action plan based on the feedback received and to produce a proposal and delivery plan for the 2025/26 events programme. To support more inclusive engagement, we will update our community contacts database to ensure greater diversity of representation. We will also continue engaging with community groups to provide updates on our services, explore accessibility issues, and identify further areas for improvement.

Thank you for attending our ambulance awareness days and helping us improve services for you and your community. We would love to welcome you back next year with a refreshed format of events. Please spread the word to service users, friends, and family and keep an eye on your inbox for the invite.

Appendix

Attendees

To attract a broad and diverse range of attendees, we actively promoted the events through our community networks and contacts. A total of 717 individuals registered for the 2024/25 ambulance awareness days, with 420 (59%) attending, more than double the 202 attendees from the 2023/24 events.

Of those who completed the demographic section of the booking form, 85 (20.14%) identified as belonging to an ethnic minority group, and 41 (9.72%) reported having an accessibility need.

Across the five events, 604 people attended in total, including members of the public, NWAS staff (facilitators, speakers, and hosts), and external stallholders. The breakdown for each event is as follows:

Cheshire
Attendees only: 65
NWAS staff: 21
External stall holders: 3
Total: 89

Greater Manchester
Attendees only: 185
NWAS staff: 30
External stall holders: 11
Total: 226

Cumbria
Attendees only: 58
NWAS staff: 21
External stall holders: 6
Total: 85

Lancashire
Attendees only: 61
NWAS staff: 34
External stall holders: 8
Total: 103

Merseyside
Attendees only: 51
NWAS staff: 33
External stall holders: 17
Total: 101

At all the events except Cheshire, we had to close Eventbrite bookings and set up a waiting list because venue capacity was reached.

In total, 54 groups and organisations participated, including schools and colleges, charities, volunteers, and other NHS organisations.

Accessibility needs of the attendees

As part of our commitment to inclusivity, we made several adaptations to our events and activities throughout 2024/25 to better support individuals with different accessibility needs. We ask participants to indicate special dietary requirements and accessibility needs on the booking form, for example additional facilitator support and/or a BSL interpreter.

In Cheshire, we tailored the programme by offering both learning disability (LD) and non-LD activities, ensuring everyone could engage in a way that suited them best. Ahead of our events, we also shared activities with all SEND schools and groups, as well as local LD organisations, checking whether any materials needed adapting to meet their specific requirements.

For our Lancashire event, we arranged a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter so that members from the Deaf Village could fully engage with the session. Additionally, in support of a participant with sight loss, we shared all materials in advance with her to ensure she was able to fully participate in the activities on the day. To further improve accessibility, we introduced an easy read version of our evaluation form at the Merseyside event to ensure that feedback could be gathered from a wider range of participants. This will be carried forward into our 2025/26 events.

These steps reflect our ongoing efforts to create inclusive spaces where all members of the public can participate meaningfully in our engagement work.

Quotes from attendees

Cheshire event

• ‘Feeling really involved and not judged.’

Cumbria event

• ‘The kids spoke very highly of the speakers and said they had learnt quite a lot.’

Greater Manchester event

• ‘The fact that this was so different to the Cheetham Hill event, this is different in a VERY very good way. Seeing the children learning and practising CPR was absolutely fantastic, and if they ever needed to use it they knew exactly what to do, this will be my lasting memory of today!’
• ‘Wish even more people came as it is such a good opportunity for the community. Can really see a lot of effort has been put into the event and really satisfied with the overall event. Thank you for holding it.’
• ‘Such a good event. Great activities and great to get involved in practical exercises. Everyone has been so friendly and been so interesting.’
• ‘The same to happen every year, the students got ALOT out of it, and all questions were answered.’

Lancashire event

• ‘The question and answer sessions were excellent.’

Merseyside event

• ‘Learnt about 111 and the services available. Not being from the UK this is something new. So good to have a understanding on this.’

Question and answer key themes

These are the key questions gathered from the events held in Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, and Merseyside; please note there were no Q&A sessions at the Greater Manchester event.

The questions have been copied directly from attendees and are presented in their own words to reflect their original thoughts and language.

Paramedic Emergency Services (PES)

• Do ambulances put on their lights just to pass traffic?
• Is it a stressful or happy life being a paramedic?
• How do paramedics keep up to date with medications?
• How many hours does a paramedic work?
• Say you’re finishing late and you need 11 hours between your next shift, are there people able to stand in?
• What would you do if you had a patient with dementia who was extremely confused when you left them?
• What happens and I suppose what is the procedure and treatment if somebody has had a seizure?

Careers

• What are the different options available to become a paramedic?
• What University would you recommend?
• Is there any midwifery role in the ambulance services?
• How much does a 111 and 999 call handler earn?
• What’s the most important skill you need to learn to work in the ambulance service?
• What career options do I have as a newly qualified nurse?
• In terms of shift to working patterns, opportunities, flexible working, could colleagues give me an idea of how that works across the different service lines?

Accessibility

• How do disabilities such as eyesight or hearing affect chances of getting a job and how does it affect the day to day of the job?
• Individuals who have learning disabilities, do they still have the same opportunities and have additional support if needed? Does this affect future careers?
• What again, what adaptions or, adjustments can we make for, people who are deaf?

Mental Health

• It’s possible that staff are exposed to trauma which could affect them in various ways. What support is offered to help with this?

Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)

• Can you find a patient exactly from a mobile number calling 999?

