East of England: Air ambulance support extended

TWO air ambulance charities are working together to provide extended support to the East of England this summer.

From today (April 2), the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) and the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) will begin running the service from 7am until sunset.

Cover provided by the four helicopters, two from each charity, usually finishes at 6pm.

The extended service was trialled for the first time last year. It will be supported by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

There are also plans for the EAAA to extend its cover to include night-time support when it receives two more helicopters later this year. However, it would need approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to fly at night.

Tim Page, EAAA chief executive, said: “Accidents and medical emergencies, such as strokes and heart attacks, can happen at any time and the care provided by the EAAA and EHAAT is often instrumental in saving lives.

“For this reason, we at EAAA are working towards being able to respond to the needs of those who need by day or at night.”