Air Ambulance Week takes off as charity raises awareness of vital work

Air Ambulance Northern Ireland is celebrating this special awareness week on the back of their busiest summer to date.

Air Ambulance NI works in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) to provide the HEMS which rapidly delivers critical pre-hospital care directly to patients with a sudden life or limb-threatening injury. Since the service commenced in July 2017, the adept medical team have been tasked over 2,368 times in total.

July 2021 was record breaking for the local charity as the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) was tasked 78 times, clocking up 44 flying hours in total. In comparison, the service was called out on 65 occasions in July 2020 and on 62 occasions in July 2019.

Glenn O’Rorke, Operational Lead for the service said, “It has been our busiest summer to date with an increase across call out categories. It’s likely this is due to a combination of factors including easement of covid restrictions, increased road traffic, increase in summer sports, and more people at home on staycations. The highly advanced lifesaving skills of our critical care team consisting of consultant doctor, paramedic, as well as a skilled pilot, and the equipment, blood and drugs that we carry, mean that this service brings the hospital to the patient when every second counts towards survival.”

Air Ambulance Week is the only week in the year dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the work of the 21 air ambulance charities right across the UK. This years’ campaign is focussed on the powerful message that ‘Every Second Counts and Every Penny Matters’ in saving the lives of people who suddenly become critically injured or ill.

Marking the occasion, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council lit up the Civic Centre on Thursday September 9, which was Emergency Services Day.

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising at Air Ambulance NI said: “The HEMS is needed on average twice every day following a trauma or medical emergency in Northern Ireland. Whilst we hope we never need it, it is there for any of us, 365 days of the year.

“Although this service forms a vital part of the frontline emergency services in Northern Ireland, our lifesaving missions need your kind and generous support. Air Ambulance NI needs to raise £2million each year, or £5,500 a day. It’s not just the medical team who can save lives. You can be a lifesaver too by donating, hosting your own event, or becoming a Club AANI member through a monthly or annual subscription.”

Air Ambulance Northern Ireland has received a new, potentially lifesaving device to mark Air Ambulance Week 2021, courtesy of SPAR in Northern Ireland.

The Automated External Defibrillator, over 240 of which can be found outside SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores across Northern Ireland, has been donated by Henderson Group’s Bronagh Luke and Mark Baillie of MKB Medical, who supplies the devices.

Glenn O’Rorke, Operational Lead Paramedic with the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) received the device on behalf of Air Ambulance NI, saying, “Henderson Group has done a fantastic job extending the number of defibrillators throughout NI and we are very pleased to now have one at our airbase.

“We hope that it is never needed but it could help save a life.”

Bronagh Luke spearheaded the Heart of the Community campaign throughout the local SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO network to install devices outside stores, therefore available 24/7 for the local community.

Bronagh commented; “Air Ambulance NI needs to raise £2 million each year to maintain the vital services it provides in Northern Ireland including providing essential, life-saving devices such as this AED.

“Recently, we have called upon retailers with devices already registered on the NI Ambulance Service network to register them on the British Heart Foundation’s new National Defibrillator Network, The Circuit, enabling even faster response times and more lives saved.”

Air Ambulance NI’s new device will reside outside the organisation’s headquarters on Halftown Road in Lisburn, which will also be registered to The Circuit and available 24/7 should it be needed locally.

Glenn O’Rorke concluded: “We’re so grateful to all at Henderson Group, SPAR NI and MKB Medical for helping us offer more of these services locally.”