Merged Northland and Auckland air ambo service nears take-off point

The Northland Emergency Services Trust (Nest) says the service will remain a community asset, even if it merges with Auckland. Photo / John Stone

The Government's announcement that moves to combine the Northland and Auckland air ambulance services is almost a done deal has taken the Northland service by surprise.

Paul Ahlers, the chairman of Northland Emergency Services Trust (Nest), said no contract had yet been signed, although Nest and the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust (ARHT) could take some confidence from yesterday's announcement by Minister of Health David Clark.

The two organisations began talks when the Government announced it intended reducing the number of emergency and ambulance helicopter services across the country.

The Ministry of Health called tenders from providers nationwide, a process that closed in May.

The Auckland and Northland services put up a tender rather than see an outside agency get the contract and possibly jeopardise either or both operations, Ahlers said.

''We chose to talk to each other to put in a joint venture tender.''

But until yesterday's announcement, in which Clark said the agreement in principal was likely to be a signed contract by the end of this year, Nest was not even sure where its tender sat in preference.

Clark said the ministry and the ACC were in the final stages of agreeing a three-year contract with an agency combining the two trusts. That ''agency'' would be formed from the two existing trusts.

Ahlers said he could not talk about the tender or prospective contract because it was not a done deal.

If approved, a new amalgamated trust was unlikely to get off the ground before early next year, he said. In the meantime, the service itself would continue to operate as normal.

Ahlers said he understood the public would be concerned about whether Northland community-owned and-supported helicopters and other assets would be taken away.

The trust had a mandate to maintain ownership of its assets, and had responsibility as employers too.

''We have outlined certain protections and safeguards,'' Ahlers said.

''I think it's the responsibility of the Nest trustees to protect that. In my experience we have the best level of service. I don't see that changing.''

Nest already worked with its Auckland counterpart and a merged service would offer more flexibility as well as increased clinical capability, he said.

''We're excited about the prospect. Between ARHT and Nest, we've got 80 years of experience in this work.''

In Budget 2018, the Government put in an extra $82.9 million (over four years) to strengthen the country's air ambulance service.

The new northern region service, which already had the most modern fleet in the country, would be the first of the new regime to get off the ground, Clark said.