On Monday, October 7, a new helicopter touched down at Magpas Air Ambulance’s airbase in Alconbury Weald.
This new aircraft, an AW109 SP registered as ‘G-MPAS’, replaces the charity’s previous helicopter, which was unable to fly when the service’s aviation provider was suddenly sold in a pre-pack administration deal earlier this year.
Since then, Magpas Air Ambulance has continued to provide life-saving pre-hospital emergency care to patients 24/7 using its fleet of rapid response vehicles (RRVs), just as it normally would when the helicopter is unavailable due to maintenance or weather, and when it is quicker to reach patients by road.
Despite this temporary change, Magpas Air Ambulance's service has remained as busy as ever, with the charity responding to 1,903 patients in the past financial year.
Magpas Air Ambulance CEO, Daryl Brown MBE, explains: “After the sudden and unexpected news that we were unable to operate using our previous aircraft, we worked around the clock to find a new helicopter provider, whilst also putting measures in place and working with partners to continue saving lives while we awaited delivery of our new aircraft.
“We look forward to the return of air operations now we have the new Magpas Air Ambulance helicopter at our airbase.
“Magpas Air Ambulance is incredibly grateful to the community for their support of this vital service, allowing us to continue saving lives every day, no matter the circumstances.”
Following a period of training for Magpas Air Ambulance’s doctors and critical care paramedics to familiarise themselves with the new AW109 SP airframe, the charity expects to be operational by air and flying G-MPAS in the skies of Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and beyond later this month.
Magpas Air Ambulance is a charity which relies on public donations to continue saving lives. Find out more at magpas.org.uk.
Magpas Air Ambulance brings pre-hospital emergency care, in the air or on land 24/7, including treatments normally only available in hospital. By providing this advanced care to critically ill and injured patients across the East of England and beyond, the charity not only saves lives but limits disability.
Operating 24/7, the charity answers an average of four calls for help a day, treating around 900 patients in life-threatening emergencies every year.
Magpas Air Ambulance serves the communities of Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and across the East of England and is dispatched by both the East of England and the East Midlands Ambulance Service Trusts—caring for a population of more than 10 million.
Advanced medical team combines the skills of a senior doctor and critical care paramedic on every shift. All members of the team are specially trained in pre-hospital emergency medicine (PHEM), and support the ambulance service by bringing advanced medical care directly to their patients’ side when time is of the essence.
The oldest emergency medical charity of its kind in the UK, since 1971 the Cambridgeshire based service has treated more than 70,000 patients. Magpas Air Ambulance is a charity which relies on generous public donations to continue saving lives.
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