Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance

"Sussex air ambulance" redirects here. For the joint police and ambulance service helicopter, see Sussex Police Air Operations Unit.
Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance

Official logo
Founded 1989 (1989)
Founder Kate Chivers
Type Charitable organisation
Location
Key people
 Adrian Bell, CEO
Mission The charity exists to relieve sick and injured people in South East England and surrounding areas by providing a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Air Ambulance Service for the benefit of the community.
Website http://www.kssairambulance.org.uk/

The Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance is an organisation providing emergency medical services through the provision of a helicopter air ambulance covering the three counties of Kent, Surrey and Sussex in the South East of England, United Kingdom. The helicopter is funded by the Kent Air Ambulance Trust which is a registered charity, raising money from public and private donations in excess of £3.4m every year between Kent, Sussex and Surrey.[1]

Formation and history

G-KSSH

The service, an expansion of the existing Kent Air Ambulance service, went into operation in 2007,[2] covering the two counties of Sussex and Surrey.[3]

The trust currently operates two MD-902 "NOTAR" helicopters, G-KSSH and G-KAAT, that can fly at nearly 150 miles per hour,[4] making the outer reaches of both counties accessible in minutes.[2] This aircraft was previously operated as G-WMID by the West Midlands Police.[5] Initially the service operated from Dunsfold Aerodrome, Surrey, which became operational in December 2007,[6] but the aircraft was relocated to Redhill Aerodrome at the start of 2013 to enable it to provide a night flight service covering Kent in addition to its own region.[7]

On the 30th October 2015 it was announced that the trust would invest £10m in relocating its flying base near Paddock Wood.[8]

The service supplements the existing air ambulance service provided Sussex Police Air Operations Unit, the helicopter run jointly by Sussex Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service.

The operation also has a rapid response car for the crew to use in the event that the helicopter is grounded for any reason. This vehicle was donated in May 2009 by Sussex Police, having formerly been one of their traffic patrol vehicles.[9]

Role

The Trust's mission statement is: "relieve sick and injured people in south east England and surrounding areas by providing a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Air Ambulance Service for the benefit of the community".[10] The trust provides air ambulance cover for the entire county, in association with the South East Coast Ambulance Service, who provide the paramedics that fly with the trust on secondment.[11]

The trust receives no funding from any government body, instead relying on voluntary donations to meet its running costs.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Charity Commission. Kent Air Ambulance Trust, registered charity no. 1021367.
  2. 1 2 "Who we are". Sussex Air Ambulance Fund.
  3. ↑ "Air Ambulance Coverage Map". Air Ambulance Association UK.
  4. ↑ Triggle, Nick (7 October 2008). "We take A&E to the patient". BBC News.
  5. ↑ "Twitter / WMP_Helicopter: ...G-WMID is now G-KSSH : Surrey Air Amblance". Twitter. West Midlands Police. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Air ambulance gets a new helicopter". BBC News. 18 December 2007.
  7. ↑ "Air ambulances to fly at night in Sussex, Kent and Surrey". bbc.co.uk. 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  8. ↑ "Kent, Surrey and Sussex air ambulances to fly from new base". bbc.co.uk. 2015-10-30.
  9. ↑ "Police gift is boost for rapid response". Mid Sussex Citizen. 6 May 2009. p. 1.
  10. ↑ "Mission Statement". Sussex Air Ambulance.
  11. ↑ "Meet the crew". Sussex Air Ambulance.
  12. ↑ "Air ambulance seeks patients' aid". BBC News. 14 January 2008.
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