Hampshire air ambulance begin move away from Andover
The charity has identified a site at Southampton airport and is now consulting on a move south
Last updated 14th Feb 2024
A community consultation is being launched regarding a new headquarters for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance charity.
Its personnel are currently based across two locations, with the operations side including the helicopter and medical teams based at Thruxton Circuit near Andover. The rest of the staff are based at Nursling in the southern Test Valley.
The charity has identified a site at George Curl Way adjacent to Southampton Airport that would be ideal for a new headquarters.
Advantages
The charity say along with bringing everyone together under one roof, moving to a central location will dramatically reduce response times and minimise flying and travel time. This means crews will be able to get to patients far quicker and be restocked, refuelled, and ready to respond to the next emergency call - saving precious minutes that could spell the difference between life and death.
They claim the move south won't affect their ability to serve the north of the county as they say the quicker turnarounds will mean the helicopter is ready to fly missions quicker.
Demand for the air ambulance is currently rising. Since its first mission in 2007 the doctors, dispatchers, pilots and paramedics have responded to more than 18,000 missions, with no fewer than 1,842 throughout 2023.
Richard Corbett, Chief Executive Officer of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance charity, said:
“Demand is rising for our vital lifesaving work, but presently, our helicopter is located in the northwest corner of Hampshire, further from the majority of our missions than our preferred site.
“Moving would reduce response and flying times, and enable us to locate all our valued staff under one roof in purpose-built facilities that will allow us to continue our crucial work for years to come.
“The new headquarters would also open the door to providing other services, such as aftercare.
“We want to be good neighbours, as a result, we are keen to hear from residents and other important local stakeholders regarding our proposed new headquarters and would encourage people to take part in our community consultation.”