East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has announced the introduction of nine new electric vehicles into their fleet.

The vehicles will be provided to nine of the service's Community Response schemes across the East Midlands including in Nottinghamshire.

This exciting development follows funding secured from charity grants in 2022 to help support several different projects at East Midlands Ambulance Service as part of its Community Response Volunteer Strategy.

With the help of the NHS Charities Together grant, they have been able to purchase nine of the new vehicles to support the vital work carried out by their Community Responder schemes, so they can continue providing lifesaving care to local communities.

All the electric vehicles have sat-nav fitted as standard and their Community First Responders (CFR) will be able to re-charge the vehicles at numerous charging points across the region. In addition to the normal kit carried by their CFRs these vehicles are equipped with a Raizor lifting chair enabling their volunteers to assist patients following a fall.

By investing in their fleet and replacing older vehicles with electric ones, it also supports EMAS' goal to deliver greener, sustainable healthcare and is part of their ongoing commitment to becoming a net zero trust by 2040.

James Hornby, Service Delivery Manager for Community Response at East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Thanks to the funding secured, we have been able to provide these state-of-the-art vehicles to our Community Response schemes across the region.

"These nine vehicles join the other eight electric vehicles which our schemes have and will help ensure our volunteers, who make a huge and valued contribution at EMAS can continue to make a difference to the lives of people within our communities across the region."

Cara Turton-Chambers, Sustainability, Energy and Compliance Manager at East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "It's great to see that our EV CFR fleet is expanding. The NHS has a big challenge ahead to reach net zero by 2040. However, at EMAS we know this transition is not only best for the planet, but best for our patients and service users.

"Climate change is a health emergency and action to slow climate change, helps create a healthy future. As well as lower carbon emissions, these vehicles will have no tail pipe emissions and so as we respond we aren't worsening air pollution, further helping keep people healthy.

"Projects like this support the implementation of our Green Plan and the wider NHS' journey to deliver greener, more sustainable healthcare."

This investment will see every division in the East Midlands region (Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire) receive one of the electric vehicles.Bottom of Form