Manx Care agrees new air ambulance contract

A contract that provides people on the Isle of Man with emergency medical care and transfers to the UK by helicopter has been extended for a year.

The service, run by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), had been in doubt after Manx Care previously said it could not commit to the funding needed to maintain it.

But the healthcare provider has confirmed the parties had reached an agreement on a further 12-month contract, which is set to begin on 1 April.

Manx Care said it would now fund the service "based on a per mission costing" only, while GNAAS had committed "to strengthening fundraising activities on the island".

The GNAAS has offered an emergency response that is additional to a fixed wing aircraft at the airport and coastguard services since March 2022.

But in March 2025, Manx Care said it could not continue to fund the £20,833 monthly retainer for the service on top of the £7,000 mobilisation fee per mission.

The retainer was initially funded through the Healthcare Transformation Fund, but was transferred to Manx Care in April last year.

The healthcare body said the details of of the new call out fee "would not be disclosed on the grounds of commercial sensitivity".

From March 2022 to December 2024, the air ambulance service was called out on 60 occasions.

A total of 29 patients were then transported off island, with 31 cases managed on-site.

The healthcare body's chief executive Teresa Cope said she was pleased they had been able to "find a solution to sustain this vital partnership to benefit the Manx community and deliver transparency of costs and value for money".

"We look forward to working with them closely in conjunction with our fixed wing air ambulance service and HM Coastguard resource," she said.

GNAAS chief executive Joe Garcia said: "We are delighted at the continuation of this partnership to support the people of the Isle of Man."

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