East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter gets major upgrade
It will allow the helicopter to travel further and carry more passengers or equipment
One of the helicopters used by the East Anglian Air Ambulance has had a major upgrade to allow it to carry more fuel and equipment.
The charity has had a new five blade rotor head installed on its Airbus H145 'Anglia One' helicopter, based in Norwich.
It's the first air ambulance in the UK to have the upgrade. It increases the aircraft's lift, allowing it to carry additional people or more lifesaving equipment.
It will also reduce vibrations in flight, increasing comfort for patients who might be experiencing severe pain.
Dr Rob Major, Deputy Medical Director at East Anglian Air Ambulance said:
“Patients will benefit in a number of ways, due to the lower cabin vibrations, especially for those with very painful injuries, such as a fractured shin or femur.
"It will also make any air transfers safer for patients with traumatic injuries or major wounds which are actively clotting. In these cases, it’s important to keep the patient as still as possible so as not to disrupt that vital clotting process.
"The much smoother flight is likely to enhance our ability to capture more stable readings in the air, especially for anaesthetised patients.”
The upgrade also extends the range of the aircraft, allowing it an extra half hour of flight time.
This would allow it to get closer to the scene of many emergencies and could be valuable at night, when fewer airfields are available to refuel the helicopter.
The Cambridge based 'Anglia Two' helicopter is due to undergo a similar upgrade in the next few months.
The East Anglian Air Ambulance provides lifesaving treatment to people seriously injured across around 5,000 square miles of the East of England.
The charity flew 1,467 mission last year, treating over 1,700 people.