Guernsey ambulance service increasing subscriptions

The Guernsey ambulance service is increasing subscription rates and fees, with a single person due to see their rate increase by more than 50%, and the family rate being dropped completely.

Service provider St John said that rates were increasing from January because "costs go up each year".

A resident adult's rate will rise from £36 to £55, a senior citizen's from £31 to £40 and a child's from £13 to £25.

Non-subscribers face call-out charges of up to £390.

The new rates cover up to 50 ambulance responses and 10 non-emergency patient transport service journeys.

A new online payments platform is beginning in November, but bosses said paper forms would still be available for anyone who did not have access to the internet.

There are currently about 17,500 subscribers.

St John said its contract with the Health & Social Care Committee only covered a proportion of total costs, so the charity "has to make up the remainder of the costs through the subscription scheme or charges".

Chief financial officer Stuart Brennan said: "Like all businesses, costs go up each year and therefore subscription charges also have to increase annually.

"Over the past few years costs have gone up disproportionally and, in 2021, the emergency ambulance service has seen a significant increase in demand.

"The price of medical consumables, pharmaceuticals and insurance premiums have also increased significantly, in part as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, so St John needs to cover its costs to ensure we can continue to provide an excellent standard of care."

The service confirmed it was halting the family rate and couples rate.

However, that could see large increases for a family, with a household of two adults and two children facing a total of £160 in subscriptions - nearly twice the last available family rate of £85.

Mr Brennan said that was as a result of a "simplified" subscription model "now based on individuals".

He said: "The idea is to make it as fair as possible for everyone across the board and reflects feedback we have received from previous years.

"The family subscription has traditionally had the lowest number of subscribers."

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