NK06 DHD This Mercedes Benz Vito van is decked out in ambulance-style battenburg markings. It has a clear light bar that flashes green, along with the repeaters in the front grille and wings. It has no writing on it expect for an ‘NHS’ logo. The central part of the vehicle has three seats for transporting people.
Here is one of four Audi A4s that are used for emergency medical support at Silverstone race circuit in Northamptonshire. They all carry green flashing lights on the roof and a large Audi sign on the side from their sponsors.
YK55 AEL This Honda CRV is an NHS emergency doctors’ car. It is an ex-TENYAS rapid response vehicle. After the collapse of North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors, TENYAS took over the service. The TENYAS wording was removed from the rearmost side windows and the blue lights changed to green.
The rear view of the CRV. Notice that the roof light bar contains red lights to the rear that can be used when the vehicle is stationary.
NH05 TPF is a green Ford Focus doctors car. ‘Doctor On Call’ is written along the back, the sides have green and white checker markings and the front has ‘Gateshead Doctors On Call’ written in mirror. The roof has a mag-mount green flashing light. [inset: front view]
Y497 TJW is an ex-HEMS (London) Subaru that is now used by BASICS Hampshire in Basingstoke. It has call sign ‘IMCARE 0200’ and operates largely up and down the M3.
EX54 XVL is a Subaru Impreza used by HEMS doctors in London when they are not in their helicopter. It is a slight departure from their previous vehicles as the bodywork is bright blue rather than dark blue (see below). It still has the blue and green flashing lights and distinctive livery.
The side view of the same Impreza. The doctors and paramedics that are part of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service are easily recognised by their orange jumpsuits. The website shown along the door sills is for a medical supplies company that sponsor them.
T669 HPX This is a Honda BASICS emergency doctor’s motorbike. It operates out of Portsmouth and is an ex-Hampshire police bike. It is very rare to see a motorbike fitted with green flashing lights. This will be short-lived however, as it is due to re-fitted with blue lights in early 2005.
The same motorbike now fitted with blue lights. This medical response motorcycle was extensively used for Medical Incident Officer duties during the 2005 Portsmouth International Fleet Review and International Festival of the Sea. It’s role is displayed on a large placard on the front.
VN52 FFS This is a Subaru Impreza ambulance / doctor car. It is used by London’s Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team to get to emergency calls when the helicopter is unavailable. The 4WD turbo-charged Impreza has lightening-quick acceleration and superb handling, but these qualities will be rarely used on the capital’s congested roads.
The rear view, showing the high visibility markings and the roof-mounted green and blue flashing lights, very rare in the UK. They can be used because a doctor and a paramedic will be in the vehicle.
EU53 MXW This is another of the HEMS road-going vehicles. It is a Subaru Forrester, in blue, with the same markings and light bar as the Impreza above. Notice the image of the aircraft on the bonnet of all the cars.
The rear shot.
BG52 ZFL This is a third HEMS Subaru car. This time it is a Subaru Legacy in the same livery.
The rear view of the Legacy. The HEMS cars are unsurprisingly sponsored by Subaru.
This beautiful blue Subaru Impreza Turbo leads a secret life: green lights behind the grille indicate that it is used by an emergency doctor. The private registration (partly disguised) also hints at its emergency use, by having ‘999’ as the numerical element.
KC02 WXU This BASICS doctor Audi estate has green/yellow battenburg livery and unusually is fitted with blue flashing lights. Notice how the roof lights and grille lights are fitted without drilling, to help maintain the sell-on value of the car.
The rear of the car, this time with the doors closed. It is sponsored by Medi-Logistics.
A Peugeot 406 Emergency Doctor’s Car with simple green and white checker striping.
T767 AUA is a Volkswagen Passat estate used by North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors.
The rear view of the same car
R644 DCX is a Vauxhall Vectra emergency doctor’s car. Notice the additional front fog lamps.
The rear view of the Vectra.
