LNAA reports busiest year ever
The UK-based air ambulance charity responded to over 1,620 callouts in 2022, including 602 missions conducted under cover of darkness
The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) responded to over 1,620 missions in the past 12 months. This includes 1,003 incidents in Lincolnshire and 441 in Nottinghamshire. The remaining callouts were in neighboring counties.
This beats the previous record for missions, set in 2021, in which the charity responded to over 1,400 incidents.
Of these, 602 missions were at night-time – more than double the amount undertaken in 2021. All LNAA pilots, doctors and paramedics are now trained in the use of night vision goggles, and the charity is able to respond to incidents for 19 hours per day, between 07:00 hrs and 02:00 hrs the following morning.
June was especially busy, with crews attending 19 patients in just one weekend, all needing a range of care ‘including anaesthetics, blood transfusions and surgical interventions’.
The amount of blood carried onboard the helicopter and critical care cars has also increased to four units of red blood cells and four units of fresh frozen plasma. In 2022, 49 patients received blood products while under the care of LNAA – with a total of 146 units of blood being transfused.
LNAA also reported ‘further service enhancement’ in other areas, including becoming ‘fully registered’ with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
“Registration with the CQC means we are now clinically independent, able to develop our services based on the very specific and critical nature of the on-scene care given by our HEMS team,” said Karen Jobling, LNAA CEO. “Our crews can now adapt quicker to emergency advances in drugs and treatments, which will ultimately benefit the patients we treat.
“These are exciting times ahead for LNAA, as we continue to challenge ourselves to improve and deliver our life-saving service to increasingly more people each year,” Jobling added. “All this is only possible with the support from the communities and organizations in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, as we receive no direct funding from the government. Last year, we needed £8 million to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we know that with increased costs and increased demand, this cost will increase in 2023.”