Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance expecting busiest year on record
In June a spike in incidents meant crews were responding to an average of six missions a day
Last updated 30th Jun 2022
2022 is set to become the busiest year on record since the service began in 1994.
Its after a spike in callouts this month, have seen the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) respond to 28 incidents over just 3 days.
Incidents from the 17th to the 19th of June included a shooting, a house fire, stabbings and medical and cardiac emergencies. A total of 19 patients were treated at the scene.
This has meant already the number of callouts are 11 percent higher than the same time last year.
Increasing the average amount of attended occurrences to six a day, compared to the previous four a day.
It is suggested that the increase in missions will continue over the summer months, in particularly, cases of high speed road traffic collisions, which require services of critical care, are rising.
Head of Operations at the LNAA, Chris Bailey says the increase could be due to multiple things:
"I feel that its just down to us putting on more shifts and we're covering up to 90 shifts every month now and that's 12 hours each shift.
"So I think it's just a combination of everybody coming out of COVID. And us being able to do more stuff with our doctor and paramedic critical care teams."
Chris continues to mention that some callouts are attributed to it being the summer, and that the helicopter's working hours, are a factor.
The operating hours of the service however are soon to be increased, from its current 7am to 10pm, through to the night until 2am.
This will mean the LNAA is the only fully night capable air ambulance in the entire East Midlands region.
Mr. Bailey was eager to say that:
"That expansion of service will mean we can actually reach more patients when they really, really need us, which is in those dark times, certainly between 10pm and 2am where we still see and expect to see incidents rising."
The air ambulance has flown to a total of 205, 755 missions since the service began operating in 1994, and continues to serve the counties.
Paramedic Chris Steele said:
"We are working closely with the local ambulance service and other emergency services such as the Police, Fire and Rescue, HM Coastguard and Mountain Rescue and it is our advanced training and skills that collectively allow us to provide the very best enhanced pre-hospital care to the patients in the counties of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.”