Devon Air Ambulance launches Christmas appeal to raise funds for crew winter equipment

Devon Air Ambulance Trust is fundraising for the winter season. 

With a busy winter season ahead, it is imperative that the Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) crew is well stocked with all the lifesaving equipment and medical supplies they need for every mission. Just a small piece of essential equipment could help to save a life, which is why the DAA winter appeal is urging the people of Devon to give a gift this Christmas if they can. 

The air ambulance crew is called out on missions every day of the year, providing critical, hospital-level care when a person is injured or falls ill. The speed at which they can arrive at the scene of an incident, along with the team’s expertise in delivering specialist critical care, can make all the difference to a patient’s survival, as well as to their recovery. 

Heléna Holt, CEO at Devon Air Ambulance said: "Our goal each day is to deliver the best possible medical care, as quickly as possible, to every patient who needs us. With two Critical Care Cars and two helicopters, the combined efforts of our growing emergency fleet means that we have been able to complete over 33,000 missions in the past 31 years since our inception.

"It is thanks to our kind supporters that we can fund these missions, and we will be hugely grateful if you can help us once again this Christmas."

The Devon Air Ambulance helicopters can reach all of Devon within 15-20 minutes - often less depending on the location, and they can land in places that land ambulances might struggle to access. Hospitals and Major Trauma Centre's are often situated far from remote and rural areas, like Dartmoor, which makes the helicopters invaluable in being able to transport the highly-skilled crew on board as swiftly as possible to the scene of the incident.  

As the busy summer season ended, the charity would typically see a dip in call outs across the county, however, since Covid, this has not been the case and the demand for their lifesaving service is now busier than ever. DAA’s ten pilots are flying more hours, and their two Critical Care Cars are spending more time out on Devon’s busy roads, responding to those that need urgent help.

All these vehicles must carry the vital equipment needed to treat every patient they meet and some items, although crucial, are inexpensive, as Darren Goodwin, Head of Operations at Devon Air Ambulance, explained: "Some items like scalpels and shears cost around £1 each, but having plenty of the right kind this winter will be critical.

"We also need tourniquets – used to stem bleeding at the site of an injury and blizzard blankets that keep a patient warm at the scene of an accident – we use these almost every time we respond, particularly when it is cold outside.

"I cannot tell you how amazing it would be to receive the funds which will enable us to kit out our crew with the supplies they need this Christmas. Any gift you feel able to give would be very much appreciated by us all. 

"On behalf of everyone at Devon Air Ambulance, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has in some way supported us, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year too. We wish you a very Happy Christmas with your loved ones."

To support Devon Air Ambulance’s Winter appeal, visit: bit.ly/your-heart-their-hands-1