Anthony Marsh QAM, Chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and Chief Executive of West Midlands Ambulance Service has welcomed today’s forward-looking announcement from NHS England Chief Simon Stevens challenging ambulance manufacturers to help cut air pollution by making better use of green technology in the development of their new vehicles.
This important announcement should encourage those who design and build our ambulance vehicles to make the best use of green technology, which can only be positive for the health and wellbeing of our local populations.
One of the key issues in utilising green technology in the build of ambulances revolves around the weight of the vehicle, and the people, kit and equipment each ambulance needs to carry. If manufacturers can focus on developing new designs that will enable ambulances to be lighter, then green technology could be widely implemented across the whole ambulance service, which is excellent news for patients and the public.
That said, ambulance services are already working hard to reduce unnecessary weight on their vehicles which saves fuel and money, requires fewer repairs and crucially eradicates millions of tonnes of unnecessary emissions, all of which is in line with the recommendations of the recent Carter Report, which called for significant improvements to ambulance design and development across the board.
