Great Western Air Ambulance Charity
{{Short description|English charity air ambulance}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Great Western Air Ambulance Charity
| logo = Great Western Air Ambulance Charity logo.svg
| image = G-GWAC at Gloucestershire Airport.jpg
| caption = Eurocopter EC135 helicopter G-GWAC of Great Western Air Ambulance
| image_alt = GWAAC helicopter
| type = Charitable organisation
| founded_date =
| vat_id =
| registration_id = Charity No: 1121300{{Cite web|url=https://greatwesternairambulance.com/press/|title = Press}}
| founder =
| location = Almondsbury
| coordinates = {{coord|51.5517|-2.5576|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| origins =
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title2 = Aircraft operated
| leader_name2 = Eurocopter EC135
| area_served = Bristol, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire
| mission =
| focus =
| method =
| revenue = £5.4{{nbsp}}million
| revenue_year = 2023
| num_volunteers_year = 2023
| num_employees_year = 2023
| num_members =
| subsid =
| owner =
| non-profit_slogan =
| former name =
| website = {{Official URL}}
| dissolved =
| footnotes =
}}
The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) is a charity air ambulance service in South West England. It operates for the relief of sickness and injury, with a specialist paramedic in critical care and a critical care doctor, providing response by helicopter or car between the hours of 7:00 am and 1:00 am, 365 days a year. The service covers Bristol, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, and surrounding areas.
History
GWAAC was created in 2008. At launch, it operated a Eurocopter EC135, but as flying hours increased the funding was not available, so the charity moved to a MBB Bo 105 helicopter. In 2012, the charity started a campaign to raise the money needed to return to the EC135. The goal was reached in 2014, and in October the EC135 (registered G-GWAA) arrived at the base in Bristol Filton Airport.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-29649858|title=Great Western Air Ambulance's new helicopter arrives|work=BBC News|date=16 October 2014}}
The EC135 had a 40% increase in cabin volume, allowing the team to offer better inflight treatment. It had an extra seat, allowing medics to be trained on-board or a child patient to be airlifted with a parent. It can also land on elevated hospital helipads, and allows side loading. On 1 August 2017, GWAAC upgraded to an EC135 T2+ model, registration G-GWAC, leased from Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore, which has more advanced features and a longer range.
In 2012, it was announced that Filton airfield, where GWAAC and the National Police Air Service (NPAS) had been based, was to close.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-20507993|title=Airport closure date is confirmed|date=2012-11-27|access-date=2019-09-28|language=en-GB}}
Their landlord, BAE Systems, agreed to find a new site and construct an airbase for the services.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/work-starts-moving-life-saving-750610|title=Air ambulance and police helicopter moving out of Filton|last=Ballinger|first=Alex|date=2017-11-09|website=bristolpost|access-date=2019-09-28}}
A site was identified in South Gloucestershire, adjacent to the Almondsbury M4/M5 Interchange,{{cite news|url=http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2015/04/13/plan-new-helicopter-base-almondsbury-interchange/ |title=Plan for new helicopter base near Almondsbury Interchange |work=Bradley Stoke Journal}} approximately {{convert|2|mi}} north of the Filton base. Planning permission was granted in August 2016.{{cite news|url=http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/14676705.Almondsbury_helicopter_base_granted_planning_permission/ |title=Almondsbury helicopter base granted planning permission |work=Gazette Series}}
Work started at the site in late 2017, with both services moving to the new base in October 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/news/great-western-air-ambulance-charity-moves-to-new-base-1-5759977|title=Air ambulance moves into new base|work=Gazette Series}}
In July 2018, GWAAC launched a public appeal to raise funds to buy the new airbase from BAE Systems,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/community/gwaac-air-ambulance-appeal-buy-new-base-79308/|title=Great Western Air Ambulance Charity launches appeal to buy new base|date=2018-07-10|website=Bath Echo|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-28}} following it being put up for sale during its construction. GWAAC raised £1.3{{nbsp}}million towards the purchase, which completed in December 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/community/air-ambulance-fundraising-target-purchase-air-base-81962/|title=Air ambulance charity reaches fundraising target to purchase new air base|date=2018-12-19|website=Bath Echo|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-28}} NPAS remain on site as tenants of GWAAC. In September 2019, the new airbase was officially opened by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/community/official-royal-opening-air-ambulance-charity-airbase-86473/|title=Official Royal opening for Great Western Air Ambulance Charity's airbase|date=2019-09-27|website=Bath Echo|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-28}}
Operations
The charity serves a population of 2.1 million. It has received grants in the past from the national government,{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/1m-boost-to-keep-great-western-air-ambulance-flying-announced|title=£1m boost to keep Great Western Air Ambulance flying announced|work=www.gov.uk}}{{cite news|url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Chancellor-pledges-1m-Great-Western-Air-Ambulance/story-25701009-detail/story.html|title=Chancellor pledges £1 million to keep Great Western Air Ambulance flying|work=Bath Chronicle}} but does not receive operational funding from the government or National Lottery, and is normally funded by public donations.
