Spiralling fuel prices are costing Shropshire’s County Air Ambulance an extra £130,000 a year, it was revealed today.The charity, which covers the Midlands and Welsh border region, needs £5.6 million a year to run its life-saving service.
But the increase in oil prices now means it is looking for thousands of pounds in additional funds to fuel the three helicopters in the fleet.
Steve Parry, spokesman for County Air Ambulance, said: “Just like everyone else, the charity has been hit hard by the sudden increase in fuel costs. The hourly fuel bill is currently £104.
“From October, when our fixed price deal ends, the fuel cost is expected to reach over £170 an hour. It is likely we will see our fuel bill increase by as much as 60 per cent by the end of the year.”
The Air Ambulance burns 245 litres of jet fuel every 60 minutes, with the helicopters flying over 2,000 hours every year to 3,500 incidents across the region.
Preferential rates are given to the charity by its fuel supplier.
But Mr Parry said when that deal comes to an end in October the supplier is warning the charity it faces a price rise.
5 Comments
Yet again another reason why the Government MUST ACT NOW to reduce the cost of fuel in all cases.
Surely no one can argue the outstanding and vital work carried out by the marvellous people at the Air Ambulance but the mere thought that one person may lose their life as a result of the helicopters not having enough fuel to fly does not bear thinking about.
Maybe there is a wider question here about why air ambulances all over the country and indeed the lifeboats, both of which are emergency services, are funded solely by charity donations and not the taxpayer anyway ????
Perhaps the environmentalist hippies who are so keen on high oil prices would have the air ambulance crews delivering homeopathic remedies, Reiki, and reflexology via public transport or bicycles instead?
It seems ridiculous to me that any public service vehicle sohuld need to pay tax on fuel - there should be a similar scheme to that for ‘Red’ diesel on farms.
Perhaps air ambulances and lifeboats would be funded by the state if the Government didn’t waste billions fighting wars in the Middle East?
I think it’s disgusting how Air Ambulances and the Life Boats are charity funded anyway! These are vital divisions in our emergency services which the government should openly and proudly fund using it’s billions made from the tax payers! How dreadful how the Air Ambulance is now strugling to fly purely because of the governments neglect to honour the service under the NHS.
I feel the government should give these services their fuel supplys both tax and vat free. Especially the Air ambulance as most of its income comes from the publc purse, which Under the current climate people will be coming more cautious about giving away money to such charties.
Making it harder o run its operations.