Private ambulances cost South Central £19m last financial year

Ambulance trusts turn to private contractors to provide cover for critically ill patients

The local ambulance service that covers Banbury spent £19m using private ambulances during the last financial year.   The figures for the South Central Ambulance Service were revealed by Unison.

Overall the NHS is spending at least £61 million a year – or £167,000 a day – hiring private ambulances to attend emergency calls.

More than a dozen private companies are being commissioned by ambulance trusts across England to provide cover for critically ill patients.

Trusts are booking private emergency vehicles and crews up to a year in advance to be available to respond to emergency incidents such as road traffic accidents and stroke patients.

With demand on ambulance services soaring, Unison says this means that millions of pounds of public money is going into the pockets of private firms rather than being invested in more highly trained ambulance staff and better ambulances.

The money for private cover comes from one-off government ‘crisis management’ payments.   These are not guaranteed from year to year.

UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “This spend on private 999 services shows a lack of long-term planning and is a shocking waste of money. It’s nothing more than a sticking-plaster solution.

“Ambulance services are in a desperate state because the government has failed to invest long term.

“Patients are waiting ages for help to arrive or worse still dying before crews can reach them. Others are stuck in emergency vehicles outside hospitals for hours and hours on end waiting for a bed.

“This is a crisis of the government’s own making that can only be resolved with a long-term plan. Ministers must step up and come up with proper funding to tackle increasing demand and pay staff properly.”

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Published: 18/04/2023 12:22pm by Banbury FM Newsteam

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