Air ambulance takes to the skies

The air ambulance could attend up to 130 incidents a month

The new Great Western air ambulance is due to begin operating, speeding up the delivery of emergency medical care in life-threatening incidents.

The helicopter, based at Filton near Bristol, is crewed by critical care paramedics and doctors and carries advanced life-saving equipment.

The charity-funded service can reach the furthest parts of the former Avon county area within eight minutes.

The air ambulance will initially fly five days a week.

It needs to raise £1.3m a year to continue flying.

Paul Weir, chief executive of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity said: "The new air ambulance will rely entirely on the support of the community."

'Save lives'

The charity is handling donations and a new charity, the Melvyn's Trust, is being established to raise funds from its recycling scheme.

It will recycle unwanted clothing, shoes and mobile telephones and export them to developing countries.

Mr Weir said: "We are literally recycling for life and your unwanted goods will help raise these vitally important funds."

The air ambulance, which will start flying this week, could attend up to 130 incidents a month during the summer and up to 100 incidents a month in the winter.

The service has a pool of 16 crew members, six doctors and ten critical care paramedics.

Tim Lynch, chief executive of Great Western Ambulance Service, which funds the critical care paramedics, said: "The new air ambulance has been set up in response to an identified gap in air ambulance cover for the people of Avon.

"It will save lives - and complement the existing paramedic teams on the ground. It will also complement the services in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire when they need additional air ambulance support."