The primary reason behind air ambulances being so affordable in the United Kingdom is their not-for-profit nature. Most of them run on charities supported by local communities. There is no regular funding that they get from the government. Corporate houses often come forward with their generous donations. In all, air ambulances see charity money that runs into millions of pounds each year. The beneficiaries have always been the local citizens and unlike the United States, the cost has largely never been a concern for common people. However, getting adequate funding is a constant challenge for these medical flight companies.
The Government has Offered a One-Time Help to Air Ambulances of the Country
The Department of Health and Social Care had, some time back, announced a £10 million fund where each charity can avail up to £2 million if they are found worthy of it. A total of 14 applications were received by the Department. After careful scrutiny, it was deemed that 9 of these air ambulance charities were eligible. The funds will be allocated in the country’s autumn budget. The goal is to improve emergency dispatch services for the people of UK.
Each Charity is Leveraging the Money Differently
It must be understood that most of the money collected through charities goes into facilitating day-to-day operations of air ambulances. However, every once in a while, these organizations seek extra funding, which can be hard to come by. For instance, one air ambulance company might need an upgrade of the hangar, while another might need the money to acquire a new aircraft. All such big-ticket projects get a boost when such huge funds come their way. The United States of America, which is reeling under high air ambulance charges, can actually learn from this model to bring down the costs and benefit the people.
