1 Jun 2020
A new TV campaign is being launched on Monday 1st June 2020, asking Londoners to support the service by donating to London’s Air Ambulance Charity.
The TV advert will be shown across London channels, and will show that every second of every day, London’s Air Ambulance is ready to deliver rapid response and cutting-edge medical care to save lives in the city. In return for a much-valued donation, supporters will be sent a free helicopter pin badge.
London’s Air Ambulance brings the hospital to the scene – delivering urgent, cutting-edge medical care when every second counts. Primarily funded by donations made to the charity (over 70 per cent of the service is funded by donations from the public), London’s Air Ambulance operates in partnership with and is supported by Barts Health NHS Trust and the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
Barts Health NHS Trust employs and pays the doctors as well as providing some direct financial support and the helipad facility at The Royal London Hospital. London Ambulance Service NHS Trust provides paid paramedics who are seconded to the service. An advanced trauma paramedic operates from the Service’s control room and is responsible for dispatching London’s Air Ambulance to the most critically injured people in London, 24 hours a day.
The TV campaign comes as government begins to ease the lockdown restrictions put in place during the Covid-19 Pandemic. During lockdown, we remained operational 24/7 – here for every one of the 10 million people who live and work in London, and we have expanded and adapted some services to help support the NHS.
While the pandemic did not stop the service from running, it did mean we had to stop many of our usual fundraising activities. Although our supporters are still coming up with creative ways to support the charity remotely, the impact will be felt for some time to come. It costs around £10million each year to deliver the service, and we will need to replace both helicopters by 2025.
Captain Neil Jeffers, Chief Pilot for London’s Air Ambulance Charity, is featured in the TV advert. He said:
“Our crews know first-hand the difference our service can make to the patients we are called to treat. To keep the service in the sky and innovating to save more lives, we need to continue fundraising for the charity. We are all grateful to the people of London for their continued support.”
