The National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU)

The National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) works nationally on behalf of each NHS Ambulance Trust in England to provide a coordinated approach to emergency preparedness, resilience and response.

Through central coordination, NARU enables NHS Ambulance Trusts to work together to provide a safe and reliable response to major, complex and potentially protracted incidents.

In January 2024 NHS England announced that London Ambulance Service had been awarded the contract to host NARU for the next five years, following a competitive tendering process.

From April 2024, London Ambulance Service have been working with NHS England and specialist resilience teams across the country to ensure the ambulance service can respond to a range of hazardous and demanding occurrences in the safest and most efficient manner possible.

Chief Executive of London Ambulance Service Daniel Elkeles, said: “Staff from ambulance services across the country are united in our commitment to providing care for people when it matters most, including life-saving help in the nation’s darkest moments – from terror attacks to significant incidents, such as a building collapse or large fires. It takes a profound level of training, skill and planning to do this well, which is at the heart of what this service is all about.”

NHS ambulance services play a vital role in saving lives in communities across the country, and NARU ensures our specialist staff have the right tools and training to safely respond to the most challenging and hazardous situations.