2020 marked another busy year for the air ambulance service that serves Warwickshire and beyond

Despite the most challenging of years, which included the projected net loss of income of at least £2.2million, the air ambulance that serves Warwickshire and beyond was called to more than 3,400 missions in 2020 as it remained fully operational in providing vital support to the NHS.

The Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) along with the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance, (DLRAA) worked tirelessly around the clock over the last year, and despite the financial impact from the pandemic, the charity has continued to provide frontline, critical care across its five counties and further afield.

The dedicated crews were tasked to 3,410 potentially lifesaving missions last year via helicopter and critical care car, with WNAA responding to 1,367 of the call outs, and with Warwickshire being a highly served county with 396 incidents, and a further 372 incidents across the West Midlands.

As a result of the lockdowns, there were fewer cars on the roads but both crews remained busy being tasked to more medical incidents (33 per cent) than road traffic collisions (28 per cent), with the ‘other’ category - consisting of assaults, self-harm, and mental health incidents - accounting for 24 per cent of missions, falls 10 per cent, sports three per cent and industrial two per cent.

Andy Williamson, charity CEO, said: "The pandemic has had a significant impact on so many including our own lifesaving charity.

"“We have faced a projected net loss of income of at least £2.2million for the months April to June last year, and worryingly we have started 2021 with another lockdown.

“Despite these losses and the multiple lockdowns, our 24/7 lifesaving service celebrated its 40,000th mission milestone last year, and has continued to remain on the frontline, fully operational for those who need us.”

To continue to deliver their clinical excellence, the charity will be bringing their two brand new replacement aircraft online imminently which will continue to have Critical Care Paramedics and Doctors on-board.

These are able to perform out of hospital surgical procedures from thoracotomies and caesareans to amputations by the roadside.

“As a charity, our mission is clear – to continue providing leading pre-hospital emergency care to our patients and to support the NHS – but in order to do this we need the support of people within our communities now more than ever before,” added Andy.

The charity has again had to temporarily close its chain of 56 stores during this third national lockdown, and community fundraising events remain on hold until the foreseeable future.

The charity is urging the public to continue supporting them through donations, virtual fundraising events, and by shopping with them online.

Anyone wishing to support the charity can do by going to: www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.