Life-saving equipment for onboard the Air Ambulance

Thanks to donations from our supporters, we’re helping to provide life-saving equipment for patients suffering from dangerously heavy blood loss.

We have recently funded a blood fridge and blood plasma freezer which will help patients being brought to the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre by air ambulance.

The blood products stored in the fridge and freezer will enable air ambulance staff to treat patients with life-threateningly heavy blood loss on board, rather than them having to wait for arrival at the Major Trauma Centre, which is based at the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham.

This will give patients with heavy blood loss the best possible chance of survival and recovery.

Barbara Cathcart, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “We are extremely pleased to have funded this blood fridge and blood plasma freezer to enable the storage of vital blood products for patients being treated by The Air Ambulance Service.

“We hope that this will enable patients suffering from heavy blood loss to be treated as soon as possible, before their arrival at hospital, giving them the best possible chance of recovery. This donation was made possible thanks to our generous donors from across the Midlands.”

The funding is part of a move by The Air Ambulance Service to enhance its lifesaving work through the introduction of blood and plasma on board its helicopters and critical care cars.

This development allows the service’s medical crews to provide pre-hospital emergency blood transfusions to patients who have life-threatening bleeding from medical conditions or severe injuries - predominately sustained through road traffic collisions or stabbings.

Dr Caroline Leech, Deputy Clinical Lead for the Air Ambulance Service, said: “For the bleeding patient, blood transfusion is one part of a package of critical care that is provided by our teams to bring advanced resuscitation earlier in the patient’s care before they arrive at hospital, giving them the best chance of survival.”

Thank you to everyone who donated to help make this possible.