As children across the region prepare to head back to school next week, some The post New partnership to support grieving families  appeared first on Thames Valley Air Ambulance ..read more

Before we head out on a hot day, we think about being safe in the sun, but do we think about water safety enough? We might not have beaches nearby, but as the thermostat rises it’s tempting to cool off with a dip in a river, lake, or swimming pool.  Over half of the patients we’ve cared for following water-related incidents were treated between May and July Sadly, we see a spike in water-related incidents over the summertime. Since 2019, we’ve treated 31 patients who have got in trouble in or near the water. Of these, 16 patients were cared for in May, June, or July, that’s over half th ..read more

This summer, it will be ten years since Antonia Roskill was cared for by Thames Valley Air Ambulance. But, to Antonia, the memory of that day is still fresh.  It was a sunny day in July 2014. Antonia had three young children all under the age of ten. Like any parent to young children, Antonia’s life was busy. But that summer was especially eventful, as they had just sold their house. They were in the middle of packing to move and were also squeezing in a family holiday to the Isle of Wight.   Living in Lambourn, the family are into horse riding and the children were learning to ..read more

96 critically ill or injured patients across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire were given blood by our crews last year – almost two patients a week.   We were the second Helicopter Emergency Medical Service unit in the country to carry blood on board our vehicles and we’ve given blood to 402 patients since we became an independent healthcare provider in 2018.   We’ve released the figures to mark World Blood Donor Day on 14th June, and while our paramedics and doctors are on your screens for the latest series of Emergency Helicopter Medics.   Adam Panter ..read more

We have recently unveiled our new Operations area and Clinical Education space, part of an expansion of our existing HQ in Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire. The new facilities mean that, while our helicopter continues to fly from RAF Benson, our fleet of Critical Care Response Vehicles now operate from Stokenchurch. As well as bringing most of the crew and charity staff together under one roof, the newly expanded HQ brings our cars closer to vital road networks via the M40, ensuring speedy access to those in need. Thank you for helping us make this dream space a reality for our crews. Amanda McL ..read more

We marked a milestone this week, treating our 10,000th patient since we became an independent healthcare provider in 2018.  Our charity gives lifesaving care to the most critically ill and injured people in our community, with paramedic and doctor crews using advanced drugs and equipment that effectively bring the hospital directly to the patient.  Behind every statistic on our database is a real person, with family and friends who love them. Amanda McLean, Chief Executive Officer It’s our 25th anniversary this year and we’ve cared for an estimated 35,000 people in Berkshire, Buckin ..read more

On the day, the angels were on my side. Peter On 10th July 2022, Peter and his wife, Sue, were driving home to Bognor Regis after visiting their nephew in Evesham. Peter, who was 75 at the time, was driving and they planned to stop enroute to see their daughter in Basingstoke. There were no signs that this would be anything but an ordinary journey. There was, however, a road closure along their planned route, delaying progress. They decided to take a break and pulled in at a service station on the Milton Interchange. They didn’t know at the time how lucky they were that they picked that servi ..read more

Our paramedics and doctors are dispatched to the most critical incidents in our community. So, we need to make sure they are trained regularly and always ready for whatever a shift may bring. To help drive forward our ambitious education strategy, we’ve recently introduced the brand-new role of Clinical Educator. This is a job that some of our Critical Care Paramedics are taking on, in addition to their work on the frontline of saving lives. Critical Care Paramedic Emma is one of those stepping into the new role. “My fellow Clinical Educators and I have really hit the ground running” she expla ..read more

Our Aftercare team have been highly commended in the category of ‘charity team of the year’ at the Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence. In August 2018, we were one of the first air ambulance charities in the UK to introduce an Aftercare service. This year, the fifth anniversary of our Aftercare team, we are celebrating the success and impact Aftercare has had on our patients, our clinicians and our staff. The essence of Aftercare is acknowledging that something awful can happen in an instant, but it can have a ripple effect that can go on for months and years after. We know that these rippl ..read more

 We’ve launched our latest Christmas appeal, featuring the story of a man who lost his leg last year in a road traffic collision.   In January 2022, Paul was on his way to work in Faringdon. He noticed a car on the roadside, so he parked his car on the other side of the road and went over to help, waving to approaching cars to warn them to slow down. One passing car slowed, but the second car did not manage to hit the brakes in time and Paul was pinned between two vehicles.   We arrived on scene by helicopter and gave Paul ketamine to manage his pain, then he was carefully ..read more