Essex & Herts Air Ambulance to receive one-off boost from Government

1^st July 2019

Air Ambulance to receive one off cash boost from Government

In his Budget Statement last Autumn Phillip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that the Government would be making £10 million available to support the funding of capital projects for the 18 air ambulance charities in England.

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) applied for £1.5 million, and following an announcement on Friday 28^th June will receive the full amount.

EHAAT will use this one-off grant from the Government to help pay for the Charity’s planned new Airbase at North Weald. The total cost of the new Airbase will be in the region of £4 million.

In addition, it now costs in excess of £750,000 a month for EHAAT to remain operational and cover all charitable costs, so we will continue to depend on the generosity and goodwill of the people and businesses of Essex and Hertfordshire to keep us flying and saving lives.

Within his statement last year the Chancellor said: “Across the length and breadth of England, our air ambulance services work tirelessly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to get those with life-threatening illnesses and injuries to the expert medical care they need. They do a fantastic job and today I am making £10 million of funding to help them go on doing so.”

A planning application for EHAAT’s new Airbase at North Weald was submitted to Epping Forest District Council last December and a decision is expected shortly.

Jane Gurney, Chief Executive Officer of EHAAT said: “We are delighted to receive this contribution from Government. It will mean that some of the funds initially put aside for our new premises at North Weald can now be used to help develop and improve the life-saving service we provide for patients. We value the support of the communities we serve and are thankful for their continued support.”

-ENDS-

Photograph: Jane Gurney, CEO of EHAAT

For more information please contact Gavin Sherriff, PR Officer, on 0345 2417 690.

Notes to Editor:

• Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) is a Charity that provides a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the critically ill and injured of Essex, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas.
• The service is provided free of charge but, unlike NHS emergency services, the Charity receives no direct funding from the Government or National Lottery. It costs in excess of £750,000 every month to keep the service operational and cover all charitable costs, and this would not be possible without the generosity and goodwill of people and businesses of Essex, Hertfordshire and beyond.
• Each of the Charity’s HEMS teams consist of a Pilot, a Co-pilot, a Pre-hospital Care Doctor and a Critical Care Paramedic.
• These teams, made up of highly-skilled individuals, tended to 1491 patients in 2018 and are the backbone of your local life-saving Charity.
• The fleet, consisting of two Air Ambulances, and four Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs - cars) operates seven days a week from 7am to 9pm. After sunset, the Critical Care Team continues to provide the service using Rapid Response Vehicles.
• In addition, a Rapid Response Vehicle is operational on a Friday and Saturday evening from 6pm until 2am with a Pre-hospital Care Doctor and Critical Care Paramedic.