Private ambulance companies are capitalising on strikes and prolonged NHS response times, charging hundreds of pounds to transport patients to hospital. The Guardian has learned that several firms have expanded services in recent months to meet soaring demand, with one company, Met Medical, launching paramedic services in St Albans specifically to replace overwhelmed NHS ambulances.
Met Medical's website states: 'The UK ambulance service is under extreme pressure and it’s taking as long as 24 hours or more for some services to reach patients.' The firm offers urgent home visits when NHS ambulances are unavailable, covering all but life-threatening emergencies. Thousands of patients faced making their own way to hospital during a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, with further strikes planned for 11 and 23 January.
Google Trends data shows searches for private ambulances in London rose 150% over the past 12 months, while searches for 'private ambulance near me' increased by 2,450% in five years. Paramedics working for private firms earn between £22 and £35 an hour, significantly more than NHS rates of £13.84 to £20.76, according to Unison. Prices for private ambulance services vary, with shorter trips costing £300–£400 and longer journeys exceeding £1,000.
Three companies reported a sharp rise in demand over the past year. Testimonials on the Private Ambulance UK website include a user who wrote: 'After waiting six hours for an NHS ambulance to transport my terminally ill husband to a Norwich hospice I looked online and found Med-PTS – what a find.' The NHS has long subcontracted non-emergency transport, but sources say contracts now increasingly include emergency response services during surges, with total contracts exceeding £100m.
Dave Hawkins, CEO of Met Medical, said his company aims to support an NHS under mounting pressures: 'For as long as I can remember we’ve had winter pressures, but now they don’t seem to go away. The demand seems to be constantly on the rise.' He attributed the crisis to 'effective cuts to health and social care'.
