Council chairman calls on Islanders to support air ambulance appeal

The chairman of the Isle of Wight Council is calling on Islanders to support a major Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance appeal which will help save lives.

Councillor Karl Love made a special visit to the air ambulance base at Thruxton Airfield near Andover yesterday (Thursday) to learn more about what the charity does and to hear about its future plans.

The life-saving service is relocating and has launched Operation Airbase — a £3.6 million fundraising campaign to help it convert a former factory and offices near Southampton Airport into a hangar, helipad and crew rooms.

The move will mean the helicopter will be able to reach almost every patient in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight within ten minutes of take-off.

As part of his visit, hosted by the mayor and mayoress of Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Love thanked emergency crews who were dispatched to 89 emergencies on the Island between January and June this year.

He said: "The air ambulance is an important part of our Island's health care and has been a lifesaver for many.

"The air ambulance is intending to relocate to a site near Southampton Airport which is an important and critical change for the Island and will significantly increase the survival rates for those who need urgent care.

"It currently costs £17,750 a day to maintain this life-saving service, and it is only thanks to the generosity of the communities they serve that they are able to keep the air ambulance flying and saving lives.

"The service would welcome donations however large or small from businesses willing to make a charitable gift or from private individuals."

Using both a helicopter and emergency response vehicle, the charity brings a team of highly-skilled pre-hospital emergency medicine doctors and specialist paramedics to the scene of an accident, effectively bringing the hospital to the patient when time is critical.

Called out to an average of five incidents every day, including cardiac arrests, road traffic collisions, falls and assaults, the service is operational 365 days a year, both day and night.

Dr Simon Hughes, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance clinical lead, said: “This move will be the single biggest leap forward in our 17-year history.

"It has long been a dream of our team to operate from a location that is truly central within our community. From day one in our new home, response times will be faster, patient outcomes will be better – and lives will be saved that would otherwise have been lost.”

Islanders can support Operation Airbase Appeal by making a donation.

Photo: Councillor Karl Love with his partner and consort David Hill, alongside Richard Corbett, air ambulance chief executive officer, and air ambulance chairman, David Drew.