Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance see increase in calls after lockdown as team reaches 1,000 call out mark

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) passed the milestone of 1,000 call outs after last month was their busiest since lockdown with 159 incidents,

Of the 1,000 call outs, 524 were answered by helicopter, and 476 by the Critical Care Team emergency response vehicles.

The team were called to attend 255 life-threatening cardiac arrests and 207 crashes this year.

HIOWAA chief executive Alex Lochrane said: ‘Our Critical Care Teams are as busy as ever: on the front line, in personal protective equipment, providing immediate critical care to anyone who needs us, wherever and whenever they need us, night and day.

‘While much of the world ground to halt, we certainly didn’t and it has been truly inspiring to watch as our clinical team members have had to adapt to a new way of working, which they have done without missing a beat.

‘I am always acutely conscious, however, that nothing we do, or have done, would be possible without the unwavering commitment and support of our communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.’

The charity saw a decrease in the amount of call outs when lockdown began with just 120 calls in March and 65 in April, compared to the start of the year which saw 189 calls in January.

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Calls began to increase during June and in July, teams were conducting critical care procedures at 91 per cent of incidents they were attending.

This included a thoracostomy, a small incision of the chest wall, which is commonly used for the treatment of a collapsed lung, and the administration of advanced medication to sedate patients.

These are procedures that cannot be carried out by a road ambulance crew.

The charity, which marked its 13th year of operation this year, is predicting a significant drop in income due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It currently costs £15,000 a day to maintain the lifesaving service and the charity relies entirely on public donations.

Chief executive, Alex added: ‘To every single person who has continued flying the HIOWAA flag and supporting us through these difficult times, and for the past 13 years, thank you.’

To donate visit hiowwa.org.uk

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