Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether financial support has been considered for charitable run air ambulances in light of rising aviation fuel costs.

The Operational Response Centre has been working closely with Air Ambulances UK from a resilience of fuel supply perspective, as part of routine, cross-Government emergency planning. There are no current plans to provide further funding to the sector which operates through a successful charitable model.

The Government supports the longstanding and successful independent air ambulance charities model, which enables close partnership working with local National Health Service trusts to provide medical guidance, supplies, and training. A charitable model is also a more feasible way to fund the high capital and revenue costs associated with helicopter emergency medical services.