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East Anglian Air Ambulance launches urgent appeal to carry blood




East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to enable the life-saving service to permanently carry blood on board its helicopters and rapid response vehicles.

Harry Fisher, 17, received a blood transfusion from EAAA when he was in a near-fatal crash on the A140 last November
Harry Fisher, 17, received a blood transfusion from EAAA when he was in a near-fatal crash on the A140 last November

Every year, the EAAA teams are tasked to more than 2,000 life-threatening accidents or incidents, ranging from road traffic collisions to accidental injuries, where urgent lifesaving emergency care is required.

Due to the severe nature of these incidents, many of the patients suffer traumatic injuries and extensive bleeds that only a surgeon in hospital can remedy.

In these situations, the EAAA doctor and critical care paramedic teams need to stabilise the patient and get them to an operating theatre as quickly as possible. Administering blood products on-scene and in-flight can give the patient the best chance of surviving to hospital, by increasing oxygen delivery and clot production.

The target for the appeal is £89,354, which includes the one-off implementation costs. Going forward, EAAA will need to raise in the region of £70,000 a year to routinely carry blood.

Due to the ongoing effects of Covid-19 on the charity’s community and event fundraising, this urgent appeal has been launched to help the charity raise the required funds as quickly and as safely as possible to provide this vital treatment. The charity aims to start carrying blood in July.

Richard Hindson, head of operations at EAAA, said: “At East Anglian Air Ambulance we’re committed to providing a state-of-the-art air ambulance service and providing the very best treatments that we possibly can for our patients.

"A key aim of ours is to permanently carry blood to help us treat our most gravely injured patients and save more lives. Due to the ongoing restrictions on our normal fundraising events and initiatives, we are launching this as an urgent appeal and really hope that the local community will support us in reaching this goal."

To support this appeal, call 03450 669999 by debit or credit card (8.30am-5.00pm), or text BLOOD to 70460 to donate £5, text BLOOD 10 to give £10, or BLOOD 20 to give £20). Donate online at eaaa.org.uk/blood.

Read more:

Consultant at the heart of East Anglian Air Ambulance becomes medical director

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