A councillor swapped one kind of surgery for another when he spent a day in the life of a paramedic.

Robert Rams, Barnet Borough Council’s cabinet member for customer access and partnerships, volunteered with the London Ambulance Responder Service on Thursday.

The team, manned by off-duty doctors and police officers, received more than £28,000 from the authority’s Big Society Innovation Bank in 2012.

Cllr Rams said: “In two years, the service has gone from strength to strength.

“In that time the service has shown just how vital it is and I am extremely proud that the council played a direct role in helping to fund the car and train the staff who respond to emergencies across the borough.”