UK-based 24/7 air medical service tasked 307 times
Since the launch of the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA)’s 24/7 service by air and road on 30 June, the charity’s crews have been tasked 307 times at night, averaging nearly three missions a night
During this time, 87 of the taskings were by helicopter and 220 by rapid response vehicle.
As the nights draw in and the seasons change in the UK, the EAAA teams will be operating even more during the hours of darkness to provide enhanced critical care, by air or by road, to people living across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.
Matthew Jones, CEO of EAAA, said: “Moving towards providing a 24/7 service has taken us the best part of four years and included raising an extra million pounds a year to fund this change, extending to 24/7 operations by rapid response vehicle first and expanding and renovating the charity’s HQ in Norwich, to adequately house a 24/7 service by air and by road.”
HELP Appeal upgraded control system
To facilitate the additional night flying at Norwich Airport also required upgrading the control system for the runway lights, costing around £60,000, which was funded by the HELP Appeal. This drastically helps to reduce light pollution and saves energy.
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, added: “We are proud to have played an integral role in upgrading EAAA’s operational infrastructure to ensure the success of its 24/7 helicopter emergency medical service.”
Clara Bullock
Clara Bullock is a writer for ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue. Initially a freelance writer for publications ranging from gardening news to music magazines, she has made the transition to writing about the ins and outs of travel insurance and aeromedicine. In her spare time she reviews books on Instagram and eats pasta.