Health Secretary Wes Streeting faced calls last night to ditch the 'unreasonable' Net Zero plan to energize all UK ambulances within 15 years.
The cash-strapped NHS is preparing to abandon all its diesel ambulances and set up almost 5,000 charging points at and ambulance stations to power a fleet of electric-powered vehicles.
Health chiefs have refused to expose how much the brand-new ambulances will cost, however official figures seen by the Mail on Sunday expose it will cost ₤ 100million just to upgrade the grid and electrical facilities required for charging points.
The MoS can likewise reveal there are currently just two electric-powered ambulances choosing up travelers in England - compared with more than 4,500 diesel ambulances.
There are 160 other electrical emergency lorries for paramedics, consisting of two vehicles, 16 reaction vans and three motorcycles.
The latest electrical ambulances have a series of up to 200 miles, however paramedic crews in backwoods frequently travel even more in a shift.
Latest figures show the typical action time in England for the most life-threatening 'category-one' ambulance calls is seven minutes and 52 seconds - compared with an NHS target of 7 minutes.
Last night Nick Timothy MP, former chief of staff to ex-prime minister Theresa May, stated: 'Ambulance services have been having a hard time to satisfy their action targets. With these difficulties it is unreasonable to sidetrack NHS employees from their tasks with impractical Net Zero targets.
West Midlands Ambulance service launched the very first fully electrical emergency situation ambulance 2020
Wes Streeting faced calls last night to ditch the 'absurd' strategy to energize all UK ambulances
'Time, planning and expense are entering into buying electrical cars and constructing battery chargers - numerous of which will never be set up - rather of enhancing action times.
'Much more worrying is the obstacle of upgrading the grid in time to satisfy the extra demand.
'This is yet another case of environment policy racing ahead of technology with stunning outcomes for clients and taxpayers.'
England's very first electrical ambulance began operating in the West Midlands in 2020. Another eight will be delivered this year to be used in metropolitan areas such as Birmingham.
West Midlands Ambulance Service stated: 'Seventy percent of our location is mainly rural and this continues to be the biggest element in our relocation to electric - having the range to operate in locations where lorries can do 200 miles-plus in a shift.'
East of England Ambulance Service has actually been trialling three electric ambulances given that 2023, however has actually not utilized them to carry travelers. Another 8 will be delivered to the service this year.
The Department of Health stated: 'New electric ambulances will save the NHS ₤ 59million a year to reinvest in frontline care.'
The NHS stated: 'It is right we seek sustainable options when they enhance patient care and conserve the taxpayer cash. Electric ambulances will not impact reaction times, [and] are cutting emissions, maintenance and fuel costs.'
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Wes Streeting Urged to Ditch Bid to Electrify all UK Ambulances
noelhutchinson edited this page 2025-06-04 05:23:49 +00:00