The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service (YAA) have pleaded for government support after surging fuel prices have rocked the service’s budgets.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance CEO, Kathryn Marsden, amplified the continued problems the YAA are facing following surges in fuel prices after conflicts arose in the Middle East in late February.
The YAA CEO said: ‘’We found out that last month our fuel bill had gone up £7000 from the month before. Previously we were paying 66p per litre, now we are paying £1.09 per litre.
We were expecting to pay £276,000 on fuel annually, instead, we are going to be spending around £456,000. That’s a rise of £180,000, assuming fuel prices stay where they are. That clearly has a big impact on our costs.’’
Mrs Marsden, a recipient of an OBE for her services to health and social care, confirmed discussions about governmental support. She said: ‘’The air ambulances council have met and discussed this (government support).
We have asked the government for help on two fronts: one of those is ensuring that the blue lights services are priority if there is a fuel shortage, and the other is to ask if the government would consider giving us some financial support with the rising costs of fuel.
We are yet to receive a response.’’
The former CEO of the Social Care Institute for Excellence further noted that she had been notified that ‘multiple MPs who have tabled this in parliamentary circles.’
Mrs Marsden stressed her frustration at having to prioritise fuel over the increased availability of the air ambulance’s doctors: ‘’We need to raise more than we have planned to meet that rising fuel cost, and the fuel is just one element of quite an expensive operation.
We would much rather have been spending this extra money on increasing the hours our doctors are available.’’
Kathryn Marsden made clear how crucial public donations are to the YAA. She said: ‘’We need to fundraise more. We do not get any government funding, we are completely reliant on the public, on donations.
If you can afford to donate, then please do. Or perhaps volunteer your time, you can find out about that on our website (below).’’
