AN EMERGENCY clinic on wheels should help ease the strain put on hard-pressed hospital staff by casualties of Reading’s night-time economy.

The FIRST Stop Bus will be parked in the town centre and manned by a team of trained medical staff and first aid volunteers able to treat injuries, illness, stitch wounds and provide emotional support.

It will be in Hosier Street off St Mary’s Butts for two Fridays, December 21 and 27, Saturday, December 28 and New Year’s Eve. From the new year it becomes a permanent fixture from 9pm-4am every Friday and Saturday.

The target is to take some of the pressure of the Royal Berkshire Hospital’s A&E department and jointly funded by Reading Borough Council, the police, ambulance service, NHS, Reading Local Strategic Partnership and Department of Communities and Local Government.

Borough health leader Cllr Graeme Hoskin stressed the importance of Reading’s pubs, clubs and restaurants to the town’s economy but added: “We want to ensure that people can have a safe and enjoyable night out, but should something happen such as an injury or sudden illness, the FIRST Stop Bus is here to help.

“The service will be hitting the ground running because its launch coincides with the busiest time of year for going out – Christmas and New Year. I am sure that visitors to the town will appreciate that the FIRST Stop Bus is there should they ever need it.”

The FIRST Stop Bus - standing for First Aid, Information, Refuge, Safety, Treatment - made a trial debut last year on Saturday, December 22, and New Year’s Eve when it treated 37 people, successfully keeping 26 out of A&E.

As well as police and health services the project is supported by Reading Buses, Reading University, Hanover Display, Reading BID, South East Coaches, Reading Football Club, St John Ambulance, RVA, and the Street Pastors.