Great Western Air Ambulance Charity

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity Logo
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity Logo

The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) is a charity air ambulance service in southwest England. It operates for the relief of sickness and injury, with a Specialist Paramedic in critical care and a critical care doctor, between the hours of 7am and 1am, 365 days a year. The service covers Bristol, Bath, North and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, and surrounding areas.

History

The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity was created in 2008. At launch GWAAC operated a Eurocopter EC135, but as flying hours increased the funding was not available, so the charity moved to a Bölkow 105.

In 2012 the charity launched the "Movin' On Up" campaign, to raise the money needed to return to the EC135. The campaign goal was reached in 2014, and in October the EC135 (registered G-GWAA) arrived at the base in Bristol Filton Airport.[1]

Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care and Critical Care Doctor exit the GWAAC helicopter
Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care and Critical Care Doctor exit the GWAAC helicopter

The EC135 has a 40% increase in cabin volume, allowing the team to offer better inflight treatment. It has an extra seat, allowing medics to be trained on-board or a child patient to be airlifted with a parent. It can also land on elevated hospital helipads, and allows side loading, saving 15 minutes and allowing airlifting of more patients. The EC135 is faster than the Bölkow 105, and the shut down and start time is halved.

On 1st August 2017 GWAAC upgraded to a EC135 T2+ model, which has slightly more advanced features and can travel further without the need to land and re-fuel. Registration is G-GWAC and it has distinctive green and blue livery. All GWAAC helicopters have been leased from Babcock Mission Critical Services (Onshore) Ltd, previously Bond Helicopters.

Move to Almondsbury

Following the closure of Filton Airfield, GWAAC and NPAS Filton announced plans to move to a new base adjacent the Almondsbury Interchange,[2] approximately two miles north of their current base. The plans were met with criticism from local residents, Almondsbury Parish Council and Jack Lopresti, MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, concerned about noise from the site, the potential for distraction of motorists on the M5 and M4 motorways and loss of green belt land.[3][4] Despite this, permission to move to the site was granted by South Gloucestershire Council.[5]

By April 2016, South Gloucestershire Council had quashed its original decision after a judicial review was raised into the planning process.[6] After plans were resubmitted, planning permission was granted in August 2016.[7] Work started at the site in late 2017 with both helicopters expected to operate from the new base by the end of 2018.[8] The new airbase is being built by Dawnus Construction under contract to BAe Systems Ltd, who are GWAAC and NPAS' current landlord, as the provision of a new base was part of the agreement to close Filton Airfield.

Operations

GWAAC helicopter
GWAAC helicopter

GWAAC is a charity, and provides an air ambulance service for a population of 2.1 million people. The charity has received grants in the past from the national government,[9][10] but does not receive annual funding from the government or National Lottery, and is normally funded by public donations. The charity currently operates on a budget of £3 million per year.

The helicopter is based at a hangar on Filton Airfield, in Bristol. Within 4 minutes of an emergency call being received the helicopter can be in the air, and it can be anywhere within the region it covers in 20 minutes.

GWAAC also operates two Critical Care Cars, used when the helicopter is not feasible - for example due to the location of the patient, the helicopter being at another job, or otherwise unavailable. The helicopter does not currently fly during the hours of darkness.

The GWAAC critical care team consists of a Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care and Critical Care Doctor, who provide a remote accident and emergency department to the patient. They are able to carry out anaesthesia and intubation, thoracotomy, thoracostomy, chest drainage, surgical procedures, additional drugs, triage to the correct destination, and discharge from the scene. The crew carry blood and plasma to help treat patients who are losing blood.

In 2017 the GWAAC team attended 1834 jobs, their busiest year since the service started in 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "Great Western Air Ambulance's new helicopter arrives". BBC News. 16 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Plan for new helicopter base near Almondsbury Interchange". Bradley Stoke Journal.
  3. ↑ "Dozens of letters of objection received to plans to build helicopter base in Almondsbury". Gazette Series.
  4. ↑ "Parish council objects to plans for Almondsbury helicopter base". Gazette Series.
  5. ↑ "Helicopter pad in South Gloucestershire for air ambulance and police given go ahead". Bristol Post.
  6. ↑ "Almondsbury helibase decision quashed". Bradley Stoke Journal.
  7. ↑ "Almondsbury helicopter base granted planning permission". Gazette Series.
  8. ↑ "Emergency service's air base plan in Almondsbury given all-clear for take-off". Gazette Series.
  9. ↑ "£1m boost to keep Great Western Air Ambulance flying announced". www.gov.uk.
  10. ↑ "Chancellor pledges £1 million to keep Great Western Air Ambulance flying". Bath Chronicle.
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