Unions have accused the NHS of "buying cheap" after figures revealed that more than 30% of vehicles belonging to one of the country's biggest ambulance trusts are currently off the road being repaired.
Some 132 of those Fiat vehicles were undergoing repair when the figures were collated, in addition to 15 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, and one Renault Master. "As my mum used to say: 'If you buy cheap, you pay twice'. The NHS has bought cheap. The Fiat ambulances aren't fit for purpose," he told ITV News Anglia.
"Trust me, it hurts when we can't do the job we love and deal with the patients we want to deal with. When you're sat in the back of the vehicles, and you're hearing all the jobs coming in, and you can't respond to that - it's soul-destroying." However, the switch has proved controversial - with many taller members of staff complaining of back pain and scraped knees on dashboards due to the size of the cabs.
A Fiat spokesperson said its vehicles are "extensively used as an ambulance in English authorities" and the company would continue to work "very closely with these important customers".With so many ambulances currently being repaired, some crews are now having to use smaller Volkswagen vehicles instead.