Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance Upgrades
Scotland is set to benefit from enhanced air ambulance coverage as the country’s only charity-funded service unveils its new life-saving helicopter.
After two years of nationwide operations, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) has upgraded to a larger, faster and more powerful EC135 T2i. Its arrival heralds the retiral of the last Bolkow 105 air ambulance in the UK which originally launched SCAA’s service in 2013.
The new EC135 is expected to be fully operational at SCAA within the next two weeks with crew training now in its final stages.
Scotland’s Health Minister Shona Robison MSP officially marked this major new phase in the charity’s development when she attended a reception at SCAA’s Perth Airport base today.
Commenting on the work of the charity, Ms Robison said:
“Within little more than two years Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance has become an integral part of our vital emergency services, responding to over 850 call outs from the Highlands and Islands to the Borders and providing an invaluable service to the people of Scotland.
“I am particularly impressed by how well the Scottish Ambulance Service and SCAA have worked closely together to ensure that the Charity Air Ambulance delivers safe and effective patient care.
“I know a lot of hard work has gone into delivering such an excellent service over the past couple of years, from the staff to those carrying out the fundraising efforts.
“I congratulate SCAA on their outstanding achievements to date and in upgrading their aircraft which will allow them to provide a more enhanced life-saving service to the people of Scotland.
“This new helicopter will mean that the Charity Air Ambulance can now fly further and faster than ever before. This will help the air ambulance provide an even better service to the people of Scotland who will need it most.”
The helicopter upgrade was made possible by a £3.3 million allocation from LIBOR funds announced earlier this year.
SCAA Chairman John Bullough said the funding had provided an invaluable springboard for the latest phase in the charity’s development.
“There is no doubt that this unique service in Scotland has saved many lives and SCAA’s work is impacting on the lives of thousands of people right across the country - either directly with patients or indirectly with relatives, friends and colleagues.”
“Two years ago we set out to save lives and get people to hospital quickly,” said Mr Bullough. “Having been called upon over 850 times we have done exactly that.”
“There are few parts of Scotland that are untouched by the work of our helicopter and highly professional crew and we have been pleased to be able to support communities everywhere.”
“To date all this has been achieved with our distinctive Bolkow 105 aircraft - an elderly, yet dependable airframe widely used as an entry-level air ambulance helicopter. This has proved an invaluable workhorse during our first two years and it will be a very poignant moment indeed when she is finally retired. However, the LIBOR funding has enabled us to upgrade to a more modern, spacious, powerful and all-round more capable aircraft."
“We believe that the cumulative effect of these and other improvements could increase our capability by up to 50%, which is potentially 50% more lives saved,” said Mr Bullough. “This is great for SCAA but even better for Scotland.”
SCAA receives no Government funding and is supported solely by the public, trusts, companies and foundations, who raise the required funds to keep the popular charity in the air. While the specified LIBOR allocation will fund the aircraft upgrade element, SCAA will continue to fundraise to meet the overall increased running costs of operating the new aircraft.
Mr Bullough praised the generosity of the Scottish public in supporting “the people’s helicopter”.
“The people of Scotland have been amazing in their fundraising efforts to ensure SCAA stays in the air for the benefit of everyone,” he said. “Their support has meant we can help their friends, their families, their colleagues, their communities - and them - when the need arises. I am confident they will continue to support us in the future as we press forward into a new era.”
Mr Bullough also thanked SCAA’s key partners and expressed his delight and gratitude that Clydesdale Bank has just agreed a three year extension to its partnership with the charity.
Helen Page, Customer Proposition Director at Clydesdale Bank, said:
“Clydesdale Bank is committed to supporting the communities we serve. Through our renewed partnership with SCAA, we are pleased to continue our support for this invaluable life-saving service by providing financial backing as well as a range of other activities that include marketing expertise and employee fundraising.”