We know from our engagement that a child’s experience of the NHS in an emergency setting can be distressing, so familiarisation is key.

As the pandemic continues and face-to-face engagement at schools and community settings for us at the Welsh Ambulance Service are put on hold, we wanted to ensure that important information was still being shared with our next generation of callers whilst seizing new innovative opportunities and influence positive behaviours. Today we are delighted to announce the launch of our new bilingual gaming app Blue Light Hub to help children & young people understand what to do in an emergency in a fun and engaging way.

Aimed predominately at 7-12 year olds, the Trust’s Blue Light Hub app which boasts four games, teach users about what happens when they call 999, the appropriate use of 999, how ambulance resources are dispatched and managed and the different uniforms they might encounter on their NHS journey. The lightly challenging games allows the player to become familiar with appearances, and take on various roles and challenges carried out by the emergency services. By rewarding players for their efforts with points, level badges, game unlocks, and the ability to accessorise their own avatar, the player is encouraged to return to the hub frequently, developing a familiarity with the theme, further encouraging them to make better choices about how to treat the emergency services, and what to do in difficult situations.

You can download the Blue Light Hub app for free on the apple app store for iOS, and on Google Play from a Google Android device by searching for either Blue Light Hub or Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust.