Business as usual for Wiltshire Air Ambulance
'We'll be there for you' - the pledge from the life saving service over the festive period
The holiday period will be a very different experience for people across the UK this year but not for those operating Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s lifesaving service.
It's business as usual with aircrew fully operational and ready to respond to emergencies.
The lifesaving service operates up to 19 hours a day, all year round, thanks to the generous donations it receives from our supporters.
Among the aircrew on duty on Boxing Day is critical care paramedic Craig Wilkins.
"This will be my eighth time working over the Christmas period in the past ten years, but I don’t mind that as I don’t have children. I think we accept with shift work that it’s part of the job."
"Obviously everyone wants to spend Christmas together, but if this year has taught us anything, I think it’s important to get together whenever we can and cherish the time we do have with one another."
He added:
"We do like to decorate the flight room and make it feel all Christmassy."
Richard Miller, clinical services and ground base manager at the charity, said:
"Our service operates every day so our pilots and specialist paramedics are ready to respond to emergency incidents, such as road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests and strokes, over the Christmas and New Year period."
"This has been a particularly challenging year for everyone at the charity. Our aircrew have seen alterations to the way we attend emergencies, including the use of PPE and a secure divider in our helicopter."
"However, we have been fully operational throughout the Coronavirus pandemic to ensure we can be there for those who need us most."
"We are only able to provide our essential Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) thanks to people, businesses and grant-making trusts who donate and fundraise for us."
The charity receives no regular direct funding from the Government or National Lottery grants. It needs to raise ÂŁ3.75 million each year to keep flying and saving lives.
With all fundraising events cancelled or postponed this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Wiltshire Air Ambulance has needed the support of the public more than ever.
People can play the charity’s weekly Lottery and Superdraw, or donate via wiltshireairambulance.co.uk to help us continue saving lives.
Figures this year up until the end of November show Wiltshire Air Ambulance has attended 1,115 incidents including over a hundred in Amesbury, Salisbury, Tidworth and Tisbury.