Magpas Air Ambulance receives £88,000 donation for more critical care cars to ‘ensure faster, more efficient response times’

A cheque of more than £80,000 has been given to a vital charity to ‘develop its service’ to meet its growing needs.

The funder of two of Magpas Air Ambulance’s new rapid response vehicles visited the charity to see the new lifesaving cars in person and presented a cheque for over £88,000.

The HELP Appeal is the only charity in the country that funds lifesaving helipads at Major Trauma Centres, key A&E hospitals, and air ambulance charity locations.

The appeal has previously supported Magpas Air Ambulance with funding for the helipad at its new airbase in 2021. But this is not all they do to help air ambulances save time in getting critically ill patients the emergency care that they need.

This year, Magpas Air Ambulance grew its fleet of rapid response vehicles to four as the charity continues to respond to the rising demand for its lifesaving care via helicopter, and by road.

As the Magpas Air Ambulance rapid response vehicles carry exactly the same equipment and medication as the helicopter, the charity’s team of advanced doctors and critical care paramedics bring the same, hospital-level care to patients, whatever mode of transport they use to get to them.

Understanding the need for these cars and the care they can help bring to patients, the HELP Appeal donated £88,177 to purchase the new vehicles, which brings the total number it has funded across the country to more than 30.

Last Tuesday, the HELP Appeal’s chief executive, Robert Bertram, and chairman, Michael Henriques, visited the Magpas Air Ambulance base in Cambridgeshire to present the cheque and hear about the difference the rapid response vehicles will make for the patients in the county and beyond.

Lucy Chapman, the director of fundraising and marketing at Magpas Air Ambulance, said: “Being able to show our funders the vital difference their support is making is hugely important to us.

“As a charity, we can only continue to save lives 24/7 with their help and the HELP Appeal has been an important part of our ability to develop our service to meet the growing needs of our patients.”

Robert Bertram, HELP Appeal’s chief executive, added: “Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have been able to fund these critical care cars, ensuring faster, more efficient response times for those in need.

“By enhancing the ability to deliver life-saving care on the ground, we are helping to bridge the critical gap between emergency response and advanced treatment, ultimately helping to save more lives in the region.”