WEST Midlands Ambulance Service staff are gearing up to play their part in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Thirty staff will be heading south to support London Ambulance Service (LAS) within the Olympic Park to ensure emergency medical aid is on hand for spectators, officials and athletes in and around the sporting venue.

The team, comprising of 25 clinicians, three emergency operations centre staff and two senior venue commanders, have completed an intense four-day training course and are due to head off to London on July 23 ahead of the opening ceremony on July 27.

They will join around 180 other frontline ambulance staff dedicated to work in the games venues.

About half of the frontline medics will be drafted in from other English NHS ambulance services to provide medical cover at the games and support London Ambulance Service’s normal day-to-day emergency service.

Steve Wheaton, assistant chief ambulance officer, said: “We’re delighted to be helping the Capital city’s ambulance service during, what’s recognised worldwide, as the greatest sporting event on Earth.

“The Olympics is about participation and demonstrating the best in sporting ability. As an ambulance service we’re showing the rest of the world that our emergency services pull together to support each other when it matters the most to provide the best care possible to patients.”

The West Midlands team will return home on August 12 - and then half will return to London later in the month to provide medical cover at the Paralympics.

Meanwhile 13 staff have been selected to provide medical cover at each of the 12 Olympic football matches at the City of Coventry Stadium during July and August.

Mr Wheaton added: “For our staff heading to London and working at the City of Coventry Stadium, it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for which they are all honoured to be taking part in.

“After months of planning and training, the team of 30 are primed and ready to represent us at the Olympic Park working shoulder to shoulder with other ambulance staff from all across England.

“Similarly, months of behind the scenes work has taken place to ensure that, during the Olympics, it’ll be business as usual for West Midlands Ambulance Service.”