Hatzolah, the Jewish ambulance service, has launched in Edgware, its fifth medical emergency provision in the country.

Its 15 volunteer medics, who will be on a rota to attend to calls 24 hours a day, followed a training programme run by Simon Blackburn, head of clinical training at UK Specialist Ambulance Service, and senior anaesthetic registrar Asher Lewinsohn.

Dr Lewinsohn said he was "very proud of how seriously the Hatzolah volunteers have taken their roles and training. Hatzolah Edgware has the potential to be a source of great help and pride for the entire Edgware community".

A Hatzolah Edgware spokesman said: "In the past 10 years, the Edgware community has grown exponentially, and we considered it to be vitally important that Hatzolah had a base here. We can help the community in sensitive medical situations. We look forward to serving the whole of the Edgware community."

Hatzolah Edgware, which aims to respond to calls in just a few minutes from a manned call centre that is operational on Shabbat and festivals, joins the charity's service providers in Golders Green, Stamford Hill, Manchester and Gateshead.

The Edgware dedicated emergency line - 0303 888 9999 - can be called for free from most landlines and mobiles.