The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire May Edition | Page 6

BUSINESS NEWS

AMS Accountancy helps Spire UK economic growth echoed in
Medical turn on the blue lights Wiltshire businesses order books
Charlie Schneider hired AMS Accountancy
in November 2011 to work with his brand
new ambulance service business. After years
with the NHS and then a brief employment
in a patient transport business, Charlie was
persuaded by his wife Lisa’s father to accept
a loan for £5,000 to set up on his own.
This got him 1 ambulance and a wheelchair
car. Just over 2 years on, he is supplying a
major ambulance service 24/7 throughout
Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire. Spire
Medical Services Limited now has 25 staff
which include paramedics, care assistants and
nurses, and a fleet of 7 ambulances and a
rapid response car.
Charlie has worked tirelessly to achieve
this success; he hasn’t advertised so far – he’s
very busy coping with recommendations. He
says “When we started up and contacted
AMS, Ian Bell gave us really good advice
round several business decisions and we’ve
followed it, Becky Dolton helps us now and
she can’t do enough, nothing is ever too
much trouble”.
Spire is registered with the Care Quality
Commission and works mostly on NHS
assignments, some private patient transport
and since July 2013 they have provided
training courses in first aid for Schools
and companies in the local area. They also

handle medical cover for events in places
like Boscombe Down and Woolley Grange in
Bradford on Avon and Quad bike semi finals
at Grittleton.
On payday weekends you will find Spire
staff manning the Community Safety Bus,
a white double decker bus that is parked
in Henry Street, Swindon. “We’re there
to support the Police, Fire and Ambulance
services by providing treatment for people
- often revellers who have drunk too much
and got cold” said Charlie. Spire staff operate
the Community Safety Bus on behalf of
Swindon Community Safety Partnership
(CSP), this service freeing up the Swindon
A&E departments.

The latest figures published by the Office of National Statistics
(ONS) on 28 April show that the UK economy grew by 0.8%
in the first quarter of 2014. This marks the fifth consecutive
period of GDP growth and the longest positive run since the
financial crisis began.
Year on year growth has strengthened by
3.1% and all the main sectors expanded in
Q1 2014, services by 0.9%, production by
0.