Magpas air ambulance in greater need than ever before

Charity air ambulance undertakes more than 100 more call outs

Demand for the 24/7 Magpas Air Ambulance was higher than ever last year.

Its enhanced medical team was called to more than 1,600 life-threatening emergencies across all the counties in the east of England, more than 100 additional call-outs compared to 2016.

In December 2017, the Magpas air ambulance was called out 155 times, with 55 of those dispatches taking place between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve alone.

The charity's doctor and paramedic team used their expert knowledge and skills to treat an extremely wide range of medical emergencies, which ranged from cardiac arrests to falls and collisions.

Natalie Church, the director of operations at Magpas air ambulance station, said:"The demand for our charity is predicted to rise in 2018 and we will need to raise almost £5million to fund our vital service."