Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance
Encyclopedia
The Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance is an organisation providing emergency medical services
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...

 through the provision of a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

 air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....

 covering the two counties of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

 and Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

 in the South East of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. The helicopter is funded by the Kent Air Ambulance Trust
Kent Air Ambulance
The Kent Air Ambulance is an organisation providing emergency medical services through the provision of a helicopter air ambulance covering the county of Kent in the South East of England, United Kingdom...

(under the operating names of the Surrey Air Ambulance and Sussex Air Ambulance), which is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

, raising money from public and private donations in excess of £3.4m every year between Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

Formation and history

The service went into operation on 08 June 1997, covering the two counties of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

 and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

.

The trust currently operates one MD-902
MD Helicopters MD Explorer
|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0 7106 2537 5.-External links:* *...

 helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

 from Dunsfold Aerodrome
Dunsfold Aerodrome
Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, England, near the village of Cranleigh, was built by the Canadian Army and civilian contractors as a Class A Bomber Airfield for Army Co-operation Command...

, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

, which became operational in December 2007, and can fly at nearly 150 miles per hour, making the outer reaches of both counties accessible in minutes.

The service supplements the existing air ambulance service provided Sussex Police Air Operations Unit
Sussex Police Air Operations Unit
The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit, popularly referred to by the aircrew's police net callsign, Hotel 900, was a unit of Sussex Police that provided emergency air support in the Sussex area of England...

, the helicopter run jointly by Sussex Police
Sussex Police
Sussex Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing East Sussex, West Sussex and City of Brighton and Hove in southern England. Its head office is in Lewes, Lewes District, East Sussex.-History:...

 and South East Coast Ambulance Service
South East Coast Ambulance Service
The South East Coast Ambulance Service is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent , Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex . It also covers a part of north-eastern Hampshire around Aldershot...

.

The operation also has a rapid response Mercedes 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.

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". The trust provides air ambulance cover for the entire county, in association with the South East Coast Ambulance Service
South East Coast Ambulance Service
The South East Coast Ambulance Service is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent , Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex . It also covers a part of north-eastern Hampshire around Aldershot...

, who provide the paramedics that fly with the trust on secondment.

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

See also

  • Air ambulance
    Air ambulance
    An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....

  • Air Ambulances in the United Kingdom
    Air Ambulances in the United Kingdom
    There are a number of air ambulance services in the United Kingdom using either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. Thirty helicopters, all operated by commercial companies and funded by charitable organisations, cover England and Wales...

  • Hotel 900
  • South East Coast Ambulance Service
    South East Coast Ambulance Service
    The South East Coast Ambulance Service is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent , Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex . It also covers a part of north-eastern Hampshire around Aldershot...

  • Kent Air Ambulance
    Kent Air Ambulance
    The Kent Air Ambulance is an organisation providing emergency medical services through the provision of a helicopter air ambulance covering the county of Kent in the South East of England, United Kingdom...


External links

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