HELP Appeal grant aids purchase of new Critical Care Car

Wiltshire Air Ambulance has unveiled its brand-new Critical Care Car, which has been partly funded by a grant from the HELP Appeal.

The Volvo XC90 B5 Plus, call sign CC22, has arrived at the airbase in Semington, near Trowbridge, and is mission-ready to take the charity’s critical care paramedics to emergencies across Wiltshire, Bath and surrounding areas.

The new Volvo replaces the older model, which was involved in an accident in March whilst en route to an incident.

Following the insurance payout, the HELP Appeal has kindly funded the remaining £31,000 for the new car, ensuring there is no financial burden on the charity.

Operated by the County Air Ambulance Trust, the HELP Appeal first supported Wiltshire Air Ambulance when it funded the helipad installation at the airbase when it opened in 2018, including its underfloor heating.

The HELP Appeal also fully funded the charity’s other critical care car, a BMW G5X xDrive30d (call sign CC23) in 2023.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance deputy chief executive Barbara Gray said: “Once again the HELP Appeal has very kindly supported our charity with the necessary funds to complete the purchase of our brand-new Volvo Critical Care Car.

”We now have two fully branded cars with state-of-the-art technology and equipment which our crews can use to respond to emergencies when the helicopter is unavailable, when an incident is particularly close by or if we need to send a second crew by road.”

Richard Miller, Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s safety and operations manager, said: “The new Critical Care Car comes with the very latest Volvo technology to ensure our crew can attend emergencies quickly and efficiently.

“Crucially the boot compartment is big enough to carry an exact match of the medical equipment used on-board the helicopter, allowing us to deliver all of the critical care skills we would as if we attended in the aircraft.”

The HELP Appeal is the only charity in the country dedicated to funding lifesaving helipads at Major Trauma Centres and key A&E Hospitals across the country including at Southmead Hospital and the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

They recently supported Salisbury District Hospital in the installation of its new helipad earlier this year, where Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s helicopter was the first aircraft to land.

HELP Appeal chief executive Robert Bertram commented: “We had no hesitation in helping to fund this vital critical care car as it will save lives, support Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s dedicated team, and ensure that everyone has access to the urgent medical attention they need, at any time."