Return VAT on Air Ambulance fuel payments.Please sign

Welly

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Hi, I know this has been done before but this is to remind those that have not signed yet.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29349

Return VAT on Air Ambulance fuel payments.
Responsible department: Her Majesty's Treasury


The Air Ambulance Service is forced to meet rising fuel prices year on year including VAT.
The Air Ambulance Service have saved successive governments millions and millions of pounds funded by charitable donations given by the general public to run what has proven to be an essential service.

Whilst the Lifeboat Service has been exempt from VAT on fuel costs since 1977, a similar privilege has not been afforded to the Air Ambulance Service;

We call on the government to have an urgent review of this situation and in doing so
We call on the government to return in the form of grants to Air Ambulance Service providers all the future VAT which the Treasury collects from them so that the Air Ambulance Service is in practice exempt from paying VAT in the same way as the Lifeboat Service.
 

GTs

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I am sorry to say this but I think the air ambulance model in England is a farce built around Bond Helicopters making bucket loads of money. 32 helicopters for such a small area is quite frankly absurd. What is more absurd is the fact is the doctor on board has d/c the pt home from helicopter side. What an utter waste of money. The model you see more often in other countries which would work perfectly fine in the UK, is transport them by ground to the local hospital where the A&E team will start the trauma protocol and if at that time they need to be transported to a higher level of care, the helicopter flies what is called an interfacility run. While no doubt these helicopters have saved lives, I personally think the model is the most inneficient one going, lining peoples pockets and tugging on the heart strings of many!
 

Sparkly Snowdrop

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Interesting comments GTs. However when you live somewhere that a road ambulance will take half and hour to get to and then another hour and a half to the nearest hospital, I personally think that the Air Ambulance is a neccessity not something that is 'lining the pockets of many'.

Just my thoughts.
 

GTs

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Snowdrop - There is certainly instances where the helicopter is a vital tool. But in the UK one is dispatched every 10 minutes, that is approximately 72 a day. I live in NY which has 13 dedicated air ambulances who do about 1 call each per day. Your air ambulances are also only operation during daylight hours, while ours are 24 hours a day. Just some numbers.
 

Devonshire dumpling

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I've wondered this, yrs ago you would see the air ambulance and know it was for a really serious ailment!

Last yr a friends teenage son broke him wrist on a farm in the country at the end of a rutty pot hold ridden drive, the land ambulance decided it would be far too painful to transport him down the drive so called the air ambulance, i can't get my head around that? I wish they would be more selective and use the bigboys for very serious life threatening situations.

Is this an isolated case or are they used alot for injuries like this?
 

GTs

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I think it is fairly common - I recently read a story about a flight where the doctor assessed the patient and sent him on his way. The more flights the helicopter the more money they get - it makes the service seem more vital, people see the helicopter more, and they probably hit up that family for some fundraising for saving their child.

Splint it, give the kid 5 of morphine and drive!!! He will be fine! Unless it is a finger amputation, or a STEMI/CVA if the patient does not end up in the ICU I think it is a waste of resources.
 

Devonshire dumpling

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I think it is fairly common - I recently read a story about a flight where the doctor assessed the patient and sent him on his way. The more flights the helicopter the more money they get - it makes the service seem more vital, people see the helicopter more, and they probably hit up that family for some fundraising for saving their child.

Splint it, give the kid 5 of morphine and drive!!! He will be fine! Unless it is a finger amputation, or a STEMI/CVA if the patient does not end up in the ICU I think it is a waste of resources.

No wasn't any complications with the fracture, was as straight forward as it gets! Just hurt!
 

Devonshire dumpling

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It's something that you'd be very thankful existed should you ever need it. I also think it's something the government should fund directly.

Signed the petition.

I have a question though: wouldn't the Air Ambulance be claiming the VAT back on fuel already? Most businesses do don't they? Eg, If I operated a works van I would claim back VAT on the diesel I put in it...

I don't think anyone is doubting how wonderful they are
 

GTs

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I don't think anyone is doubting how wonderful they are

They certainly have their role - but I think they should be dedicated to efficiency and transparency should be there. I hate to think how many millions Bond Aviation gets from these contracts. There is an air ambulance close to me - the gentleman who started the non-profit also owns the private helicopter leasing company. He pays himself $65,000 a year from the non-profit but his home is valued at $4.5M. Not right if you ask me.
 

Welly

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Yes GT I think I am right in saying that all are kept in the air by many folk doing fund raisers and the good will of lots of people and don't get any public funding apart from the one inside the M25 that is London. Yes we have all seen the Air Ambulance lifting a person that could have traveled by road in an ambulance but for every one of them there is a person whos life has been saved by them and a lot of those people ride horses! I for one would like to see them funded by the goverment but then they would cock it up and shut it down.
 
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