The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (WAST) has taken delivery of 33 Renault Master ambulance conversions, all of which have been safely completed, prepared and delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic.
eployed as blue light fleets face unprecedented demand for their services, the bespoke conversions were completed by Wilker; one of nearly 40 approved converters that are included in the Renault Pro+ ‘Tailor Made’ conversion programme.
The vehicles were already in conversion when lockdown was announced. Supported by new safety measures in line with government guidance, Wilker finished the Masters to WAST’s bespoke specification, which includes variants with double wheelchair access or stretcher bearing with four passenger seats.
Renault Retail Group Cardiff also implemented a variety of new measures to ensure safe handover during lockdown – enabling the vehicles to provide transport of non-emergency patients to essential medical appointments. Work at the dealership included installing a dedicated technician and service advisor to PDI and prepare the ambulances.
With registration completed by the DVLA, WAST was able to press the vehicles straight into service a matter of days after the Renault Masters arrived at RRG Cardiff.
The new vehicles join the existing Renault fleet at WAST, which has been running Renault vehicles for more than 20 years. The Renault Master makes up the vast majority of the organisation’s Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) vehicles, accounting for over 220 of the near 280-strong fleet.
In the last 16 months alone, WAST has taken delivery of 140 Renault Master ambulance conversions, all of which have been supplied through Renault Retail Group in Cardiff.
David Holmes, national fleet manager, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, said: WLTP has created difficulties for the whole motor industry with many manufacturers’ products losing available payload however the Master is still the van that comes out on top for me, add to that the excellent after sales support I receive from all my dealerships in Wales means that I can deliver a robust and comprehensive service to the Welsh Ambulance service.”
Mark Dickens, fleet sales & remarketing director, Groupe Renault UK, added: “We’re very proud of our relationship with WAST and the fact that it has found the Renault Master to be the perfect vehicle for its complex needs.”
