To ask the Minister of Health to detail the funding and support that has been provided by his Department to the Air Ambulance, in each of the last five years.

The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) service is provided by way of partnership between Air Ambulance NI (AANI) and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS). AANI is responsible for the non-medical running costs of the service, such as aircraft lease, pilots and airbase. NIAS provides the clinical support to the HEMS service.

NIAS contribution to the HEMS service includes Medical and Paramedic staff and associated medical equipment and supplies. The service operates broadly 7 days a week, 365 days of the year during daylight hours and weather permitting. The costs are variable but the total is in the order of £1m per annum since 2017-18 to date.

AANI is a charity that relies on fundraising to meet the running costs. Over the last 5 years Air Ambulance NI received direct funding of £1m from DOH as grant funding to support the service in 2020/21 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, in 2016 AANI was successful in an application to HM Treasury for a start-up grant and received £4.49m (2016/17 £1.09m, 2017/18 £1.44m and 2018/19 £1.96m), this funding was received from HM Treasury and subsequently was issued to AANI from NIAS.