Children’s Air Ambulance increases capacity
The Children’s Air Ambulance is signing a deal for two new helicopters in order to help more patients in the UK.
Today, the Children’s Air Ambulance is signing a £32m deal for two new helicopters, marking a major investment for the UK provider. The service said the investment will enable it to help every child who needs a life-saving flight.
The Air Ambulance Service, the charity that operates the Children’s Air Ambulance, will be formally signing a seven-year lease deal for two Anglo-Italian AW169 helicopters at a ceremony this evening at the Italian Embassy in London.
The new aircraft will come into service in 2017 and will provide cover seven days a week, 19 hours a day from new bases in the north and south of England. The service has revealed that the aircraft will be able to carry an incubator, have an extra passenger seat, night flying capability and greater endurance.
Director of operations Richard Clayton explained just what makes the deal so special: “The two new helicopters will create a truly national service that’s available when it’s needed. Children and babies don’t just get sick in office hours,” he said. “The new AW169s will be able to fly most days of the year – pretty much round the clock.”
He believes the acquisition will speed up the transfer of sick children: “With a truly national Children’s Air Ambulance service, we can be at any hospital in the UK within 25 minutes to transfer the patient to a specialist centre such as Alder Hey in Liverpool or Evelina Children’s Hospital in London,” he added “And when a child is too sick to travel even by helicopter, then we can fly the specialist team direct to their local hospital,” he said.”
The deal is with Specialist Aviation Services (SAS), which will provide the Leonardo helicopters. Sales director at SAS Nigel Lemon said: “Specialist Aviation Services is delighted to have been selected as outsourcing partner to provide a significantly enhanced national Children’s Air Ambulance service. We will be increasing service capability and capacity with the new helicopters, and – equally vital – we will be helping to maximise their availability.”