Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance describe recent rise in fuel price as 'Unprecedented'

A spokesperson for the region's air ambulance service says they're facing increased costs of up to £25,000 a month following a sharp rise in fuel costs

The Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Charity have told us the cost of aviation fuel has risen by 63% in the last month

The rise has been a result of the beginning of the current conflict in the Middle East

Richard de Coverley, who is the Head of Operations, says he's never seen anything like it

"I've never known an increase this steep. It normally creeps up and then creeps back down again. I can't remember the last time the jet fuel has been at this level and to happen so quickly."

Richard added just how vital it was the service continues to run at its current capacity

"We appreciate they're not the most economical of machines to operate, but for the role we use them in, they're truly life saving. And that's really, really important to us.

We are, for a small number of patients, we are an absolute lifesaver. We're delivering a specialist team of a doctor and a paramedic with more skills that that patient desperately needs.

So blood transfusions, anaesthetics and powerful drugs, and then being able to transport that patient in the helicopter directly to the hospital they need to be at"

Richard added due to the fact that the service is a charity, they already have to be extra careful with how the money is spent

"It's one of my biggest lessons when I transferred to work for the charity is how careful we are with people's money.

You are very cautious in how you spend somebody's pound and I've been here for nearly 20 years now and that has run through every single piece of equipment that we buy.

We're very good at innovating and that's one of the strengths of being a charity, but that does cost money. So we have to justify every pound we spend because somebody has raised that money for us."

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