TheMidlands Air Ambulance Charity(MAAC), formerlyCounty Air Ambulance,is a charity operating aHelicopter Emergency Medical Service(HEMS) in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. It operates three aircraft.
| Abbreviation | MAAC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1990 |
| Type | Charity |
| Location | |
Region | The Midlandsand part of the South West |
Key people | Hanna Sebright - CEO |
Revenue(2022) | £18.0million[1] |
| Staff | 53[1](in 2022) |
Volunteers(2022) | 200[1] |
| Website | www |
History
editThe Midlands Air Ambulance was first registered as a charity in 1990, and started using the County Air Ambulance name in 1993. The role of the charity is the provision of HEMS in the Midland counties of England.[1][2] It also provides secondary support to neighbouring counties. It responds to 2,000 potentially life saving missions every year.[3]
At launch, the charity operated a single helicopter based atHalfpenny Green Airportand, at its peak, had grown to operating three aircraft covering 8,000 square miles (21,000 km2) across 12 counties of England and Wales.[1] The reduction in areas covered began in 2006 and was largely due to other air ambulance charities setting up or expanding and to consolidation ofWest Midlands Ambulance Service(WMAS) assets in the WMAS areas of responsibility. The operating name was changed back to Midlands Air Ambulance in 2009 to reflect the smaller area covered.[2] Until 31 March 2008, the charity also served theEast Midlands Ambulance Service(EMAS) area, based atEast Midlands Airport,but, after some political wrangling between WMAS and EMAS, the aircraft was withdrawn and redeployed into Tatenhill,Staffordshire.
On 3 April 2014, MAAC introduced its first wholly ownedEurocopter EC135helicopter (registration G-OMAA), which replaced one of the three leased aircraft.
In September 2015, three MAAC team members were honoured with aPride of Britain Awardfollowing their response to acollision on The Smiler rideatAlton Towers.[4]
In November 2017, doctors began working all shifts from all three airfields,[5]working alongside a paramedic and pilot. Previously, only RAF Cosford had a doctor on-duty on a daily basis,[5]leaving the other two bases with dual paramedic coverage.
On 20 February 2018, MAAC received a brand newAirbus Helicopters H145,the second aircraft owned by the charity. The aircraft was handed over at the Strensham services base,[6]before being transferred to RAF Cosford.
Organisation
editThe charity aircraft and response cars are generally crewed by Critical Care Paramedics and Doctors. In the year to March 2022, MAAC had an income of £18.0million, and expenditure of £11.2M, of which £7.4M was spent on providing the air ambulance service.[1] The charity is generally funded by charitable donations given by companies, organisations, and members of the public, although in 2021 it received seven government grants totalling £668,000.[1]
MAAC should not be confused with the County Air Ambulance Trust, which is a separate registered charity.[7]That charity raises money for the provision of infrastructure items (such as helipads at hospitals) and also make an annual contribution towards a number of air ambulance charities, including the Midlands Air Ambulance.
Coverage
editThe service covers thecountiesofWorcestershire,Shropshire,Staffordshire,Herefordshire,Gloucestershireand theWest Midlands.[1]It also provides secondary coverage to the surrounding areas.[2]
Helicopters
edit
As of March 2018[update],MAAC use two Eurocopter EC135 helicopters and an Airbus H145, based atRAF Cosfordin Shropshire,Tatenhill Airfieldin Staffordshire, andStrensham serviceson the M5 motorway in Worcestershire. Each helicopter is crewed by one pilot, one doctor and one paramedic, and occasionally a second paramedic.
The pilots and helicopter maintenance are provided byBabcock Mission Critical Services Onshore,who also lease aircraft G-HWAA to the charity.
| Registration | Aircraft | Callsign | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Cosford | G-RMAA | Airbus Helicopters H145 | Helimed 03 | MAAC |
| Strensham services | G-OMAA | Eurocopter EC135 | Helimed 06 | MAAC |
| Tatenhill Airfield | G-HWAA | Eurocopter EC135 | Helimed 09 | Babcock |
| Registration | Aircraft | Introduced | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-EMAA | Eurocopter EC135 | 2005 | 2018 |
| G-WMAA | MBB Bo 105 | 1994 | 2006 |
| G-WMAS | Eurocopter EC135 | 2001 | 2014 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcdefgh"Charity Overview".Charity Commission for England and Wales.Retrieved8 December2022.
- ^abcMidlands Air Ambulance Charity Trustees Report and Annual Accounts 2007/2008[permanent dead link]
- ^Andrews, Mark (13 May 2016). "Keeping the air ambulance flying".Shropshire Star.No. 15759. p. 8.
- ^"Alton Towers crash medics win Pride of Britain Award".Dial2Donate. 30 September 2015.Retrieved30 September2015.
- ^ab"Midlands Air Ambulance Charity on Instagram:" It now costs £9 million every year to operate the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. Here are a few reasons why...find out how you can help at… "".Instagram.Archived fromthe originalon 25 December 2021.Retrieved10 March2018.
- ^"H145 Handed Over to Midlands Air Ambulance".Helis.Retrieved2 March2018.
- ^The County Air Ambulance Trust Annual Reports & Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2007[permanent dead link]
- ^"Midlands Air Ambulance Charity | Saving Lives by Saving Time".midlandsairambulance.Retrieved11 March2018.
External links
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