North West Air Ambulance responded to over 12 incidents a day in May - with no government or NHS funding

This vital life-saving work is delivered without any NHS or government funding, made possible solely by the generosity of supporters.

The majority of call-outs were for medical emergencies, including critical conditions such as cardiac arrests and heart attacks, where immediate specialist intervention can be the difference between life and death.

A spokesperson from North West Air Ambulance said: “In May, we responded to 372 incidents across the North West. The most common incident type was medical, which can include things like cardiac arrests and heart attacks.

“We provided 15 pre-hospital blood transfusions at scene. We also performed an RSI (Rapid Sequence Induction) on 21 patients. RSIs are used to put a patient to sleep in a medically induced coma, helping protect their brain and manage their airway.

“Our night car responded to 84 incidents. We receive no NHS or government funding. This is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters.”

Working tirelessly around the clock the service’s night car attended 84 incidents in May alone, ensuring expert care remained available during the most challenging hours.

Total missions this year include 1,823, with the most common incident being medical and patient age 50. Their busiest day was Wednesday and the most visited hospital was Preston Royal Hospital.

Critical care car missions this year total 684 and they need to raise £18 million.

A spokesperson for North West Air Ambulance said: “We operate 365 days a year with specialist doctors and critical care paramedics, delivering advanced pre-hospital care across 5,500 square miles and to over 8 million people. Since 1999, we've responded to over 45,000 missions - around three every day.

“It costs over £18 million a year to run this service, and we receive no government or NHS funding. We rely entirely on public support to keep flying and saving lives.”

Despite the complexity and urgency of these responses, this life-saving work is carried out without a penny of government or NHS funding. Every response, every medical intervention, every life saved is made possible by public donations and community support.

This level of service across such a wide region is a testament to the dedication of the clinical teams and the ongoing commitment of those who fund their work. From urban emergencies to rural rescues, their presence ensures advanced care is always within reach.

Support from the public continues to be critical in maintaining this essential emergency service. Without it, many of these incidents could have had very different outcomes.