In 2022{{ndash}}2023, the charity raised income of £5.4{{nbsp}}million, including £40,000 from government grants.{{cite web | url = https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4034602 | title = Charity Overview: Great Western Air Ambulance Charity | publisher = Charity Commission for England and Wales | accessdate = 2 December 2024}} It spent £5.7M, of which £3.5M was spent operating its helicopter and critical care cars.
Within four minutes of an emergency call being received the helicopter can be in the air, and it can be anywhere within the region it covers in 20{{nbsp}}minutes.
GWAAC also operates critical care cars, used at night or when the helicopter is not feasible – for example due to the location of the patient, or the helicopter being at another job, or otherwise unavailable.
The specialist critical care team consists of a paramedic and doctor, who provide a remote emergency department to the patient. The crew carry blood and fresh frozen plasma to help treat patients who have suffered major trauma to stabilise them for transport, usually to a Major Trauma Centre, for adults or children. This has been found to result in significantly improved patient outcomes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/severn-major-trauma/what-major-trauma|title=What is Major Trauma?|date=2016-03-21|website=North Bristol NHS Trust|language=en|access-date=2019-01-25}}{{Cite journal|last1=Sperry|first1=Jason L.|last2=Guyette|first2=Francis X.|last3=Brown|first3=Joshua B.|last4=Yazer|first4=Mark H.|last5=Triulzi|first5=Darrell J.|last6=Early-Young|first6=Barbara J.|last7=Adams|first7=Peter W.|last8=Daley|first8=Brian J.|last9=Miller|first9=Richard S.|date=2018-07-26|title=Prehospital Plasma during Air Medical Transport in Trauma Patients at Risk for Hemorrhagic Shock|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|volume=379|issue=4|pages=315–326|doi=10.1056/NEJMoa1802345|issn=0028-4793|pmid=30044935|doi-access=free}}
Local blood bike charity Freewheelers EVS assists NHS Blood and Transplant with the logistics of keeping the helicopter supplied with blood and plasma.{{Cite web|url=https://greatwesternairambulance.com/blood-bike-awareness-day-2018/|title=Blood Bike Awareness Day 2018|date=2018-08-17|website=Great Western Air Ambulance Charity|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-25}}
In 2018, GWAAC were called to 1,887 incidents,{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/busy-year-for-great-western-air-ambulance-charity-1-5857581|title=Life-saving air-ambulance charity reports busiest year to date|last=Young|first=Eleanor|website=Weston Mercury|date=19 January 2019|language=en|access-date=2019-09-28}} their busiest year since the service started in 2008.{{cite web | url = http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends00/0001121300_AC_20181231_E_C.pdf | publisher = Great Western Air Ambulance Charity | title = TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018 | access-date = 3 July 2020}}
During the COVID-19 pandemic the service responded to COVID-19 cases, and crew members joined a team carrying out inter-hospital transfers for COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/community/air-ambulance-charity-assist-transferring-covid-19-patients-89527/|title=Local air ambulance charity set to assist with transferring COVID-19 patients|date=2020-04-14|website=Bath Echo|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-04-14}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website}}
- {{EW charity|1121300|Great Western Air Ambulance Charity}}
{{Air ambulances in the United Kingdom}}
Category:Air ambulance services in England