Busiest May yet for Air Ambulance

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Cornwall Air Ambulance experienced its busiest May on record after being tasked to 117 missions during the month.

Figures from the charity show that is a rise in taskings of almost 20% compared to May in 2023.

Air operations manager, Steve Garvey, said: “May was our busiest month of the year so far. Our missions included a range of trauma and medical related incidents including 26 cardiac arrests, 11 road traffic collisions, three inter-hospital transfers and ten taskings to the Isles of Scilly alone. A rise in emergency calls means a growing pressure on our aircrew, with more back-to-back missions, as well as higher demand on our aircraft.”

It comes as the charity’s Heli2 Appeal passes the £1 million mark, as it aims to secure a second AW169 helicopter by the end of the year. With less than six months left of the appeal year, there is still a long way to go to reach the £2.85 million target.

Owning an additional high-specification aircraft, which benefits from high weight and fuel capacities, a large amount of space for kit and crew, and the ability for HEMS operations at night, will mean that the crew are always able to respond on the best suited helicopter when online and attend more missions by air.

Chief executive, Tim Bunting, said: “Purchasing a second AW169 helicopter will massively improve the versatility and capability of our service, putting us at the forefront of advanced critical care. Your support will help us to save even more lives.”