Until June 2007 Sussex was one of a handful of counties in England not to have its own dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) but thanks to the Sussex Air Ambulance Appeal, which was launched in June 2005, Sussex has had an Air Ambulance service for almost a year and a half now, with the service operating 7 days a week, 365 days of the year to assist the ambulance service in responding to 999 calls.
the Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance Airbase at Dunsfold.
The Helicopter is able to deliver an emergency medical crew to the site of an accident within minutes of being scrambled from its base at Dunsfold and then to transfer the patient to the nearest appropriate hospital or even to a major London hospital for treatment, in a fraction of the time that it would take an ambulance traveling by road to travel the same journey. By traveling at speeds of up to 150mph across the skies of Sussex.
the Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance Airbase at Dunsfold.
The speed of the helicopter is a great advantage to have for The South East Coast Ambulance Service, as every second counts in treating casualties with the golden rule being The Golden Hour, if a casualty reaches a hospital within the first hour of being injured the chances of survival are significantly increased.
There is a golden hour between life and death.
If you are critically injured, you have less than 60 minutes to survive.
You might not right then; it might be three days later or two weeks later.
But something has happened in your body that is irreparable.
R. Adams Cowley.
It is for this reason that the Air Ambulance carries not just a paramedic but also a Doctor so that their knowledge can assist in treating the patient from the moment the Air Ambulance lands at the scene until the patient reaches the nearest hospital for them.
The Sussex/Surrey Air Ambulance lands on the tarmac at its base at Dunsfold.
The Sussex Air Ambulance is also a far safer Helicopter than Air Ambulances of the Past, as the Helicopter has no tail rotor, and so can operate in a busy environment, such as a motorway accident, with a greater degree of safety thanks to the NOTAR system employed by the MD900 which blows air out of the rear of the tail to provide the thrust normally provided by a tail rotor.
A detail shot of the rotors of the Sussex Air Ambulance whilst sitting on the tarmac at its base at Dunsfold.
However the service, like 15 others in the UK, is registered as a charity and receives no Government or Lottery funding and must raise the £1.5 Million required for operations each year by itself. This is raised mainly through the volunteers who support the Air Ambulance at events and assist the fund raising. Other ways to donate are through the Air Ambulance Lottery, Air Ambulance Merchandise, as well as simply donating online.
The Sussex Air Ambulance sits on the tarmac at its base at Dunsfold, waiting for the call to scramble
Many of the volunteers who help out with the Air Ambulance have been saved by the Air Ambulance itself, and having completed thousands of missions the Helicopter has already proven its value by saving multiple lives. Some of those who have been helped by the helicopter have had their storied posted on the Air Ambulance website for people to read. Real Life Stories