42 AKH A Ford Galaxy private ambulance. This minimally marked vehicle is owned by a dentist called Archie who works in Selby. It is quite rare to see an ambulance with a personalised registration plate – AKH are Archie’s initials.
The rear view. The vehicle can carry a patient lying flat on a stretcher and also carries basic medical equipment.
HE 22 AA A Terratorial Army Landrover Defender, with bodywork to expand the height and width inside. Observe the camoflaged siren unit, army registration plate, roof mounted spare wheel (instead of bonnet mounted) and minimalist blue lights.
Inside the patient end of the above Landrover. It look as basic as a barn with all of the equipment removed, but is no doubt a welcome sight to sick or injured soldiers. Notice that there seems to be a plethora of yellow warning stickers and a very small access door to the cab. When non-operational, the vehicle can be used as a normal transport vehicle for troops. That is why the red cross on the side has a fold down flap to cover it up (also so as not to contravene the Geneva Convention, running soldiers around under the red cross).
R231 DFC A WYMAS (West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service) VW ambulance with Collet bodywork. This vehicle is being used at a horse racecourse to follow the jockeys as they race to pick up any injuries. Notice the orange rotating beacon on the roof which is used to comply with the CAA’s (Civil Aviation Authority’s) rule that all vehicles on an airfield should display such a flashing light.
The above vehicle in use, with the horses racing in the background.
G758 BAC A St John Ambulance Range Rover. This vehicle which was new in 1989 has undergone a few changes since first being used by St John’s. It was first spotted in 1996 when it had a different livery (just a yellow stripe up the side). In 1999 it had it’s current livery, and by 2002 it had grown two repeater blue lights on the front grille.
The rear view. In this photograph, it is being used in a pro-active role at a racecourse. It has a the winch on the front, and has just been fitted with a new exhaust.
S217 OUG A TENYAS VW Collet. Notice that the colour scheme and rear doors are significantly different to the neighbouring WYMAS ambulance (above).
The side view, showing the differing heights of the roof blue-light bars.
G705 NUG The rear view of the aged Renault incubator unit. TENYAS have not re-liveried this vehicle because it’s nearing the end of its working life. It still has the defunct ‘North Yorkshire Ambulance’ writing on it.
P646 ERM and AMB 999W A private doctor’s service car and private ambulance belonging to UK Event Safety. Both vehicles are being used in a pro-active role at a rallying event. The ambulance has an American style body with American style livery and lights in every conceivable location. It also has a UK cherished registration of AMB 999W.
K632 RKH A 1992 Ford Transit Incident Support Vehicle from Humberside Ambulance Service. It has few markings by modern standards and was photographed at TENYAS’s HQ at Skelton, near York.
J464 HVK A J-reg Landrover Discovery at the St. John’s Chapel station of the NEAS in rural Weardale. This vehicle is showing signs of it’s age with the livery flaking off.
The side and rear view. Despite its condition, this ambulance is ideal for travelling long distances to emergencies in the Wear valley. It is faster than a conventional ambulance and carries all of the essential equipment, including a stretcher.
M407 CNG A Norfolk Priority Care Vauxhall Astra response unit ambulance car.
The rear view. This vehicle was originally used by Norfolk Constabulary.
L944 KWC A Norfolk Priority Care 1994 ambulance based on a Ford Transit. This vehicle was originally with Essex Ambulance Service.
The rear view, showing the livery that you cannot fail to miss!
P817 OGV A mark I Ford Mondeo ambulance car. This vehicle can be deployed completely unmarked, or can carry magnetic livery and a roof bar of lights if required. It has blue and red flashing lights on the rear parcel shelf and a matrix sign. It is also with Norfolk Priority Care.
H836 PHK Another Norfolk Priority Care ambulance, this time based on the older 1990 Ford Transit. This vehicle was originally with the Royal Air Force.
Here are two pictures of the same vehicle two years apart. This Fiat Ducatto ambulance was originally owned by Staffordshire Ambulance Service and was vehicle number 380. The vehicle had some frontal damage and was sold to Norfolk Priority Care which they repaired (hence no wipers on the headlights). They decided to keep Staffordshire’s 380 number on it and added some of their own livery.
R213 DWX A Citroen Xsara (pictured below) rapid response ambulance car escorting an ambulance to an emergency. Both vehicle drove onto the pavement to pass bollards in the road.
A few seconds later, both vehicles are on scene. The rear-facing red lights on the roof bar can be seen, as well as the blue and red repeater lights mounted inside the rear screen.
Y726 EEB A Ford Focus paramedic rapid response car. This vehicle is a demonstrator vehicle provided by Ford. It does not have any unique county livery as it is passed around ambulance services for evaluation. Each county keeps it for a few weeks and Ford hopefully gets orders for them.
The rear view. These pictures were taken inside York’s ambulance station.
Y726 EEB A Ford Focus paramedic rapid response car. This vehicle is a demonstrator vehicle provided by Ford. It does not have any unique county livery as it is passed around ambulance services for evaluation. Each county keeps it for a few weeks and Ford hopefully gets orders for them.
A re-liveried TENYAS ambulance.
An army Landrover (with blue light fitted) at an accident and emergency department.
D213 EWX A Citroen Xsara diesel rapid response car. The blue bar of lights are temporarily attached by using roof-rack mounts.
The rear view. Notice the green diamond sticker warning that the vehicle carried compressed gas.
S114 SKM This medical car is a Ford Mondeo estate which carries oxygen, a defibrillator and trauma equipment. It is used for long distance transfers, medical standby duties at events and for conveying medical teams, organs or blood.
A side view
The rear view
K260 HYA This is a 4 wheel drive off road support unit which attends events such as rally races, equestrian meetings and other rough terrain activities. An easy load trolley bed is fitted along with oxygen, suction, entonox and trauma equipment.
A side view
The photographs of the Vauxhall Frontera and Ford Mondeo above are reproduced with kind permission of County Ambulance Services.
G705 NUG A 1989/90 Renault incubator unit ambulance. This vehicle is soon to be replaced (2001).
V274 FOR The St John Ambulance Crusader 900. Billed as ‘the variable purpose vehicle for the 21st century’ this £40,000 vehicle has been purpose built for the St John’s and is standard throughout the country.
[Rear View] This vehicle is specially designed to adapt from one role to another. It can be a mobile first aid unit, and accident and emergency vehicle, a special baby care unit, a mobile care unit and a community transport vehicle.
L166 JDC A 1993 Peugeot estate ambulance car.
K632 RKH An aged Humberside ambulance incident support vehicle.
A Volvo ambulance car belonging to a private company.
T552 KTW This is a Skoda Octavia “Zeus” Cardiac Fast Response vehicle from Norfolk Priority Care.
Y308 RRA is a luminous yellow Mercedes ambulance which is used in the rural areas around Wooler, Northumberland.
The same vehicle with a regular NEAS Cheverolet ambulance.
Here we have a Chevrolet ambulance from the East Anglican fleet. N127 FVX has a 6.2 litre diesel engine and is pictured here outside the James Pagent Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department, Gorleston, Norfolk.
Here we have two photos of M420 SFS, a Scottish ambulance Service Ford Transit.
The rear view