AS THE drinks flow and music blares in the city's bars and pubs on a Friday and Saturday night, there is a whole team of people waiting in the wings to make sure things don't go wrong.

That team is from South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) and led by paramedic Craig Heigold, the 'SOS Treatment Centre' is coming back to the city centre from tomorrow.

Mr Heigold has been with SCAS since 2010 and said he wanted to take on the challenge of orchestrating the service, which returns as revellers enjoy get into the party spirit over the festive season.

He said: "I was involved back in 2014 when it first got funding to help with the winter pressure, health services find themselves under. I am passionate about it.

"It is a vital service because it saves people having to go to hospital or for one of my colleagues coming out to a 999 call, when they are already completely overstretched.

"But people go out, and they should go out and sometimes they can get themselves into a vulnerable situation."

The pop-up treatment centre, which operates out of a tent attached to an ambulance, will be positioned outside Carphone Warehouse at the corner of Cornmarket and Market Streets and will be open from 11.45pm at weekends.

Last year, at least 10 people a night called on its services in the early hours over Christmas.

And without him at the helm, Mr Heigold said the treatment centre would probably not have returned this year.

The 34-year-old added: "They needed someone to pick it up and I volunteered, if it was not me and no one else stepped forward then it would not be here.

"This year we have a team, shifted in for every Friday and Saturday night for the rest of the year."

During every shift there will be two paramedics and one emergency care assistant.

SCAS is also being supported by colleagues at the John Radcliffe Hospital, with emergency nurses on hand, who are able to close and dress wounds.

Mr Heigold said the team will probably get through a lot of vomit bowls, but that is not the only issue they will be faced with.

He added: "It is not all about people getting into fights and us having to clean them up afterwards so they don't get sent on to hospital.

"We have had lots of people come to us for different reasons and we are able to then direct them to the right service they need.

"Sometimes it is just a safe place for people to come.

"You will see people wandering around, on their own or in a shop door way asleep and we are there to just make sure they get back home safely."

A piece of advice Mr Heigold has to impart on revellers before they go out and enjoy their evenings: 'make sure you plan for how to get back home.'