Air ambulance charity marks 25 years serving Wales

Formed on St. David’s Day in 2001, Wales Air Ambulance began as a paramedic-led service, operating one helicopter just five days a week. 

Fast forward 25 years, and the service has evolved into one of the most advanced operations in the UK.

Now consultant-led, with four helicopters and a fleet of rapid response vehicles, it delivers 24/7, hospital-standard care to people across Wales, wherever and whenever they need it.

The service is a mobile emergency department.

Over 56,000 missions have been conducted since the first flight a quarter of a century ago.

Dr Sue Barnes, the Charity’s Chief Executive, said: “Wales Air Ambulance was created by the people of Wales, for the people of Wales. You are a big part of this Welsh success story, helping us grow into the world-class service it is today.

“It costs £13 million each year to keep our helicopters in the sky and rapid response vehicles on the road. We cannot do what we do without your generosity and kindness.”

She continued: “As we mark our 25th anniversary, we give thanks for all those who continue to support Wales Air Ambulance.

“Whether through regular or one-off donations, playing our lifesaving lottery, fundraising, offering services in kind, or using our shops, it all helps save lives across Wales.

“Of course, the service also owes much to those, past and present, who have been directly involved; Charity employees and volunteers, medics, pilots, engineers, allocators and patient liaison nurses. You can all take pride in the service you helped to create.”

“We will be marking this special occasion throughout the year.”

Dr Barnes added: “Our silver anniversary deserves a moment of reflection, but equally, it is an opportunity to look to the future. We have a duty to the people of Wales to improve our service and ensure its security for our future generations. We can only achieve this with the continuation of the incredible support we receive from across Wales.”

“There have been many ‘milestone moments’ during the past 25 years”, says Mark Winter, who is the Operations Director for the Charity’s medical partners, the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS). 

Mark was a medic on the very first mission in 2001.

He continued: “Being on the first aircraft to take off, and the camaraderie among the first crew to make it work, is among my highlights.

“If anyone had said at the launch event for Wales Air Ambulance Charity that in 25 years, we would have four aircraft covering the whole of Wales, working overnight, with the most advanced interventions, I wouldn’t have believed them.” 

Wales Air Ambulance takes hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transfers them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.  It is delivered via a unique third-sector and public-sector partnership.  

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £13 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.   

EMRTS supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.  

This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.  

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care. 

Lead Consultant, Dr Ami Jones, was awarded an MBE in 2017 for her contributions to military and civilian pre-hospital critical care. She has worked on board the Charity’s vehicles for over ten years.

She said: “As a doctor, you often treat one patient at a time. But being part of the team that helped set up the development of the consultant-led service in 2015 was a great privilege.

“You touch every single patient via your colleagues because if the service had not been put in place, no one would be receiving the care.”

Past patient, Joanna Hicks, was on holiday in Pembrokeshire when she got into difficulty whilst swimming on Newgale Beach. 

Joanna was caught in a rip current and given just a 1% survival rate after being rescued. She spent 10 days fighting for her life in hospital.

A grateful Joanna said: “I cannot thank these amazing, truly impressive people enough. Without the Wales Air Ambulance, I really would not be here today to tell the tale.”