Midlands Air Ambulance Charity will be receiving £1 million from banking fines. This will be able to help the air ambulance service in funding an upgraded helicopter to transport patients. The announcement was made by Philip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his autumn statement. With the upgrade, the charity will be able to provide better service and transport more patients than they currently do.
Larger Helicopter on the Cards
Midlands currently own one EC135 helicopter, which is based at RAF Cosford, Shropshire. In addition to this, they have two more EC135’s on lease from the Babcock Mission Critical Services and the Strensham Services.
With the incoming funds from banking fines, heads at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity have decided to purchase a larger helicopter. They will also be leasing one more helicopter so they can further enhance their operational service and provide advanced pre-hospital patient care. According to the air ambulance service, this will help them in reducing their overall operating costs in the long run.
Upgraded Helicopter to Provide Better Air Ambulance Service
The plan is to buy a new H145 helicopter, which costs around £7 million and provides several benefits. For instance, it has a larger interior so that children and other young patients can be accompanied by a parent. More space also means the charity will be able to carry improved medical equipment for treating more complex medical conditions.
The new helicopter for Midlands Air Ambulance will be constructed over the next 18 months. It is expected to become operational by 2018. In addition to Midlands, other air ambulance charities received portions of the banking fine fund including Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, Wales Air Ambulance Charity, Wiltshire Air Ambulance, and more.
