West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) has enrolled 1,090 participants in research studies over the past 12 months.

The effort is part of a drive to ensure the provision of optimum patient care and also focus on staff wellbeing.

Concentrated on saving more lives, enabling patients to receive efficient trauma centre care, enhancing pain relief measures, improving end-of-life care and ensuring accelerated specialist stroke care, the studies have tripled in the past year.

Staff-targeted research has also looked into PTSD, anxiety, fatigue management and cardiovascular risk associated with ambulance staff.

WMAS head of research, Andy Rosser, said: "NHS organisations that have an expansive research programme have been shown to deliver a higher quality of care, which improves patient outcomes and creates a fulfilling work environment for clinicians.

"The primary focus of our research programme is towards improving patient care and developing clinical care pathways to promote recovery, by ensuring that our staff can provide the very best care for our patients as quickly as possible.

"Ultimately, research allows us to better understand patient care, ensuring that we are providing evidence-based practice and use NHS resources appropriately."

Josh Miller, lead research paramedic, said: "I would like to say a big thank you to every patient and member of staff who has agreed to be involved in any of our research projects over the last 12 months.

"Whilst some of the studies have concluded, many are still ongoing with results due in the forthcoming months and we look forward to seeing what conclusions can be drawn, that will benefit our patients."