Warwick Medical School (WMS) has officially launched its Community First Responder (CFR) scheme, part of the wider regional scheme led by West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS). Uniformed volunteer WMS students, professionally trained and supervised, are choosing to give their time to care for the community when it is most needed.
Working alongside paramedic crews and coordinated by WMAS, the students respond to 999 calls using a dedicated CFR van equipped with lifesaving equipment such as resuscitation kits and defibrillators, all funded through grants, donations, and partner support.
Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Warwick said: "Our medical students are demonstrating exceptional leadership by taking party in a scheme that delivers vital care and support to our local communities across Coventry and Warwickshire, as well as here on campus. This Community First Responder initiative is a powerful example of the University's commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of people in our region and beyond."
The initiative, led by WMS and supported by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Coventry General Charities, and the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), responds to the most serious Category 1 and 2 calls across Coventry and Warwickshire.
The Warwick scheme has been responding to these emergency calls since September 2025. This has already included providing immediate care for children and young people after falls or loss of consciousness, supporting patients experiencing acute cardiac events or strokes, and performing life-saving resuscitation - all in collaboration with professional WMAS paramedic crews.
Aidan Johal Baker, fourth year medical student at WMS and volunteer CFR, said: "The opportunity to bring our clinical and leadership skills together to deliver life-saving front line care for our local community is a real privilege. Our medical training, supported and informed by WMAS clinical protocols, training and support allows us to make a real contribution to improving and supporting NHS care through the CFR scheme."
Volunteers receive full support, training, and welfare oversight from WMAS and WMS, including occupational health checks, background screening, and ongoing training.
Professor Gavin Perkins, MBE, Dean of Warwick Medical School, added: "Warwick Medical School's CFR programme brings together our strengths in teaching, research and innovation, with both students and faculty working together to deliver this outstanding scheme. It exemplifies our commitment to excellent care, supported and informed by high-quality research and best practice. This is exactly how we strive to work, and the programme delivers on that ambition at every step."
WMS will continue to work with WMAS to expand the scheme, enhance capacity, and contribute research into pre-hospital emergency care and the impact of Community First Responders.
