Ambulance service to get 90 vehicles in £8.2m investment

The investment will allow the service to purchase 18 emergency ambulances, 67 non-emergency Patient Transport Service vehicles and five specialist Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles, to replace the existing fleet.

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 £45m in new ambulance vehicles for the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething said: “The Welsh Ambulance Service continues to experience a growing demand for its services every year.

“The £8.2 million investment I’m announcing today will enable the Welsh Ambulance Service to continue upgrading its existing fleet, allowing the service to deliver the best care for people in Wales.

“This will ensure the ambulance service is able to deploy the most appropriate clinician in the most appropriate vehicle, ensuring people receive the quickest response possible.”

Richard Lee, Director of Operations for the Welsh Ambulance Service said: “In Wales we’re proud to have some of the most up-to-date and best equipped ambulances to benefit our patients and staff.

“Whether we’re attending emergency calls, taking non-emergency patients to appointments or providing life-saving care at major incidents, it’s vital that we have a modern fleet capable of responding to everyone’s needs.

“We would like to thank the Welsh Government for its continued support as we aim to further improve the services and quality of care we provide for our patients.”The Welsh Ambulance Service is set to add 90 new vehicles to its fleet following an £8.2m investment from the Welsh Government.

Five new specialist Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles are included as part of the investment.

These vehicles are often sent to particularly hazardous or challenging incidents and in some cases to scenes where there are mass casualties.