"Don't know if there is a big enough budget to achieve what is required within the current contract.......and they would probably have to up the salary by £20K to tempt those still left in the mil to jump ship."
Just out of interest, what is the approximate starting salary for a SAR paramedic? I'd expect it to be significantly more than the current NHS Band 6 Paramedic salary that, when tagged onto the standard 25% unsocial hours allowance can top out at just over £46K per year.