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
Government responseUK Government: Accepted (Nov 2025)
DeliveryCabinet Office says in progress (Feb 2026)
Recommendation, 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
AI-generated evidence summary
In February 2026, the Cabinet Office reported that delivery by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust remained in progress, noting that multi-agency exercises already included some non-specialist ambulance personnel alongside a new recording system for attendees (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The department added in February 2026 that wider work to include non-specialist frontline staff in multi-agency training was continuing as service pressures allowed, and delivery would be marked green once exercise planning and personnel inclusion were complete (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The UK Government had accepted the recommendation in full in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.
Government response
●UK Government · Accepted · 14 Nov 2025
Accepted in full
Response document: Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations (GOV.UK page linking to the Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard)
Delivery
●Cabinet Office says in progress · 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.
Earlier statements on delivery (0)
●Cabinet Office · 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.
From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, original version (data file)
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