Celebrating their 24th anniversary, the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has three helicopters located strategically around the country, ready to fly at a moments notice. ACS talks to them about one of their most memorable moments.
Midlands Air Ambulance Saves Lives One Day at a Time
Celebrating their 24th anniversary, the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has three helicopters located strategically around the country, ready to fly at a moments notice. ACS talks to them about one of their most memorable moments.
These rescue teams are populated by hard-working, life-savers who regularly encounter a number of exciting yet highly perilous situations. Helen Stevens tells Air Charter Service about some of the more recent cases which have been notable in the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity team's logbook:
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity
As we've just celebrated our 24th anniversary, I wanted to give you an insight into the world of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, and the lifesaving service that covers your county.
As one of the largest and busiest air ambulance HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) operators in the UK, we have three state-of-the-art EC135 helicopters, which are based out of RAF Cosford in Shropshire, Tatenhill in Staffordshire, and of course Strensham in Worcestershire – the only air ambulance based directly on a motorway network in the UK.
Our airbases are strategically located so, once airborne, the air ambulance charter can reach any part of the 5,500 square miles covered by the service in the quickest possible time, and with a top speed of approximately 150 mph, 90 per cent of the Midlands region can be reached in just eight minutes flying time.
In addition to the patient, each aircraft has the capacity to carry a crew comprising the pilot and two critical care flight paramedics; or a pilot, flight paramedic and flight doctor, who can all offer the very best standard of care at the scene of an incident.
A great deal of research has gone into the design and fitting of the medical equipment within each helicopter. As there is limited space available, it is vital that the equipment and medicines are situated in the best possible position for ease of access, both at the scene of the accident and in the air en route to the most appropriate specialist hospital.
We are called out, on average, to six to eight incidents each day and since our conception 24 years ago, back in 1991, we have undertaken over 42,000 air ambulance missions. The highest proportion of calls-outs during the last 12 months mostly involved road traffic collisions, medical emergencies (including heart attacks and strokes) and falls, followed by horse riding accidents, sporting injuries, industrial and farm accidents and drownings.
As a regional charity, we need people's continued support to enable us to maintain our vitally important lifesaving operation in the six Midlands counties, including Worcestershire. Please log on to our website to find our more about how to donate and volunteering opportunities.
