News
05 February 2010
LONDON'S Air Ambulance's life saving teams will be the first in the UK to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from March 1.
Up until now, the registered charity has been able to fund a 24 hour service at weekends only, using specially equipped rapid response cars to cover all after-dark missions, when the helicopter goes off-line.
Throughout the rest of the week, the service finished at 1am, resuming with helicopter missions at 7am.
But thanks to a generous move from the London Ambulance Service to fund the wages of all London Air Ambulance paramedics, the rapid response cars can continue to operate from 1am to 7am - adding 30 extra hours of care a week.
The air ambulance provides medical care to the victims of the Capital's most serious incidents, ranging from road accidents and falls to shootings and stabbings.
Each team consists of a specially trained trauma doctor, who can deliver life saving procedures normally only found in hospitals, as well as a specially trained paramedic.
The charity, while part funded by a grant from the NHS and contributions from corporate sponsors, is also dependent on donations from the public.
Consultant Dr Gareth Davies said: "The extra funding will prove to be invaluable for our service, which is dedicated to helping keep Londoners safe day and night."
Over the course of 2009, the air ambulance attended 1,741 missions, 410 of which were night-time missions at weekends.