London's Air Ambulance service operates as a charity in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust and the London Ambulance Service. The advanced trauma doctors and paramedics can perform procedures to relieve pain, straighten broken limbs, perform open chest surgery to restart the heart, give blood and deliver emergency anaesthesia. At the roadside. Within minutes of injury inside the M25 area.
The complex law relating to charitable status and the need at all times to deliver to the original objects of the charity, coupled with the complexity of operating two twin engine helicopters over central London and the challenge of delivering acute trauma responses, poses a multitude of risk management questions. Having previously been a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank, Graham is no stranger to the City of London, so he was able to illustrate many of these challenges through a financial services lens, touching on topics which included risk culture, risk assessments, accountability and dynamic leadership.
The fascinating and stimulating presentation provoked considerable interest and a multitude of questions from the audience. It was reassuring to hear that a second helicopter has recently been purchased (at a cost of almost £4m, including adaptation charges), largely from charitable donations. We were fortunate to secure such an interesting speaker who runs such an important service for ten million people in London. I hope that you might be sufficiently inspired to support the charity. Please see below for more details.
About London's Air AmbulanceCritical injury can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time; often when least expected, simply as people go about their daily lives (see London’s Air Ambulance mission map).
The charity treats on average five critically injured people every day (see London’s Air Ambulance patient stories). Advanced trauma doctors and paramedics provide life-saving roadside assistance within minutes of injury. The service operates 24/7, serving the ten million people who live, work and travel within the M25 in the moment of their greatest need. London’s Air Ambulance reaches its patients by helicopter by day and by rapid response car at night or in adverse weather conditions.
Time is critical when someone has been hit by a train, knocked over by a car or fallen out of a window. Delivering an advanced trauma team to their side gives them the best chance of survival and recovery.
This simply wouldn’t be possible without the support of people and organisations of London. As a charity, London’s Air Ambulance relies heavily on donations to keep operational every day. The team has an international reputation for clinical excellence and delivers pioneering procedures which have been adopted across the world. They constantly strive to improve the service.
This January, London’s Air Ambulance acquired a second emergency medical helicopter and the service will once again be extending its daylight flying hours during the summer (read more).
Thanks to these developments, the charity will be able to reach more patients by helicopter, which can deliver the team to the patient’s side eight times faster than a rapid response car. This can be the difference between life or death, recovery or lifelong disability.
However, the cost of London’s Air Ambulance has now increased to £6m a year, and funding is needed more than ever to maintain the delivery of this vital service for London.
London’s Air Ambulance works with a wide range of corporate partners. These relationships are vital to the service, and the charity is passionate about creating mutually beneficial partnerships.
Partnership opportunities include employment engagement activities, unique brand promotion, and world-leading expertise in leadership, crisis, and resource and risk management.
To find out how your business can benefit from a life-saving partnership with London’s Air Ambulance, please visit www.londonsairambulance.co.uk or contact Lucy Brooks, Corporate Development Manager on l.brooks@londonsairambulance.co.uk or 020 3023 3302.