Information on Loughborough

Air Ambulance

Posted on 30/10/2007
P. Klein

existing helicopter providing an air ambulance service from East Midlands AirportWarwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA), the UKs busiest helicopter ambulance service, has been asked to provide a replacement service to cover the counties of  Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland.  They will soon be working with the East Midlands Ambulance Service to give a new, faster air ambulance from 1 April next year (2008).  The new service will be named the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA).

From the services base at East Midlands Airport, it the journey time to LRI will be 5 minutes and 14 minutes to Derby.

In a most important development for our county, DLRAA will take at least one doctor on board on each callout as well as the paramedics, just as the WNAA service does. This will ensure that the most suitable medical treatment can commence at the scene of the incident, as opposed to waiting until the patient reaches the nearest hospital. In a lot of cases, this can be the difference between a life saved and a life lost.

Andy Williamson, Director of the existing WNAA service, said: "When it comes to saving lives, rapid and appropriate medical attention is paramount and using the fastest helicopter available, with both paramedics and a doctor on board, will deliver this where and when it is needed. Over the year, we will need to raise £1.5m to provide this totally new service and we are confident that companies, individuals and groups in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland will rally behind the new air ambulance."

Talking about the Air Ambulance service Loughborough MP, Andy Reed said: Reed said: "Since we received news that the air ambulance service was being removed at East Midlands Airport, I know that local people have been very concerned at the loss of this vital service. So the news this week that from April there will again be an air ambulance based at the airport again is obviously welcome news. I know from talking to the local Ambulance Service Trust that they are confident that there will be an improved service locally under these new arrangements. I hope that that proves to be the case and I will be monitoring changes to the provision people in Leicestershire get from this service. Having this helicopter based locally saves lives and I am therefore delighted that there will be an air ambulance based at East Midlands Airport.

David Whiting, Director of Operations at EMAS, said: "We are pleased that Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance has joined us to provide this service. They have a solid track record of operating air ambulances and they are highly skilled, innovative and ambitious.  They really know the business and they are keen to connect with the people of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland."