Air Ambulance launches annual appeal
A progressive air ambulance service which experienced one of its busiest years on record is appealing to the public to help them continue caring for people across the region.
The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) deployed their helicopters and rapid response vehicles nearly 1,900 times last year to incidents across the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria.
This response was only possible thanks to the generosity of the public, who have supported the non-profit for nearly 21 years after GNAAS became a registered charity in 2002.
To help illustrate to the public the reality of the work GNAAS’ critical care team does, their latest appeal tells the story of three incidents attended and the highly-skilled medical interventions that occurred on scene.
Andy Mawson, director of operations at GNAAS, said: “As a critical care team, we’re specialist in what we do, because there is a consultant-level doctor on board and our team are trained to treat complex injuries, carry-out highly skilled medical interventions, and even perform surgery, at the roadside.
“We practice training simulations daily, so we’re always prepared for whatever is on the other end of that flight. It’s thanks to our rigorous training we receive and the specialist medical equipment we use that we are able to attend and make a difference at these complex incidents.
“But our equipment, skills, and expertise come at a cost.”
The team’s medical kit bags alone cost more than £36,000 and it is estimated that the charity needs to raise £8m a year to remain operational.
Mr Mawson said: “We understand that times are tough for many people at the moment, and that there are so many worthy causes, but if you value the work that we do, and are able, then please consider supporting us to ensure we can continue saving people’s lives and help keep families together across the region.”
Last year the charity achieved several milestones including being awarded a rating of ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission and delivering blood and plasma transfusions to over 500 patients.
They also started the new year on a high after launching their service 24/7 in the North East, meaning they can now reach hundreds more patients a year.
Mr Mawson added: “Our next milestone is to make sure our round-the-clock care is established across the region, by making our Cumbria team 24/7 too and we hope that you will be with us when we achieve this goal.”
To find out more about GNAAS and how you can support them visit: gna.as/readyforanything