A FLEET of 71 brand-new ambulances is set to hit the roads across the South West in a major move to overhaul emergency care and tackle spiralling demand on the NHS.

The £10.6 million investment is part of a wider £450 million national plan to modernise urgent and emergency services and replace ageing, unreliable vehicles by March 2026.

The South Western Ambulance Service will be among the first to benefit from the nationwide rollout of nearly 500 ambulances.

“These 71 new ambulances will make a real difference to patients in the South West, replacing old and tired vehicles and getting to patients in minutes, rather than hours,” said Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

“We can’t fix more than a decade of underinvestment and neglect overnight. But through the measures we’re setting out, we will deliver faster and more convenient care for patients in emergencies.”

The investment forms part of a comprehensive plan to transform urgent and emergency care across England. Every day more than 140,000 people access urgent and emergency care services nationwide, with demand almost doubling since 2010/11 and ambulance service usage rising by 61%.

Through the UEC Plan, the government aims to make winter 2025/26 significantly better than recent winters by focusing on:

  • Expanding paramedic-led care in the community, enabling more patients to receive treatment at home without unnecessary hospital admissions
  • Investing in digital technology to help paramedics make better clinical decisions and direct patients to the most appropriate care
  • Building around 40 new Same Day Emergency Care and Urgent Treatment Centres across the country
  • Creating additional mental health crisis assessment centres to provide more appropriate care settings for patients experiencing mental health emergencies

By shifting patient care into appropriate community settings and modernising NHS services, the government aims to reduce pressure on emergency departments and ensure patients receive the right care in the right place.