North West Air Ambulance Charity

North West Air Ambulance Charity is a registered charity that provides air ambulance and critical care services across North West England. The organisation operates helicopters and critical care vehicles every day of the year with specialist doctors and paramedics on board. Its mission is to bring hospital-level care to patients when and where they need it most.

The charity covers an area of approximately 5,500 square miles with a population of over 8 million people. It serves the entire North West region and is based at two airbases in Barton and Blackpool. Since its launch in 1999, North West Air Ambulance has responded to over 45,000 missions, answering around three calls per day on average.

The charity has a fleet of three EC135 helicopters. Each aircraft is staffed by a pilot and a medical team consisting of either one doctor and a critical care paramedic or two critical care paramedics. The helicopters can carry one patient on a stretcher and accommodate a small passenger such as a parent or guardian.

In addition to air support, the charity operates four critical care response vehicles from its Barton and Blackpool bases. These vehicles provide rapid medical assistance in situations where helicopter deployment is not possible or for incidents nearby and in city areas. A dedicated night response car operates daily from 6pm to 2am with a consultant-level doctor and critical care paramedic onboard.

North West Air Ambulance Charity relies solely on charitable donations and fundraising as it receives no government or NHS funding. It must raise over £18 million each year to maintain its services. The charity works independently and holds no political affiliations.

Services

• Helicopter emergency responses
• Critical care vehicle responses
• Pre-hospital emergency care
• Patient transfers between hospitals
• Night-time critical care response
• Specialist doctor and paramedic medical teams