Air Ambulances UK is the national organisation that champions the lifesaving work of all 21 air ambulance charities. The charity aims to ensure the best possible chance of survival and patient outcome for everyone in need of lifesaving pre-hospital care. On average, air ambulances across the nation can reach someone in urgent need of care within just 15 minutes, with over 100 lifesaving missions taking place daily – each one funded almost entirely by local communities.
Scrap Car Comparison is delighted to be supporting Air Ambulance Week 2022, which is the only week of the year dedicated to raising awareness for the lifesaving work of all air ambulance charities.
There are 37 helicopters operating across the 21 air ambulance charities, making a total of over 30,000 missions each year, at an average cost of £3,000 per mission. The costs vary depending on geography, patient needs and clinical and operational models of the individual air ambulance charity. Approximately 68% of all air ambulance missions are to critically injured patients – such as car accidents, workplace incidents or sporting/leisure accidents, while 32% are to those who have experienced a sudden medical emergency, such as a cardiac arrest. Road traffic collisions and sudden cardiac-related emergencies are the most frequent type of missions for air ambulances.
Earlier this year, the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance were able to help 8-year-old Bradley, who had been severely injured in an off-road cycle race. When Bradley’s father, Mark, noticed that he had not re-emerged from a part of the course he could not see, he began to walk across to try and see what had happened – at that point, he heard someone shouting for ‘Bradley’s dad’ – at which point, his walk turned into a run. Bradley’s accident resulted in the brake lever from his cycle being embedded in his leg.
Despite the weather conditions grounding the helicopter, the Air Ambulance crew arrived in the Critical Care Car and instantly got to work trying to make sure that Bradley was comfortable while taking the bike apart around him. The weather cleared and the crew were able to call for the helicopter to pick Bradley up and take him to hospital – a trip Bradley enjoyed and has since returned to the team’s HQ to sit in the pilot’s seat. Three weeks after the crash, Bradley was back on his cycle and racing again.
None of the work of all 21 Air Ambulance charities is possible without the generosity of donations, and you can help Scrap Car Comparison support Air Ambulance Week 2022 by donating some, or all, of the profits when you scrap your vehicle with Scrap Car Comparison. Visit our FAQ page for full details on how making donations through this scheme works.
