The Great North Air Ambulance Service launches 24/7 critical care service in the North East

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) will now be providing a 24/7 critical care service in the North East.

Since 2015, the service has been operating an all-night rapid response vehicle, with the help of a paramedic and doctor team, to deliver critical care.

The response vehicle carries the same equipment as the GNAAS aircraft. This means that it can deliver blood, anaesthetic procedures and other advanced treatments that are normally delivered while operating on the helicopter.

The service was initially running on Friday and Saturday nights. However, high demand led to the service funding a further two nights in 2018.

Additional funding has now been secured to provide an around-the-clock critical care service.

Dr Chris Smith, medical director at The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), said: “I’m really excited to announce that GNAAS are now providing a 24/7 service in the North East.

"This means every night we will have a paramedic and doctor team on a rapid response vehicle ready to deliver care to the people in the North East."

David Stockton, chief executive officer at GNAAS, said: “Becoming a 24/7 service has been a long-term goal of the charity, and a personal ambition of myself, so we’re very proud to finally see it come to fruition in the North East.

“Our team can now deliver a high level of pre-hospital care to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we’re hoping to be able to offer the same service in Cumbria in the near future.”

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