Top cop's fears over air ambulance funds

1:20pm Wednesday 21st May 2008

Comments (9)   Have your say »

THE chief constable of Wiltshire has expressed his concern over the future of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

An expected renewal of the lease for the Explorer helicopter, which is shared between Wiltshire Police and the Great Western Ambulance Service Trust (GWAS), was put off while GWAS review the service over the next year.

Speaking yesterday, Chief Constable Brian Moore warned that without funding, the police would not be able to afford a helicopter service of their own.

"If our partners in the helicopter withdraw, there will be about a half-a-million pound funding gap to close," he said.

"I don't have that money, and at this stage I can't see where it would come from.

"I won't be able to operate a police helicopter, and that has significant safety implications for the people of Wiltshire."

As the Wiltshire Times reported last week, campaigners fear the review by GWAS could lead to the air ambulance service being replaced by a three-county service based in Filton, Bristol.

Despite the concerns, Victoria Eld, a spokesman for GWAS, said the Filton-based service was an additional facility and would not replace the current air ambulance.

The chief constable said he remains wary about the plans for the service.

He said: "I understand they need to assess their future, but I want certainty and at the moment I have no certainty over the future."

The force issued figures showing that in 2007 the helicopter attended a total of 1,671 incidents, including police and ambulance calls.

It located 15 missing people and 14 vehicles, and was able to undertake high-speed chases that would have posed a risk to officers and the public if police cars were used instead.

It carried a total of 366 patients, and attended 167 medical incidents at night-time.

"To lose the air ambulance would undermine the policing capability of this force. I ask all parties to think about the future," Mr Moore added.

"The helicopter which we use is funded through a private finance initiative. The original contract term, which was for ten years, will come to an end in December 2008 and there is provision to renew for a further period of five years.

"The recent meeting with the Great Western Ambulance Trust was held in order to determine what the intentions of the ambulance trust are in relation to the current arrangement."

Cllr Graham Payne, leader of West Wiltshire District Council, said: "Residents are justifiably proud of the service provided by the air ambulance team.

"Before any final decision is made to transfer the provision to a Bristol-based helicopter, I would urge you to consult fully with all interested parties in the county of Wiltshire and to carefully heed their views."