Air Ambulance battles the weather and continues to save lives

The ‘Ambucopter’ crews responded to two potentially life-threatening incidents yesterday (Thursday), airlifting seriously ill patients to hospital in both cases.

The first mission was at 1pm to a medical emergency in Cresswell. The patient, a woman in her 80s, was airlifted to Sheffield Northern General Hospital.

The crew was then immediately dispatched to their next incident, a man in his 30s suffering a cardiac arrest in Horncastle.

With the roads around Horncastle impassable, the helicopter was able to airlift the patient to Lincoln County Hospital’s specialist Heart Centre.

It will be business as usual for the crew today (Friday) as they continue their life-saving work.

Chief Executive Officer, Karen Jobling, said: “On days like yesterday when roads were simply not passable due to extreme weather conditions, the only option in a rural life-threatening emergency is our helicopter. We really can be the difference between a seriously ill or injured patient getting to hospital or not.

“The skill of our pilots made this possible, despite atrocious weather conditions.

“We also have the unique benefit of being able to deliver the equivalent of an A&E department to the scene, including a doctor, paramedics and blood, giving the most serious of patients that we respond to the very best chance of survival possible.”

Many people are not aware that the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance is not Government funded and is not part of the NHS, and they can therefore only continue to respond and save lives with the support of local people, organisations and businesses who generously donate to the charity.

Later this year, Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance will start to fly 24 hours a day, which means they will need to raise £4million a year to continue to save lives 365 days of the year, in all weather conditions. To find out more about the charity or to make a donation, visit ambucopter.org.uk or call 01522 548469.