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Bid to buy helicopter for Great North Air Ambulance

Oct 18 2009 by Rob Pattinson, Sunday Sun

THE Great North Air Ambulance has revealed it wants to buy its own helicopters for the first time in a bid to prevent setbacks which have seen the entire fleet grounded this weekend.

The North has been without the safety-net of the air medics for the last two days with all three of the fleet out of service.

“Bad luck” and coincidence have been blamed for technical faults on two of the aircraft occurring at the same time as the lease on the third chopper ended.

Now the charity have announced their intention to avoid the situation in the future by splashing out on their own fleet, if they can raise the cash.

While figures have yet to be finalised, the helicopters cost between £1m and £2m, and the charity estimates it needs to raise at least £1m to get the ball rolling.

Until now the service, which air-lifts A&E medics to emergencies between North Yorkshire and the Borders and from coast to coast has leased all of its air ambulances.

But by snapping up their own the region could be line for an even higher standard of emergency care, while the pitfalls of aircraft being grounded at the same time could be avoided.

The move would also benefit the charity financially by giving it some hard assets, and helping it retain some of the £300,000 running costs it has to find each month.

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