£10m capital funding available for air ambulances

Health Minister Stephen Hammond has announced a new £10m fund for air ambulance charities, to help them with capital costs of upgrading equipment and facilities. Each of the 18 air ambulance charity will be able to bid for up to £2 million of grant funding – the first time such funding has been made available to them. Air ambulance charities will also be able to partner with NHS Trusts to make joint bids, for example to modernise helipads that are owned by the hospital trust. The call for bids has been developed in collaboration with the Association of Air Ambulances. The Department of Health and Social Care will prioritise those that deliver clear benefits to patients and also present value for money for the taxpayer. Applications close on 8 March 2019 with funding to be allocated in April. Health Minister Stephen Hammond said: “Generous donations from the public help keep air ambulances in the air and this £10 million will help to ensure that they’re equipped to provide lifesaving care to patients in need. “The NHS Long Term Plan will improve emergency care for all patients, including those treated by air ambulances charities. Today’s funding recognises their unwavering contribution to our health service and, combined with essential public donations, will ensure these charities can have world-class facilities to match their reputation for world-class care.” Paula Martin, Chairman of the Association of Air Ambulances, said: “It’s a very exciting time for the air ambulance community and the opportunity to bid for a grant to help enable significant capital projects is very welcome. Whilst public purse funding being made available for the first time is very exciting, the operating cost for every air ambulance charity and the lifesaving work that it does continues to be entirely dependent on public donations and traditional fundraising.” “Air ambulance charities in England are poised to submit a diverse range of applications to help fund capital projects which will deliver good value for money and most importantly benefit the patients and communities they serve.      

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