THE Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s (GWAAC) new helicopter has allowed them to soar to new heights over the last year with an increase in jobs across the region.

In 2015 HM65 and its crew attended 1,655 life-saving incidents across Wiltshire, Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

This is 270 more than were attended in the previous year, before GWAAC replaced its helicopter with a Eurocopter 135 in October 2014.

The charity has reported that 9.7 per cent of the jobs attended by the air ambulance last year were in Wiltshire and says the main reason the increase has been possible is that the new helicopter can land on any hospital helipad.

Previously, the air ambulance could not land on the elevated helipads at Bristol Royal Infirmary and Gloucester Royal Hospital.

Another welcome feature of the air ambulance is that it has additional space inside, including an extra seat, which means that a relative can be transported with a patient and it also provides the opportunity to train new doctors to work in the air ambulance.

The air ambulance can reach anywhere within the region in under 20 minutes, which is significantly faster than a land ambulance and is a huge advantage in situations when time can be of the essence.

The charity also says it can now carry out the Critical Care Service which operates in the region as the air ambulance is compatible with the high standards of medical care that the team provides.

Head of fundraising and marketing Emma Carter said: “Our EC135 has made a huge difference to the care we are able to provide, and we are delighted with it. The number of jobs we have attended shows just how vitally important it is that we have a helicopter that is equipped to help our crews deal with the serious cases they see every day.

“We focus on getting the care to the patient as quickly as possible, and then transporting them to the hospital best equipped to deal with their needs. But we can’t do this without the support of the public, and we are calling on you to get behind your local air ambulance and keep us flying.”

GWAAC receives no day-to-day funding from the government or National Lottery, and so relies on donations to fund the £2.3million required each year in order to stay operational.

To find out more, or to donate, visit www.greatwesternairambulance.com/