Air Ambulance tasked to Derry area 61 times

Throughout lockdown, the Air Ambulance has been needed on average one or two times a day throughout the North.

The service, which costs £5,500 per day to run, operates seven days a week for 12 hours per day.

Glenn O’Rorke, Operational Lead for the HEMS, said: “The HEMS team have been tasked on 1487 occasions since inception less than three years ago. Your life can change in an instant, trauma is still here and will continue, despite lockdown and more limited activity in society.

“Whilst the rate of Road Traffic Collisions has slightly reduced, DIY accidents have increased and the rate of farming, industrial and other accidents has remained. We encourage everyone not to take unnecessary risks, yet we realise accidents happen. If that is the case and we are tasked, the air ambulance can reach anywhere in NI in approximately 25 minutes.”

The charity has missed out on thousands of pounds because events have had to be cancelled during the lockdown.

Ian Crowe, Trustee of Air Ambulance NI, said: “Air Ambulance NI is your local charity. With your continued support our medics can fly and continue to provide specialist critical care at scene that can be the difference between life and death.”

To find out more information visit: www.airambulanceni.org. or call 028 9262 2677.