500 New ambulances deployed to boost NHS winter response - Different Plans in Scotland

31st December 2025

More than 500 new ambulances will be deployed in England to cut response times for patients in every region.

Every region of England has received new emergency vehicles, in biggest upgrade of ambulance fleet in recent years
Backed by £75 million, new vehicles already helping to cut response times for patients
Many ambulances converted in UK, boosting economic growth and supporting British jobs
Patients and staff across the country are benefiting from a new fleet of over 500 ambulances, as the government strengthens frontline emergency services this winter amid a flu epidemic.

The vehicles - which will replace old ambulances across England - represent one of the biggest upgrades to the NHS fleet in recent years and have been rolled out to every region of England, helping emergency services respond faster and more reliably through winter.

The new double crew ambulances are equipped with modern safety technology, improving protection for patients and staff while supporting paramedics to deliver urgent care more effectively.

The rollout is already making a difference. The new ambulances have reduced breakdown rates and time spent out of service, meaning more vehicles have remained on the road and available to respond to emergencies.

The government investment has also supported skilled jobs, with ambulances converted by businesses across the country - including Goole and Bradford in Yorkshire, Sandbach in Cheshire, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, and London – helping attract investment and drive economic growth.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said:

In an emergency, every minute matters. When someone dials 999, they should get help fast - not be left waiting because of creaking kit or preventable delays.

These new ambulances are already helping to cut response times and keep more vehicles on the road, just as the NHS is facing a tidal wave of flu and the ongoing disruption of strikes.

I want to thank NHS staff for their extraordinary dedication this winter. They are going above and beyond for patients, often in incredibly tough conditions, and this government is backing them with the modern equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.

Modernising our ambulance fleet means better care for patients and stronger emergency services - while backing British jobs and driving economic growth.

NHS national director for urgent and emergency care, Sarah Jane Marsh said:

Modern, well-equipped and reliable ambulances are a vital part of emergency care and allow staff to respond quickly and safely when patients need them most.

This new fleet of ambulances are a crucial link between providing patient care whether at home, in transit or at an emergency department and are a real boost at a time when staff are working incredibly hard and emergency care is under considerable pressure.

Through the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, the government is going further to boost resilience by investing in 40 new same-day emergency care and urgent treatment centres and 15 mental health crisis assessment centres.

The government has committed a further £412 million over the next four years to continue renewing the ambulance fleet and modernising emergency services.

The announcement comes as the NHS manages significant winter pressures, including an early flu peak and the effects of recent industrial action.

Despite this, ambulance response times have improved compared to last year, hundreds of thousands more vaccines have been delivered, and more care has been delivered in the community to help keep patients away from overcrowded A&E departments.

Rory Deighton, Acute and Community Director, NHS Confederation, said:

Health leaders will welcome these new ambulances to the country's fleet which will help the NHS to continue to provide better, faster and more appropriate emergency care, an area which is facing high demand and rising public concern over performance.

NHS leaders and their teams are working incredibly hard to keep patients safe, but rising flu levels, increased staff sickness and industrial action is having an impact, so making sure the NHS does not continue to fall into crisis each winter is essential for improving public confidence in the health service.

Strong collaboration between all health partners in the system and with local government, including improvements to emergency care through the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan will be key to sustained progress over the next year.

Jason Killens KAM, Chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and Chief Executive of London Ambulance Service said:

These new vehicles are a key part of the ongoing modernisation of ambulance fleets across the country, ensuring we can meet the needs of patients not only during what is already a very challenging winter, but for many years to come.

The new ambulances include a range of design improvements that enhance patient care and staff safety. They are lighter, more fuel‑efficient and produce fewer emissions, while supporting paramedics to deliver urgent care more effectively. Their improved reliability also means fewer breakdowns and less time out of service, keeping more vehicles on the road and ready to respond to patients.

Scotland

There are developments happening in Scotland related to ambulances and the ambulance service, but the focus isn't exactly the same as England's large new road-ambulance rollout.

Scotland is not currently rolling out a big fleet of brand-new road ambulances

While NHS England has announced nearly 500 new ambulances to be rolled out by March 2026 as part of improvements to emergency care, Scotland has not made a similar announcement of a large nationwide procurement of new standard ambulances.

However, there are important developments underway:

2. Ambulance Fleet Expansion and Replacement Plans

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has a fleet replacement business case covering 2026-31 which indicates plans for upgrading and managing the ambulance fleet into the future.

Also, the service has already increased its ambulance fleet by about 52 vehicles in recent years to support new station locations and changes in deployment to meet demand across Scotland.

So while there’s no big new procurement announcement like in England, there are long-term plans and ongoing expansion of ambulance capacity.

3. New Air Ambulances Are Coming in 2026

A significant development is the air ambulance fleet upgrade:

The Scottish Ambulance Service has awarded a new contract for the ScotSTAR air ambulance service starting in 2026.

Under this contract, new aircraft will be introduced: two Beechcraft King Air 360 fixed-wing aeroplanes and two Airbus H145 D3 helicopters based at Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness.

These new aircraft will have better range, endurance and capabilities, improving emergency air rescue services across Scotland.

This is a major improvement to Scotland’s air ambulance capacity and represents a clear investment in emergency response vehicles for 2026.

4. Wider Workforce and Support Improvements

In addition to vehicles, the Scottish Ambulance Service has been investing heavily in people:

Paramedic recruitment has risen sharply, with hundreds of newly qualified paramedics joining the service over the past few years, helping to boost capacity to respond to emergencies.

The service has also been recruiting nearly 100 new staff in control centres, clinical hubs and ambulance assistant roles ahead of winter 2025/26.
Scottish Ambulance Service

These staffing increases are part of strengthening the overall ambulance response system in Scotland.

5. Future Focus on Electrification

Scotland is also investing in environmentally friendly emergency response vehicles:

Funding has been secured to introduce electric emergency response cars and vans, helping the Scottish Ambulance Service work toward a net-zero fleet by 2030.

This means Scotland’s ambulance service is planning for the future not just in terms of numbers but also sustainability.