THE chancellor has committed £4 million to an air ambulance service in the north.
George Osbourne made the announcement in today's Budget.
Last September the health minister committed to a helicopter emergency medical service at an annual cost of £1.8 million.
Simon Hamilton said at the time that the "difficult financial climate" meant it would be necessary to secure "a robust and recurrent charitable funding contribution".
Northern Ireland is the only region in the NHS that does not have a dedicated service and the new model is expected to be closely based on the Welsh system where three helicopters are run by a charity but staffed by the NHS.
The Republic's air ambulance service costs €2.6 million a year and is operated by the National Ambulance Service and the Air Corps.
The chancellor said London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) fines would be used to raise the £4m.
There had been a groundswell of support for the introduction of a helcopter ambulance following the death last July of Dr John Hinds, an intensive care consultant and road racing enthusiast who was killed in a crash while accompanying practice riders at the Skerries 100.
Dr Hinds had campaigned for an air ambulance service and a petition with 70,000 signatures calling for its establishment was presented to Stormont last September
Dr Hinds' family accepted a posthumous award last December.
