New ambulance for obese patients

An ambulance specially designed to cater for clinically obese patients has become the fourth of its kind to be commissioned in Suffolk.

St John Ambulance Suffolk has received the new bariatric Crusader ambulance to add to its fleet of vehicles.

The delivery marks 10 years since Suffolk became the first county in the UK to receive a purpose-built St John Ambulance vehicle.

The charity said it was needed because of an increase in obese patients.

Members of the charity's Bury St Edmunds division spent eight years raising money to pay for the vehicle.

It is specially equipped to take clinically obese patients across the country and the charity said the vehicles have saved "countless lives" since they were brought into use.

Rex Clarke, the St John Ambulance county commissioner for Suffolk, said: "Ten years ago Suffolk received the first Crusader ambulance, which was designed as a variable purpose vehicle to meet the differing roles required for it by St John Ambulance.

"It was anticipated that the vehicle would last for 10 years and complete 250,000 miles and it has done so admirably and is in fact still working, demonstrating the excellent value for money that these vehicles offer."