[T]he Wainwright Society is delighted to announce that the Great North Air Ambulance Service will be the main beneficiary of funds raised by the Society in 2018. The money raised will be used to purchase the latest ultrasound machines for use by doctors and paramedics in the helicopters owned and operated by GNAAS.
The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) is a charitably-funded organisation that provides essential support for life-threatening incidents or potentially life-threatening incidents across north-east England, Yorkshire and Cumbria. This can include injuries sustained in places completely inaccessible by road or in adverse weather conditions, which can expose the patient to further danger or risk of exacerbating their condition.
The Great North Air Ambulance Service owns and operates three helicopters that can access patients in difficult locations and get them to hospital. However, it is the skills of the trauma team on board that really make the difference to the patient. With a doctor on board on 99 per cent of its shifts advanced treatments can be carried out on scene, well before the patient arrives at hospital. The specialist aircrew paramedics also bring a range of treatments with them that gives the patient the best chance of recovery.
The ethos and mission of GNAAS is to take the hospital to the patient. They see a large range of both illness and injury in remote areas, from cardiac arrests and heart attacks to multiple injuries from falls and leisure activities. Their ability to treat patients often depends upon using ultrasound.
Currently, GNAAS uses first-generation ultrasound equipment and it is hoped that the funds raised by The Wainwright Society will be sufficient to supplement this with the latest ultrasound machines. The cost of three of these, one for each helicopter in the fleet, is approximately £10,000. Funds raised by the Society will have a direct impact upon their ability to carry out many critical procedures.
Grahame Pickering MBE, chief executive of GNAAS, said: “We are committed to driving forward the standards of pre-hospital healthcare, but we can only do that with the support of the communities we serve. Having the support of The Wainwright Society means we can introduce new technology which will improve patients’ outcomes. We look forward to working with members and showing them how their fundraising is making an impact.”
Money will be raised from donations by Society members taking part in the annual charity ‘Challenge’ together with sales of the 2019 Society calendar.
