Running For Matthew

Reg. Charity 1083876

The East Anglian Air Ambulance is independent of government and National Lottery funding and is entirely dependent on fund-raising and contributions. To keep its two air ambulances flying and to provide the advanced medical equipment they carry over £3 million per year has to be raised.

In 2010 the charity is launching a major fundraising drive to man the the helicopters with doctors in addition to paramedics. It is estimated that this will cost an additional £2 million every year.

On average the EAAA are called to four incidents a day, life threatening situations such as road traffic accidents, incidents involving people in inaccessible places, cardiac arrests. Because of the advanced skills, drugs and equipment found on board, and being able to access places impossible for a land ambulance, the EAAA can make the difference between life and death.

The charity was established in 2000 and in the early days operated in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk functioning with one helicopter - Anglia One. In 2007 the service was extended to operate a second helicopter, Anglia Two, which serves Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Anglia One now focuses on covering Norfolk and Suffolk.

The EAAA is especially needed here in East Anglia as the region covers a vast area, much of it rural. With more than 5,000 sq miles, or 11% of the total area of England, it contains some of its most isolated terrain making it sometimes difficult for land ambulances to reach the scene of accidents and emergencies quickly. The roads in East Anglia are becoming increasingly congested, leading to ever more road traffic collisions - which already make up more than 50% of the incidents attended.

The service enables treatment to be given at the scene so patients benefit from on-scene stabilisation which saves lives and spares thousands from serious long term injury. In addition, the EAAA is able to transport the patient to the most suitable hospital for their injuries, which may well be a specialist unit elsewhere in the region and not the nearest Accident and Emergency department.