THE COUNCIL is calling on government to cover the costs of the Air Ambulance service.
Currently, the Ambulance Service and Department of Health supply and fund all the paramedics and doctors working on the Air Ambulance.
However the Air Ambulance NI charity, which is reliant on public fundraising donations, funds the aviation aspect of the service.
At the start of April, local councillors passed a motion calling on the Department and the Ambulance Service to fund much of the annual running costs to ensure sustainability of the service.
In a letter replying to this motion, Michael Bloomfield, NIAS chief executive, informed the council that the current financial model worked well across the UK and that it was deemed “best practice” by the Association of Air Ambulances.
In a separate letter from the Department of Health, Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly stated that evidence indicated that the existing partnership model could be “highly effective” in attracting funds to support the non-medical costs.
But, in response, Dr Jo Deehan told the council chamber that the Air Ambulance should not be relying on charitable donations to sustain it.
The independent councillor said that, given that it was such an essential service, the Department of Health and the NIAS should fund it “in its entirety”.
She said that Mr Pengelly’s letter had raised more concerns than it satisfied.
“It does point out that this helicopter emergency service will potentially play a key role in stroke services.
“So I would propose that we write back to Mr Pengelly and the NIAS and ask them to justify why they feel comfortable about relying on public donations to support this essential service,” she added.
While fellow independent councillor, Donal O’Cofaigh, said he didn’t deny the importance of having an air ambulance in the North, he stressed it did not provide a solution to the possible closure of the Stroke Unit at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).
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