Air Ambulance appeal after massive rise in costs

Anglia
Wednesday 8 April 2020 at 5:50am

The charity which runs the East Anglian Air Ambulance says it's seen a massive rise in costs to keep flying during the coronavirus outbreak.

Their equipment has to be deep cleaned after each mission and an emergency appeal's been launched for extra funds.

Extra PPE equipment alone will cost £100,000 over six months.

More than £25,000 has already been spent on items such as respirators, high-protection masks, visors, suits, gowns and goggles to protect the doctors and critical care paramedics who are working in the pre-hospital environment.

The helicopter flew 98 missions in March.

Air Ambulance appeal after massive rise in costs Credit: ITV Anglia

Although people are staying home due to the lockdown the service is still needed for road traffic collisions, falls, accidental injuries and medical emergencies such as cardiac arrests.

At a time like this we can't take any chances with the safety of our crews, but we also need to be able to provide the same level of care for our patients. The equipment we now need to operate safely is a huge unforeseen cost that simply hasn't been budgeted for, but we can't send our crews out without it. We understand people are struggling at home too and may not feel as secure about their income, but we need support now more than ever, from those who feel able to give it, to protect our crews and keep our service operating safely. At an unprecedented time, when charity fundraising events and activities have had to be postponed the charity has had to draw on its reserves to adapt to the pandemic and make sure its crews are protected and able to keep flying."