Service buys 160 more ambulances

[G-CPTN]

An ambulance service is introducing 160 new larger vehicles to give paramedics more room to work and to carry more life saving equipment.
The East of England Ambulance Service has ordered the vehicles, at a cost of more than £100,000 each

More at:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7978319.stm

[Western SMT]

East Midlands Ambulance Service has ordered a fleet of five super-strength ambulances to deal with obese patients.
The tailgates will be strong enough to lift patients who weigh up to 55 stones.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...cle2357128.ece

[G-CPTN]

55stone is 350kg.
Our local buses have a platform rated @ 300kg.

[Western SMT]

From another source

East Midlands Ambulance Service has spent about £500,000 on the vehicles.
Each has extra-strong stretchers and a tailgate capable of bearing 55 stones.
More than £400,000 has been spent on lifting equipment.

They are not the only ones

http://www.ukmedix.com/weight-loss/s..._obese4496.cfm

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...nts/article.do

[coastie]

Does anyone know what they'll be? Merc's I presume as they seem to be the most popular wherever I have seen an ambulance.

[G-CPTN]

Our local authority had a period when they abandoned the usual suppliers and imported American purpose-built ambulances.
I don't think that they were 'successful' as they have returned to the previous sources.

[coastie]

Yeah. I notice that there was one around here and, if I remember rightly, one in Shetland too, but they didn't seem to last long. Probably too heavy on fuel.

Also, maybe a problem servicing them as, I suspect, the bolts etc would be in AF and not metric?