Include non-specialist ambulance personnel in exercising
Manchester Arena Inquiry · Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response · Issued 3 November 2022 · Addressed to: North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
North West Ambulance Service should ensure that non specialist ambulance personnel are involved in multi agency exercising
Manchester Arena Inquiry, Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response · 3 Nov 2022 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- NWAS multi-agency exercises currently include some non-specialist ambulance personnel, with a new system to record suitable attendees (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
- Work is underway to reform preparedness of emergency services to include more multi-agency training with non-specialist front line staff (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
The Home Secretary made a written statement to Parliament on 3 November 2022 following publication of Volume 2, acknowledging the findings on emergency response failures and stating the government would work with emergency services to implement improvements. The response committed to reviewing interoperability arrangements between emergency services and strengthening joint training and exercising protocols for major incidents.
UK Government · 3 Nov 2022 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 27 Feb 2026 This recommendation is incorporated into exercising plans which will continue to be ongoing. As new staff are on boarded to the organisation, they will participate in multi agency exercising as part of these plans. Ambulance Trusts aim to ensure non-specialist responders attend multi-agency exercises. North West Ambulance Service multi-agency exercises currently include some non-specialist ambulance personnel and has a new system to record suitable non-specialist attendees. Work is also underway to reform the preparedness of the emergency services. This includes more multi-agency training and the inclusion of non-specialist front line staff, as service pressures allow. As the work to implement the exercise planning and include non-specialist personnel is complete, this can be made green. Source →
- 14 Nov 2025 This recommendation is incorporated into exercising plans which will continue to be ongoing. As new staff are on boarded to the organisation, they will participate in multi agency exercising as part of these plans. Ambulance Trusts aim to ensure non-specialist responders attend multi-agency exercises. North West Ambulance Service multi-agency exercises currently include some non-specialist ambulance personnel and has a new system to record suitable non-specialist attendees. Work is also underway to reform the preparedness of the emergency services. This includes more multi-agency training and the inclusion of non-specialist front line staff, as service pressures allow. As the work to implement the exercise planning and include non-specialist personnel is complete, this can be made green. Source →
- 14 Nov 2025 · Cabinet Office Government published formal Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations dashboard on GOV.UK (14 November 2025) tracking all 149 recommendations with implementation progress updates. View source → Reasonable Progress
- 3 Apr 2025 · UK Parliament Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent 3 April 2025. Creates two tiers: Standard Duty (200-799 capacity) and Enhanced Duty (800+). SIA will be regulator. Not yet in force -- at least 24 months before enforcement (expected April 2027). View source → Reasonable Progress
- 5 Jun 2023 · National Police Chiefs Council NPCC, Counter Terrorism Policing and College of Policing provided comprehensive updates to Sir John Saunders demonstrating "continued drive to improve collective response to terrorist incidents." View source → Reasonable Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.