A close-up of the bar of green lights on an emergency doctor’s car’s roof.
R189 EAD is a rare sight, a black emergency vehicle. This Dihatsu Fourtrak may have been donated to the emergency doctors or could be the doctor’s private car adapted to carry the green lights and livery. It’s callsign is M14 and was spotted in York.
V192 PAG A Land Rover Freelander with call sign M14. This photograph was taken when the vehicle was brand new and was to be used for the first time later the same day! It is not fitted with a siren, just the green lights.
PN52 HKV A Skoda Octavia 20V turbo emergency doctor’s car. This car is operated by Med Alert, a Lancashire emergency response team charity, affiliated to BASICS.
The rear view of the Skoda. Notice the illuminated ‘accident’ sign on the roof lights and the Skoda dealer’s sticker stating “Oh no, another great Skoda…”!
YY03 UMW is a North Yorkshire Emergency Doctor’s Peugeot 307 HDi estate.
The rear three-quarter view of the same car.
Y946 LJX is an imposing emergency doctor’s car from North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors.
A Hampshire BASICS (The British Association for Immediate Care) doctor with a Volvo V40 Police Specification T4. As well as the standard mobile phone and VHF communications equipment, this vehicle is fitted with satellite navigation and a global positioning system for vehicle location, so ambulance control can ‘see’ where it is. It’s call sign is IMCARE 0221.
The same vehicle with some of the equipment carried. BASICS doctors are trained to drive on blue (or green) lights to attend emergencies where a doctor’s skill, experience and prescriptive authority is required.
YK02 DYB Here we have a 2002 Land Rover Freelander that is used by the North Yorks emergency doctors.
This diesel powered model provides sufficient performance for this vehicle to still be quick. It is also ideal for carrying a large amount of equipment.
YB02 JUV This VW Passat was bought by North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors in June 2002. It replaces the previous “M01” vehicle which was a 1999 version of the Passat. It is not fitted with a siren but the green flashing light can aid a doctor’s progress to a casualty. The green lights are used about five times per week to attend emergencies.
YF02 FWX The sister vehicle “M06”. This identical Passat carries a defibrillator, nebuliser, oxygen, drugs (some that can only be administered by a doctor) and other first aid equipment.
Y368 OLF and Y436 OFL are two Mercedes A-Class doctor’s cars. These vehicles are liveried up and may be operated with a green flashing beacon on the roof.
A Y-registration Subaru Impreza from the Hampshire Technical Rescue Unit Doctors. The Impreza underwent a facelift in 2001, with the most noticeable changes being the headlight clusters and the grille reshaping. It is still one of the most affordable agile and fast accelerating production cars available.
This is HM Customs Cutter Seeker, spotted in waters off the coast of Greenock.
This 56-registration Mercedes Sprinter van is used as a Mobile Radiation Detection Unit. It is operated jointly by HM Revenue and Customs, the Home Office and the Police. The livery can be adapted to show who is using the vehicle. It has two clear light bars on the roof as well as two amber flashing beacons. It is part of Programme Cyclamen which monitors ports, airports and major thoroughfares for radioactive material being carried illegally (potentially to make a dirty bomb).
This is a mock-up of a similar radiation detection vehicle with slightly different livery. It is one of a number of marked and unmarked vehicles which cost around £350,000 each. They contain specialist detection equipment which means that they can drive down the side of a truck and are able to detect if any radioactive substances are inside.
VE54 ELV is a Renault Master an that is used in the special role of vehicle fuel testing. The vehicle wears an orange, yellow and blue side stripe as well as the operators logo and name on the side.
Vehicles using the road in the UK have to pay an excise duty on the fuel they use. This mobile laboratory has been specially created to enable vehicle fuels to be tested at the roadside rather than being sent away for analysis. The most common breaches of law are using red diesel and ‘home-made’ fuel from cooking oil.
The rear view of the van showing its high visibility markings, chemical warning signs and a single orange light bar.