North West Air Ambulance Charity called out to record number of missions

The North West Air Ambulance Charity had its busiest ever year in 2023 - with more than 3,100 missions across Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria.

The lifesaving charity provides enhanced pre-hospital care to the most critically ill and injured patients across the five-county region, an area covering 5,500 square miles. Last year saw the most call-outs in it's history, with 300 more than 2022.

This is how the NWAA helped save the life of a 12-year-old girl in Longton In Lancashire, the charity was called to 851 incidents from January 1 to December 31. The charity’s confirmed figures showed cardiac arrest and medical incidents accounted for over 950 callouts for the year, with road traffic collisions at 780 and accidental injuries at 680.

Andy Duncan, Lead Paramedic said: “Our crew make a lifesaving difference to those who need us most. The critically ill patients we treat are at the heart of everything we do, including every decision we make as a charity. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters more patients than ever before have received enhanced pre-hospital care from our dedicated and highly skilled crew.”

How many helicopters are there?

The charity launched in 1999 with one helicopter and it now operates with three helicopters and four critical care vehicles. Two helicopters are based at Barton Airbase in Manchester, and the third is based at Blackpool Airbase.

Since the beginning of 2023, the North West Air Ambulance Charity has also become operational for 12 hours a day, whilst their ‘night-car’ service operates on Friday and Saturdays from 6pm to 2am.

David Briggs, director of operations said: “Each year the number of missions we attend increases and 2023 was our busiest year yet.

“We remain ever grateful to our amazing supporters; without them, we wouldn’t be able to continue saving lives across the North West. The charity is solely funded by public donations; we receive no government funding and are not part of the NHS.”

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