WNAA and DLRAA conducted over 3,300 missions in 2021

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, WNAA and DLRAA continued to provide frontline, critical care 24/7 across five counties and further afield, as well as excelling in clinical developments in 2021.

WNAA along with DLRAA have worked tirelessly around the clock over the past year, and despite the lasting impact from the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity has continued to provide frontline, critical care 24/7 across its five counties and further afield – as well as excelling in clinical developments.

The dedicated crews were tasked to 3,385 potentially lifesaving missions in 2021 via helicopter and critical care car, with DLRAA responding to 2,014 of the callouts and WNAA responding to 1,371. The county with the highest number of callouts was Derbyshire with 785. Leicestershire and Rutland had 772 callouts, Warwickshire 381, and Northamptonshire had 375. A further 421 incidents were responded to across the West Midlands, 451 across Nottinghamshire, and many more split across other neighboring counties.

Fewer traffic collisions due to lockdown

Similar to 2020, as a result of another lockdown, there were fewer cars on the roads again this year but both crews remained busy being tasked to more medical incidents (35 per cent) than road traffic collisions (25 per cent), with the ‘other’ category – consisting of assaults, self-harm, and mental health incidents – accounting for 24 per cent of missions, falls 10 per cent, sports four per cent and industrial two per cent.

“Starting 2021 with another lockdown continued to impact our lifesaving charity’s funds as more fundraising events had to be cancelled, and our stores remained closed,” explained CEO Andy Williamson. “Despite this, our 24/7 lifesaving service enhanced further as we brought on board two brand new replacement aircraft which, as you can see from our stats, continued to remain on the frontline, fully operational for those who needed us.”

The charity has plans to further develop in 2022 through bringing blood onboard and training its critical care paramedics in the use of ultrasound equipment, as well as upgrading its critical care cars and base facilities for the crews – amongst other things – and is calling on the communities it shows their support as the charity builds on the 45,351 plus missions it has attended since its launch in 2003.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Air Ambulance WAAC reported 3,544 emergency missions in 2021.