Welsh Government set to spend £10m on 100 new ambulances and passenger transport vehicles

The Welsh Ambulance Service will receive 100 new operational vehicles following an announcement by Health Secretary Vaughan Gething that the government is to spend more than £10m.

100 ambulances and other passenger transport vehicles will be replaced with new, more efficient and greener vehicles.

The investment will allow the service to purchase:

• 25 Emergency Ambulances
• 33 emergency response motorcycles
• 33 Non Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS)
• 9 specialist emergency vehicles for major incidents.

The Welsh Ambulance Service currently has over 700 vehicles in its fleet, which cover an area of more than 8,000 square miles across Wales.

Since 2011, the Welsh Government has invested almost £55m in new ambulance vehicles for the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething said:

 “I am pleased to be able to announce funding of £10.23m to replace some of our ageing ambulances and other passenger transport vehicles with more modern, fuel efficient and greener versions.

This investment will enable the Welsh Ambulance Service to upgrade its fleet to ensure it has the most appropriate vehicles to deliver the best care for the people of Wales.”

Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust with the High Dependancy Unit

Richard Lee, Director of Operations for the Welsh Ambulance Service said:

“Our ambulances and response cars in Wales are some of the most modern and well equipped in the UK and this funding will allow us to continue to replace our vehicles and crucially the clinical equipment that they carry as they reach the end of their working life.

“Modern ambulances and equipment are essential in order that we can continue to provide the best treatment and patient experience possible.

It is also key for our staff who spend the majority of their working day out and about in the community.

“We are very grateful to the Welsh Government for their continued support