Hampshire Air Ambulance already on over 1,000 call outs this year

Despite seeing a decrease on call outs when England was placed into lockdown, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance have already dealt with over 1,000 emergency incidents this year.

They've released the statistics to make National Air Ambulance Week, and raise awareness of the life saving work they do.

524 of the 1,000 call outs were answered by helicopter, while 476 were dealt with by the charity's Critical Care Team Emergency Response Vehicles.

The monthly breakdown shows that the number of incidents have started to rise since lockdown:

January - 189

February - 168

March - 120

April - 65

May - 94

June - 124

July - 130

August - 159

Nearly half of the responses were to life-threatening cardiac arrests or road traffic collisions.

HIOWAA CEO, Alex Lochrane, said:

"Our Critical Care Teams are as busy as ever: on the front line, in personal protective equipment, providing immediate critical care to anyone who needs us, wherever and whenever they need us, night and day. While much of the world ground to halt, we certainly didn't and it has been truly inspiring to watch as our clinical team members have had to adapt to a new way of working, which they have done without missing a beat.

I am always acutely conscious, however, that nothing we do, or have done, would be possible without the unwavering commitment and support of our communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight."

DECREASE IN FUNDING

The charity are predicting a significant drop in income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

They are entirely funded by public donations and are in desperate need of help so they can continue to provide emergency care to people across the county.

Air Ambulance Week, which runs from the 7th to 13th September, aims to highlight the incredible work charities across the country provide.

Throughout the week, HIOWAA will be celebrating the achievements and milestones reached throughout the year.