AMBULANCE bosses have been hit with bills totalling £27.5million to transport increasing numbers of obese patients.
Their budgets are being stretched further by the extra costs of specialist vehicles and equipment required.
North West Ambulance Service alone has paid almost £15million in the past five years for ambulances to carry the overweight, Freedom of Information responses show.
It hopes to cut its annual payment of £2.715million to private operators by buying eight new vehicles this year for £416,976.
London Ambulance Service is investing £1million for its own fleet, having paid contractors £1.6million a year for five years.
South Central Ambulance Service — which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and most of Hampshire — said it had spent £2.3million over the past 5½ years.
East of England Ambulance Trust has got through more than £1.25million in two years.
Recent Government research shows nearly two-thirds of UK adults are overweight or obese.
Levels of obesity impact health care as it is associated with reduced life expectancy and increases the risk of chronic diseases.
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