A new agreement has been reached between Manx Care and the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), securing the continuation of the emergency air service for a further 12 months from April 2025.

This decision follows uncertainty about the service's future after Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian admitted in Tynwald that Manx Care was operating with GNAAS on a ‘goodwill basis.’

The contract renewal ensures that critically ill and injured patients on the Isle of Man will continue to receive life-saving pre-hospital care from GNAAS.

Manx Care will fund the service based on a per mission costing while GNAAS commit to strengthening its fundraising activities on the island.

The service had been in jeopardy after Manx Care revealed it could no longer afford to pay the monthly retainer fee of £20,833.

Initially introduced as a six-month pilot in March 2022, the agreement between Manx Care and GNAAS included an option to extend for up to 60 months.

The deal also comprised a one-off equipment funding payment of £14,500 and a mission fee of £7,000 per callout.

However, the final review point in March 2024 saw Manx Care unable to commit to further long-term funding. Instead, it has now agreed to finance the service based on a per-mission costing model, while GNAAS has pledged to enhance its fundraising efforts on the island.

In a statement, Manx Care expressed its appreciation for the work GNAAS has undertaken since 2022, noting the significant impact of its emergency response services on the Isle of Man.

‘Since March 2022, the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) has worked in partnership with Manx Care to respond to the most critically ill and injured people on the Isle of Man with its pre-hospital emergency medical care specialists,’ the statement read.

‘The initiative had been funded by the Transformation Fund initially and latterly by Manx Care, and throughout this time GNAAS has been working hard to raise funds on the island to secure the future of their service.’

Manx Care CEO Teresa Cope welcomed the agreement. She said: ‘We are pleased that, in conjunction with GNAAS, we have been able to find a solution to sustain this vital partnership to benefit the Manx community and deliver transparency of costs and value for money.

‘We look forward to working with them closely in conjunction with our fixed wing air ambulance service and HM Coastguard resource.’

GNAAS CEO, Joe Garcia, said: ‘We are delighted at the continuation of this partnership to support the people of the Isle of Man.’

Since March 2022, GNAAS has responded to 60 emergency incidents on the Isle of Man. In 2024 alone, its critical care team attended 21 incidents, including nine cardiac arrests, six road traffic collisions, two falls, one heart attack, one medical incident, one sport and leisure incident, and one primary transfer.

GNAAS operates primarily through public donations in the UK, but its Isle of Man services have been taxpayer-funded.