New research undertaken with London’s Air Ambulance has shown that the time taken to reach a critically injured patient in London can be cut in half by driving with warning lights, sirens and traffic rule exemptions (blue light driving) in a rapid response vehicle.
The research, authored by Marius Rehn, Gareth Davies, Paul Smith and David Lockey is published today in the Emergency Medical Journal.
Last night saw the Air Ambulance community come together for the Association of Air Ambulance’s Awards of Excellence at the Millennium Chelsea Harbour Hotel. London’s Air Ambulance was nominated in five categories at this celebration of the dedication and hard work behind the community’s life-saving operations, and we were humbled to have taken home three awards.
Tonight the Association of Air Ambulances hosts their annual Awards of Excellence, celebrating the incredible work done within the Air Ambulance community. This year, we’ve been delighted to have four staff members nominated for individual awards, as well as an additional nomination in the Special Incident category for our team’s response to the London Bridge attack. Here, we shine a spotlight on the individuals nominated.
Frank Chege — Charity Staff Member of the Year
Clear Channel UK pledges to show significant support for one partner charity every Christmas, via their new initiative, “The Christmas Charity Partnership”, by donating a significant volume of relevant inventory, for a single festive campaign. London’s Air Ambulance is the first charity to benefit from the Clear Channel Christmas Charity Partnership initiative.
On Sunday 8th October, 79 runners took part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise money for our charity. So far they have raised an incredible £33,000, and the money is still coming in.
It was a beautiful morning when the race began in Hyde Park. The stunning 13.1 mile route passed world-famous London landmarks and took runners through four of the capital’s eight Royal Parks — Hyde Park, Green park, James’ Park and Kensington Gardens. Our cheer team was on route, megaphones in hand, to give our team a well-deserved boost as they powered round the course.
There is one man in particular who has dedicated himself to the development of our Physician Response Unit (PRU). Driven by his desire to improve the quality of patient care and push the boundaries of prehospital emergency medicine, Tony Joy has worked tirelessly to introduce a new and improved service.
The Physician Response Unit (PRU), the joint service provided by London's Air Ambulance, Barts Health NHS Trust and London Ambulance Service has been remodelled thanks to funding from Tower Hamlets Together. Previously an 8 hours a day, 5 days a week service, the PRU will now be able to respond to 999 calls 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. Because of these longer hours, up to 50% more patients will be seen, be able to get the care they need quicker and hospital and ambulance resources will be freed up in East London.
Our Deputy CEO Charles Newitt has been shortlisted for the Supporting Executive of the Year at the 2017 Charity Times Awards for his work in overseeing the successful introduction of our second helicopter and leading the charity’s strategic direction during his time as Interim CEO.
Michael is one of our earliest helipad visitors turned Philantrophy Manager. At the age of 12, he was a patient at The Royal London Hospital and one of his nurses organised a helipad tour as a treat. When a recruiter called 20 years later to say there was a role available at London’s Air Ambulance, he says it felt like “coming full circle".
“I have a long connection with The Royal London Hospital. I was a patient on the fourth floor between the ages of 12 and 18. The hospital itself means a great deal.
National Air Ambulance Week is behind us, and what a week it was. Here's a look at some of this year’s highlights.
