A London charity has launched a campaign to raise £6m to fund a second air ambulance helicopter for the city.
London’s Air Ambulance has launched Your London, Your Helicopter as the capital only has one emergency medical helicopter which was out of action for 55 days last year due to maintenance issues.
A second helicopter would ensure continuity of cover and would extend daylight flying hours for five years.
Charity CEO Graham Hodgkin said: “When London’s current, and only, emergency medical helicopter is offline for servicing or maintenance, our patients need us to have recourse to a second helicopter immediately.
“We deliver advanced trauma care 24/7 but we want to ensure we can get to our patients as quickly as possible during daylight hours.
“When we are able to fly we can deliver the hospital to your side, wherever you are, up to eight times faster than in a response car.
“To do this consistently we vitally need a second helicopter.”
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson urged people to get behind the campaign and dig deep to raise funds.
He said: “London is the greatest city in the world and is also one of the most generous cities in the UK.
“We rightly rally together to rapidly raise millions for disasters in other countries around the world but on this occasion, the need is right here on our doorstep.”
London’s Air Ambulance has been operational for25 years and has treated more than 32,000 critically injured people where time makes a difference.
#Love London? Love #YourHelicopter? Donate & help us get a 2nd http://t.co/1XxgTvsXnI Change your profile pic pic.twitter.com/FH9XuV7Fdv
— London’sAirAmbulance (@LDNairamb) February 2, 2015
Mr Hodgkin said: “£4.4.million might seem like a large amount but if everyone donates just £5 today we could have your helicopter in the air by the summer.”
You can donate at www.yourhelicopter.london
Featured picture courtesy of Smudge 9000, with thanks
