HI-TECH ambulances are now on Lancashire roads, complete with security cameras to monitor patients.

The 25 new ambulances across the county cost £130,000 each.

They feature a camera showing the driver what is happening in the back, as well as special blue lighting to help paramedics identify veins and give injections in a hurry.

And patients will have a much smoother journey to hospital, with automatic gearboxes in the new Mercedes models.

Air conditioning and a roomier treatment area will make life easier for both paramedics and patients.

If it crashes on the way to the emergency department, bosses said the five-and-a-half tonne reinforced frame would protect patients and ambulance workers, while in-built webbing would keep the casualty in their stretcher.

A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service said: “The service is welcoming 56 new emergency vehicles across the region, and of the 56, 25 have been allocated to Lancashire.

“They will replace some of the older Ford ambulances in the fleet.

“For added security, the new vehicles have been kitted out with cameras to allow the paramedic in the driving seat to see into the back of the ambulance.

“The footage is not being saved to anything as this would conflict with patient confidentiality.

NWAS operates a vehicle design and equipment group made up of staff and managers across the region to ensure the public in the North West have access to the latest technology.

Patients will benefit again later this year when rapid response vehicles arrive.”