NHS 111

• In terms of 111, what support do we provide to very young callers who may be in a difficult situation/circumstances?

General

• How much is the defibrillator?
• How do we measure success in terms of finding patients health needs and directing them to the appropriate service?

Event improvements

In response to feedback received during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 events, we implemented the following improvements throughout this event cycle:

• Following feedback from last year’s events, we made a concerted effort to include representation from other emergency services, including the police and fire and rescue, at the marketplace at each event.
• We introduced a ‘save the date’ email and postcard, which we sent to our contacts to give them advance notice of the event in their area.
• We remained mindful of avoiding the use of acronyms during the talks and activities.
• At our Cheshire event, a young attendee expressed interest in learning more about knife crime and mental health, particularly how the ambulance service handles related calls. In response, we introduced bite sized talks on these topics at our events in Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside.
• In response to feedback from attendees, we adapted the drug and alcohol scenario for the Merseyside event to make it more relatable for a wider audience, including those who may not drink.
• Building on the positive feedback from the Fire and Rescue Service’s use of VR headsets at the Cumbria event, we organised for NWAS to offer VR headsets at the following events. This gave attendees the opportunity to explore the inside of an ambulance in an immersive, interactive way.
• We changed the term ‘lightning speaker’ to ‘bite size talk’ to be more in tune with a younger audience.
• At the Merseyside event, we added pre- and post-event awareness questions to the evaluation sheet, asking attendees to rate their knowledge of the ambulance service on a scale of 0–10 to help measure the event’s impact.

We introduced an easy read version of our evaluation form at the Merseyside event to ensure that feedback could be gathered from a wider range of participants.

Event evaluation

Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside

At the end of the event, all attendees were given the chance to complete an evaluation form to give feedback.

The first question asked for three things attendees liked about the event and the second for three things that could be improved. These are all non-prescriptive, open questions where attendees could comment on the venue, event, food, or networking opportunities or anything else to avoid leading or prompting particular responses.

The most commonly mentioned highlights were the engaging activities, the clear and informative content shared throughout the day, and the CPR demonstration. The top three suggested improvements were to include more activities, adjust the overall timings of the day, and make the day more interactive.

Greater Manchester

Attendees at the Greater Manchester event highlighted several standout features in their feedback. The friendly, helpful staff and the wide variety of stalls and service information were particularly well received. The venue also drew positive comments, especially regarding its layout, catering, and overall atmosphere. Interactive elements like the CPR demonstrations were popular, and many praised the overall organisation of the event. A fun and memorable addition for some was the appearance of Pandamedic, which added an engaging touch to the day.

Overall

91% of all attendees felt the event improved their knowledge of the ambulance service. Cumulatively, 82% of attendees were overall ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with the event they had attended. It’s important to note that the level of overall satisfaction at the events increased after we made changes to the activities, following feedback.

Evaluation feedback

Learning and improvements

Feedback from attendees highlighted several suggestions for improving future events:

• PowerPoint slides should be more concise, easier to read from a distance, and speakers shouldn’t simply read from the slides.
• Include different scenarios during sessions, such as ‘how would you react’ situations.
• Add a talk from a HART (Hazardous Area Response Team) paramedic to showcase specialist roles.
• Incorporate talks from other emergency services to provide broader understanding of collaboration.
• Include discussions about careers that work alongside the ambulance service, such as nursing.
• Explain how paramedics collaborate with A&E (Accident and Emergency) departments and other healthcare services.
• For 2025/26, attendees recommend featuring not only frontline roles but also corporate and volunteer opportunities.

• Incorporate more activities overall, with an emphasis on making them interactive.
• Provide more hands-on demonstrations, such as basic bandaging techniques and how to apply pressure to wounds.
• Ensure that activities are more engaging for young people, encouraging active participation.
• Include more movement based activities to keep school pupils engaged.
• Increase practical time for attendees to practise cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the recovery position, and other emergency skills.
• Be mindful not to waste water during demonstrations.
• Allow more time for attendees to explore and engage with the stalls.
• Display the time that sessions will resume after lunch on the lunch break slide.
• Consider using breakout rooms or smaller tables to create more focused and comfortable sessions.
• Provide more opportunities to discuss mental health and mental health first aid.
• Include information about sponsorship opportunities, especially for those who have studied abroad.

• Some felt the room setup appeared overwhelming and seemed tailored more towards professionals than students or the general public.
• Some attendees noted a lack of visible diversity among the teams on stage and suggested a more representative range of speakers.
• Ensure more easy-read information is available for those who may need it.
• Offer a certificate of attendance so participants can evidence continuing professional development (CPD).
• Offer more time for one-to-one conversations with staff to allow for deeper engagement.
• Increase promotion and outreach to raise awareness of the events.
• Offer a wider range of lunch and refreshments such as fruit, juice, hot food options, and deserts.
• Address sound and technology issues to improve overall experience.

Next steps

Further to the successful delivery of our five ambulance awareness days we will:

• Follow up with individuals who booked but did not attend the events to understand their reasons and help reduce non-attendance at future events.
• Set up a working group with staff from the patient engagement and communication team to look at the format of future events.
• Share this overall summary evaluation report with all attendees and publish the report on our trust website.
• Produce an action plan to progress the above actions.
• Produce a proposal and delivery plan for our 2025/26 events programme.
• Update our community contacts database to ensure diversity of representation, in preparation for future events.
• Continue to meet with community groups to update on our services, discuss accessibility issues, and any areas for improvement.