St John Ambulance takes over running Alderney ambulance service

Alderney's ambulances will now be permanently run by St John Ambulance after it was drafted in temporarily in February. A private company has run the service since.

Guernsey's branch of St John Ambulance has been providing cover for Alderney for the past eight months after an independent report from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) said the previous service was 'unsafe' and 'unsustainable'.

In January, Alderney's Ambulance Service was given an extra £50,000 to upgrade its facilities on top of the current budget of £71,000 to help create two paramedic positions.

Alderney's ambulances will now operate as an extension of the Guernsey service, following a consultation period between St John Ambulance and the States of Guernsey and Alderney.

Ian Carter, the Chair of Alderney's Policy and Finance Committee, says:

"The States of Alderney welcomes Guernsey ambulance service as its provider and is excited about the future of the ambulance service as we develop a more integrated approach to healthcare services on the island.

"We would like to express our thanks to our current locum provider and our dedicated volunteers who have worked tirelessly to ensure no break in service over the past year."

Mark Mapp, Guernsey's Chief Ambulance Officer says: "St John Guernsey has been providing the emergency ambulance service for 85 years.

"We have supported Alderney for several decades with mutual aid, and now the time is right to extend our assistance and expertise to our sister island."

There will be a recruitment period for both qualified and trainee ambulance clinicians with the responsibility moving to St John from the start of 2023.

The States of Alderney will provide full funding to cover the costs of the operation.