Abbreviation SARS Headquarters Ipswich | Formation 1 May 1972 | |
 | ||
Motto We need your help, we hope you never need ours Legal status Registered Charity No. 263238 Region served Suffolk and adjoining areas | ||
The Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS) is a registered charity which assists the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust in providing medical care at the scene of emergencies in Suffolk and surrounding counties. The organisation relies on volunteer medical professionals and Allied Health Professionals to provide this service on an entirely voluntary basis. The headquarters are in Ipswich. It is an affiliated member of the British Association for Immediate Care.
Purpose of the organisation
SARS was established in 1972 as a group of doctors willing to give up their spare time to assist at the scene of trauma and medical emergencies. In 2011, SARS opened its membership to paramedics and other health professionals.
The service continues to train and equip participating members. In 2009 SARS responded to 1142 emergencies, and by 2014 the charity had answered over 16,000 calls - an average of more than 1 call each day over the previous 42 years. All SARS members are volunteers who receive no payment or expenses for responding to emergency calls and the work is undertaken without any charge to the patient, ambulance service or UK tax-payer.