The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity has seen an increase in jobs across the region during the last year thanks to their new helicopter, a Eurocopter 135, which arrived at their base in Filton in October 2014.
In 2015 HM65 and her crew attended 1,655 life-saving incidents across Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and parts of Wiltshire.
This is an increase of 270 on 2014, when the charity were using their old Bolkow.
The main reason for the increase in jobs is that they can now land on any hospital helipad. Previously they were unable to land on the elevated helipads at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Gloucester Royal hospitals.
Another advantage to the EC135 is the additional space, which includes an extra seat. This means that the helicopter can transport a relative with the patient. The charity are now also able to train new doctors.
At a time when speed is of the utmost importance HM65 and her crew have been there for hundreds of people at what is the worst moments of their life. The helicopter can reach anywhere in the region within 20 minutes, significantly faster than a land ambulance.
Since her arrival HM65 has transformed the care on offer to patients, and now the advanced Critical Care service that operates in this region is being carried out in a helicopter that is compatible with the high standard of medical care and interventions that the team provide.
Last year 5.2% of the jobs the air ambulance attended were in Bath.
The charity have also seen an increase in road traffic collisions and cardiac arrest call outs.
Head of Fundraising and Marketing Emma Carter said: “Our EC135 has made a huge difference to the care we are able to provide, and we are delighted with it.
“The number of jobs we have attended show just how vitally important it is that we have a helicopter that is equipped to help our crews deal with the serious cases they see every day.
“We focus on getting the care to the patient as quickly as possible, and then transporting them to the hospital best equipped to deal with their needs.
“But we can’t do this without the support of the public, and we are calling on you to get behind your local air ambulance and keep us flying.”
It costs £2.3million for the helicopter to stay operational each year, but the charity receives no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.
This means they rely entirely on the generosity of the people they serve to continue to save lives.
To find out more, and to donate, visit www.gwaac.com.
