Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance celebrates their 13th year of saving lives

Its expert team of pilots, paramedics and doctors delivers extraordinary care which, in many cases, makes the difference between life and death.

Full-time doctor Frances Dolman smiles and says: ‘I absolutely love my job. The people I work with are incredible, from the pilots and paramedics to the charity staff.’

And this week, the life-saving charity celebrated its 13th birthday and is counting on community support more than ever, especially during the pandemic.

Hampshire and Isle Of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWWA) chief executive, Alex Lochrane, says: ‘The air ambulance belongs to, and is funded by, our local community and we have never needed their support as much as we do now.

‘From operational milestones to seeing the smiling faces of our wonderful volunteers, I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved.’

Dr Dolman joined the service in November 2019 after moving back to the UK from Sydney, Australia, where she was working on its equivalent of the air ambulance and in accident and emergency departments.

Although she misses the sunnier climes, she’s enjoying the challenge of working for the HIOWWA and in different terrain.

Frances, 37, explains: ‘We work in pre-hospital medicine and go out in the aircraft or any rapid response vehicle available.

‘It really varies what situation you might be going to.

‘You can find yourself in very challenging environments with varying terrain and weather.

‘In the New Forest for example, it can be particularly difficult to land so in some terrains we go by car or other transport.’

When the charity introduced its first emergency response vehicle in 2017, mission numbers doubled, leading to the decision to bolster the fleet with an additional two vehicles early last year.

These vehicles carry the same equipment as the air ambulance, such as blood and plasma transfusion kits, defibrillators and monitors that can record ECGs, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide levels.

The charity’s critical care teams now respond to an average of six emergencies, both in the air and on the road, every day out of its base at Thruxton.

But the newest threat to the air ambulance is the omnipresent Covid-19. Since March 2020, HIOWWA has attended 403 call-outs.

Frances explains: ‘I’m the only full-time doctor at the moment and Covid-19 has changed how we respond.

‘A lot of our doctors had to go back to hospitals to help with the Covid-19 response.

‘I have been working a little bit more but I am happy to be flexible.

‘The team normally comprises a doctor and a paramedic, or two paramedics, but now we have three people.

‘With all the PPE we have to wear, we need the extra person to help with equipment and dressing us.

‘We need to make sure we’re safe as well as everyone else,’ she adds.

The air ambulance has touched so many hearts through its service of life-saving care.

One Horndean family knows just how important it is.

On March 22, 2018, Willoughby Copeland, who was seven, was in collision with a car while he was scootering on the pavement of London Road, Horndean, with his older brother George.

Mum Claire says: ‘It was a normal, typical day. Richard walked up to collect the boys from school.

‘A car crossed the pavement and took Willoughby out and he fell off his scooter, went underneath the car and came up the other side. The car had no idea it had hit Willoughby and actually thought he had just gone over a speed bump.’

Dad Richard explains: ‘I ran down the hill screaming and Willoughby was quite quiet. He said “sorry Daddy, it wasn’t my fault, he didn’t stop”.’

An off-duty nurse, who happened to be at the scene, and Richard found Willoughby with his ear almost touching his shoulder. The nurse pushed Willoughby’s ear back where it should be and held tight.

The air ambulance critical care team arrived and took Willoughby and his family to Southampton General Hospital by road. ‘The doctor in the vehicle just explained to me everything that was about to happen and he was very calming,’ Claire explained.

‘It made me feel confident in him which is what you need when your son is in and out of consciousness from morphine and covered in injuries.’

Willoughby, now nine, had to have 40 stitches in his head to reattach the scalp.

He broke his jaw in three places and had to have 20 stitches in his mouth and an operation to have a plate put in to align the jaw. He also broke his collarbone and was covered in bruises and cuts.

Now Claire says Willoughby is doing ‘really well’.

‘It was quite a long road to recovery, he couldn’t eat properly for quite a few months. But he’s back playing rugby now and life is going a bit back to normal.’

Willoughby smiles and says: ‘Thank you for saving my life.’

With our support, the HIOWWA can continue to provide care to families such as the Copelands. But during these tough times, they are relying on the community more than ever. Chief executive, Alex, adds: ‘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 show your support, go to hiowaa.org.uk.

It’s funded by you

It currently costs £15,000 a day to maintain the lifesaving service.

Here are five ways you can help Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance survive. :: Sign up to their regular giving programme, Small Change Big Difference – the monthly giving campaign where 100 per cent of your monthly gift goes towards keeping them flying.

:: Donate the money you have saved in lockdown (your travel costs, sports subscriptions, takeaway coffee, beer money, lunch money).

:: Shop online with Amazon Smile. They donate 0.5 per cent of your purchase, at no extra cost to you, to charity.

:: Sign up to receive the charity magazine at hiowwa.org.uk

:: Join the monthly live quiz night with the crew at hiowwa.org.uk.