Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, discussed the incredible role the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) plays in Cumbria with some of the local heroes who save lives from their base at Langwathby, near Penrith.
The charity turns 20 this year and continues to provide emergency medical care across the North of England with helicopters and rapid response vehicles that effectively bring the hospital to the patient wherever they are.
Dr Hudson met with medical and administrative staff to hear all about the incredible work they do keeping people safe and will now feed their vital insight into the highest levels of Government.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“It was such a privilege to meet some of the amazing team that provide this world-leading service, right on our doorstep here in Cumbria. How inspiring it was to hear about how the whole team strives to innovate emergency care through researching ground-breaking techniques and funding specialist equipment.
“Our part of the world is particularly rural so unfortunately when crises occur, people can often find themselves miles away from a hospital equipped to deal with the emergency. That is why this service is so critical, providing rapid emergency response across such a vast area.
“I’d like to again extend my sincere thanks to everyone involved in GNAAS for their hard work and dedication. The service relies on public donations, so I urge those who are able to, to donate now.”
Terry Sharpe, GNAAS paramedic, added:
“It was a privilege to meet Dr Neil Hudson at our base in Langwathby and discuss the care we deliver to critically ill and injured people across the region. This year we celebrated our 20th anniversary and we’re very proud of the fact that we’ve responded to more than 24,000 incidents in this time.
“It currently costs £7.7m a year to remain operational and we are very appreciative of everyone who has donated or fundraised for GNAAS over the years. Our vision for the future is to provide a critical care service 24/7 in Cumbria but this can only be achieved with the continued support of the public.”
The Great North Air Ambulance Service is currently hosting its 20th Birthday Raffle with entrants able to win £10,000, a Spa Break or shopping vouchers. For more information, visit: www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/support-us/lottery/raffle
About GNAAS:
- The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) is a charitably funded air ambulance service which provides life-saving care throughout the North East, North Yorkshire, and Cumbria.
- They operate two helicopters 365 days a year and also operate a night-time service in the North East and Cumbria on rapid response vehicles.
- The aircraft cover an area of about 8,000 square miles and on board are specialist doctors and paramedics who effectively bring the hospital to the patient.
- The level of skill and expertise of the on-board team mean they respond to the most critically ill and injured people, giving them the best chance of survival.
- GNAAS is a progressive organisation which has pioneered pre-hospital care in the region.
- The latest techniques, equipment and drugs are constantly being evaluated to ensure the charity can provide the best care possible for their patients.
- 2022 marks the service providing 20 years of life-saving care. Throughout this time, they have responded to more than 23,500 incidents across the region, with road traffic collisions being the most frequent type of incident responded to by the team.
- They do not receive Government funding and must therefore raise £7.7m a year through public donations to remain operational. For more information visit: https://www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/ or follow @gnairambulance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok For press enquiries please email [email protected] or call 07554453494
