To support collaboration between the ‘Blue Light’ services, the government has provided £162,000 to establish a cross-sector Working Group which has now held its inaugural meeting. The Group aims to provide strategic leadership, co-ordination and an overview at national level on current and future emergency service collaboration, acting as a driver for innovation and best practice in emerging joint processes.

The Group will publish a ‘National Overview’ of existing collaborative activities later this year as well as commissioning a programme of research that seeks to better understand the barriers to greater collaboration.