An emergency ambulance provider which supplied frontline 999 crews to the NHS has gone into liquidation owing creditors almost £1.5 million.
At its peak, Role 1 Medical & Rescue C.I.C employed more than 120 people, providing multiple 999 crews across the South West every day.
But the social enterprise ceased trading at the end of March 2026 and entered liquidation after several years of supporting the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT).
A Statement of Affairs filed at Companies House reveals 65 creditors are owed a total of £1,494,239.52.
The largest outstanding liability is to HM Revenue and Customs, with £899,103.18 recorded for PAYE and VAT and a further £98,311.87 listed as unsecured HMRC debt.
A total of £48,418.16 is owed to pension schemes, £13,306.31 is listed for employee arrears and holiday pay, a further £95,005.28 for employees and £26,999.80 for workers.
Despite owing almost £1.5 million, the company estimates that just £127,962.99 will be available to repay its debts.
This includes £59,410.30 expected from unpaid invoices, £30,668.69 held by a third party and £29,584 from plant and machinery.
Marc Luscombe - who is still listed as an active director of the company at Companies House - said Role 1 began providing services for the NHS at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said Role 1 went on to help “tens of thousands of people across the southwest on behalf of the NHS” during around five years of operation.
Mr Luscombe said the organisation was veteran-owned and operated locally as a Community Interest Company, adding that it worked on a not-for-profit basis and paid no dividends to shareholders.
He said the company's difficulties began after the amount of work required by the ambulance service was significantly reduced during 2025, forcing Role 1 to shrink from four locations to one and reduce the size of its fleet.
Mr Luscombe said the situation deteriorated further in March this year when the company was told its remaining services would not be required in April. He said:
"This final reduction of work which made up over half of what remained of Role 1’s income combined with increased costs such as employers national insurance meant it was no longer in a position to afford the repayments on debts it accrued during the downsize the previous year or maintain its current size.
"At which point measures were taken to place the company into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation and prevent a worsening position for creditors as there was very little hope of an improving position."
Most of Role 1’s employees had already transferred to SWASFT under TUPE arrangements during 2025, with Mr Luscombe saying nearly 100 staff moved across. He said:
“I am pleased that our fair and legal employment practices and the NHS’s support meant we could transfer under the TUPE regulations nearly one hundred staff to NHS jobs last year meaning that they remained employed and received any outstanding pay and continuation of employment.”
Mr Luscombe said four of around 12 employees remaining after Role 1 ceased trading were transferred to another employer, while employment was subsequently secured for many of the remaining regularly employed staff.
He said most employees working for Role 1 when it ceased trading had received unpaid wages, notice and redundancy pay. However, he added:
“I am deeply saddened to learn that some of Role 1’s workers have been left with no protection of their wages due to their flexible worker status.”
Mr Luscombe said Role 1 had historically not used that form of employment but introduced it as shift patterns and requirements for private ambulance providers began to fluctuate. He added:
"I am also saddened Role 1 will not be able to carry on its service for the people of Devon and Cornwall.
"I am proud of the work Role 1 did during its time and I am and will be forever proud of the people of Role 1 who did that work on behalf of the community."
A spokesperson for SWASFT said:
"Our reliance on Private Ambulance providers across the South West has been reduced, following new operational and financial planning, alongside NHS England’s request for all NHS providers to reduce agency costs."
The trust said it had been working with Role 1 on a month-to-month basis as part of a zero-hour contract. SWASFT added:
"In April 2026, we advised them that we didn’t need any resources for that month, this didn’t mean that we would not need them again in the future, as our reviews are on-going."
SWASFT was unable to confirm whether it was liable for any outstanding pension contributions relating to the staff who had transferred from Role 1 under TUPE arrangements.
SWASFT said that it believed the £1 listed as being owed to it was from an “invoice correction”.
The liquidators, Forvis Mazars LLP, told Plymouth Plus they “don’t have anything to add beyond what will be included in our report to creditors.”
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