The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) is a regional helicopter air ambulance service in southwest England. It operates for the relief of sickness and injury, with a critical care paramedic and a critical care doctor, during daylight hours in Bristol, Bath, North and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, and parts of Wiltshire.
Contents
History
The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity was created in 2008. It currently operates an EC135, in bright green and blue livery. At launch GWAAC operated a Eurocopter 135, but as flying hours increased the funding was not available, so the charity moved to a Bölkow 105.
In 2012 the charity launched the "Movin' On Up" campaign, to raise the money needed to return to the EC 135. The campaign goal was reached in 2014, and in October the EC 135 arrived at the base in Bristol Filton Airport.
The EC135 has a 40% increase in cabin volume, allowing the team to offer better inflight treatment. It has an extra seat, allowing means medics to be trained on-board or a child patient to be airlifted with a parent. It can also land on elevated hospital helipads, and allows side loading, saving 15 minutes and allowing airlifting of more patients. The EC135 is 4 minutes faster than the Bölkow 105, as the shut down and start time is halved.
Move to Almondsbury
Following the closure of Filton Airfield, GWAAC and NPAS Filton announced plans to move to a new base adjacent the Almondsbury Interchange, approximately 2 miles north of their current base. The plans were met with criticism from local residents, Almondsbury Parish Council and Jack Lopresti, MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, concerned about noise from the site, the potential for distraction of motorists on the M5 and M4 motorways and loss of green belt land. Despite this, permission to move to the site was granted by South Gloucestershire Council.
By April 2016, South Gloucestershire Council had quashed it's original decision after a judicial review was raised into the planning process. After plans were resubmitted, planning permission was again granted in August 2016. Work is due to start at the site in early 2017 with both helicopters aiming to operate from the new base by the end of 2017.
Operations
GWAAC is a charity, and provides an air ambulance service for a population of 2.1 million people. The charity has received grants from the national government, but does not receive annual funding from the government or National Lottery, and is normally funded by public donations. The charity currently operates on a budget of £2.3 million per year.
The helicopter is based at a hangar on Filton Airfield, in Bristol. Within 4 minutes of an emergency call being received the helicopter is in the air, and it can be anywhere within the region it covers in 20 minutes.
The GWAAC critical care team consists of a critical care paramedic and doctor, who provide a remote accident and emergency department to the patient. They are able to carry out anaesthesia and control of breathing, chest drainage, surgical procedures, additional drugs, triage to the correct destination, and discharge from the scene.