Ambulance Service Thanks Ripon Land Rover

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) has praised Ripon Land Rover for providing additional off-road vehicles at short-notice to help them reach patients during in the recent cold snap.

When the adverse weather hit, the ambulance service had access to twenty 4x4 Land Rovers which were used in areas badly affected by the heavy snow and ice - mainly in North Yorkshire, the Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees areas and on the east coast.

The extra off-road vehicles were utilised by clinical staff to respond to medical emergencies and to transport non-emergency patients to hospitals and clinics for essential treatment. At times, when the weather was particularly severe, they were used to ferry front-line staff to and from work and to transport medical supplies to ambulance stations.

Mick Farmer, Assistant Director of Fleet at YAS said: "We worked with Ripon Land Rover last winter during periods of adverse weather and we are extremely grateful for their continued support again this year. This type of back-up is now part of our winter plan.

"YAS operates over vastly different terrain and severe weather, such as heavy snow and ice, can cause hazardous driving conditions for our ambulance staff. This year, in the worst-hit areas, 4x4 vehicles proved to be a lifeline to patients requiring medical assistance."

Bill Houseman, a director of Ripon Land Rover said, "We welcome the challenge of giving an instantaneous response to the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, whose standards must be maintained irrespective of the demands of the extreme winter weather.

"We were delighted that their appreciation of our efforts over the last two years was reflected by their allowing us to supply them with 20 new Discoverys late last year and, as the weather worsened during January, with 10 new Defenders at the drop of a hat."