The trouble with this is that some of the most genuinely seriously ill people I have been out to (and it's happens with alarming frequency) are the little old ladies/men who worked all their lives and paid their NIC, but who "didn't like to bother me" and have waited far too long to call. These people are often living on state pensions, and the threat of a charge may stop them calling altogether. I think I've suggested this before, but one system that may work it this: there is never a charge for dialling 999 and having an ambulance attend. If the crew deem your call genuine, and you need to go to hospital, there is no charge. If the crew judge that you were able to get to hospital yourself, they will still take you, but there will be a charge (deducted from benefits if necessary), of something considerably more than the cost of a taxi to hospital. You have the option of making your own way after assessment and not being charged. We are still left with the problem of a perceived lack of managerial support for roadstaff, most of whom still feel that management will "hang us out to dry" at the slightest opportunity.