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People are now able to sign up online for annual ambulance cover, which comes in at less than a tenth of the maximum cost of an emergency call-out.
St John Ambulance Guernsey has introduced the option of signing up or renewing an existing ambulance subscription online by going to stjohn.gg/payment.
Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer Dean de la Mare encouraged people to think ahead and take a safety first approach.
“Many people now rely on online payments to pay bills or memberships and we know islanders have been wanting us to introduce an online payment system," he said. "We hope that by providing this option, alongside the other payment methods, we can make life easier for people who want to renew their subscription or become members of the St John scheme.”
“The 2020 ambulance cover is great value for money at £35 for an individual, £83 for a family or £30 for a senior citizen. If you need an emergency ambulance and you don’t have cover, you can incur a charge of up to £371.”
The subscription scheme entitles islanders to free emergency ambulance responses, assessment and medical treatment, up to 10 non-emergency ambulance transfers under the direct instruction of a health care professional.
Pictured: An emergency ambulance trip to the hospital will cost people without cover up to £371 this year.
There are no limits on the number of emergency ambulance responses a member can have and no age limit or restriction on pre-existing medical conditions.
Full details of the costs are below:
Single membership for an individual - £35
Child membership for a child in full time education - £13
Family membership - £83
Senior Citizen membership - £30
A couple who are both senior citizens - £60
A couple where one person is over-65 - £65
Membership for a couple both under-65 years - £70
Taxpayers currently pay £2.4m. a year to St John Ambulance through the organisation's 10-year agreement with the States. This covers around 70% of the costs of running the service, meaning additional income needs to be raised from subscriptions, charges and donations.
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