Private ambulance fleet doubles
A HUSBAND and wife-run private ambulance service has doubled the size of its fleet on the back of changes in NHS transport contracts.
Medical Services North East, which operates across the North East from premises in Bishop Auckland, has increased the number of ambulances on the road to 13 since the beginning of the year and increased staff to 16 full-time as private health trusts opt to use more independent providers for non urgent cases, said MD Wayne Hall.
The company, which won a Small Business of the Year Award earlier this year and gained the Investors in People Award in 2004 and 2007 is on the road 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
“Something called Choose and Book was introduced through the primary care trusts which means treatment is not always on the doorstep. We are often considerably cheaper than the retained ambulance service. Before the end of this year we hope to extend into the Newcastle area. I imagine we could double our staff“,” said joint director Joanne Hall.
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