Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) has reported a significant increase in call-outs for 2024, with a record-breaking number of incidents. The specialist crew responded to 2,272 individuals in urgent need of critical care, an increase of approximately 15% compared to the previous year.
Since its establishment in 2007, the charity has seen a steady rise in incident numbers, highlighting the growing demand for their services. Equipped with an EC135 helicopter and three critical care cars, the highly trained team is able to provide immediate critical care to patients, using tools and equipment typically found in a hospital emergency department. This swift response and treatment can often be life-saving.
According to Tim Ross Smith, GWAAC’s Operations Officer, the charity is now averaging six patient responses per day during operating hours. He attributes this increase in demand to a rise in requests for assistance from local ambulance crews, in addition to traditional air ambulance call-outs for incidents such as road traffic collisions and cardiac arrests. Smith also suggests that the charity’s outreach work and education efforts for land paramedics may have contributed to the rise in requests for assistance.
The majority of GWAAC’s call-outs in 2024 were for cardiac arrests, accounting for 22% of all missions. To address this, the charity has focused on its Great Western Hearts program, which aims to educate communities on how to respond to cardiac arrests. Forrest, a recipient of GWAAC’s services, attests to the vital role the charity played in saving his life during a parkrun. He states, “Without a doubt, without the help of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, I wouldn’t be here today.”
The crew was also dispatched to a higher number of babies, children, and teenagers in urgent need of critical care compared to previous years. In 2024, 379 individuals in this age group required GWAAC’s assistance, accounting for 17% of the charity’s total call-outs.
Road traffic collisions were the second most common type of incident that the crew responded to, with 338 individuals needing their help at the scene.
Overall, serious medical-related incidents made up 55% of GWAAC’s total missions in 2024, while trauma-related injuries accounted for 45% of missions.
The charity’s coverage area includes Bristol, Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire. Of all call-outs, 77% were responded to by one of the charity’s fully-equipped critical care cars, while 23% were attended to by the bright green and blue helicopter.
Bristol and Gloucestershire were the busiest regions for GWAAC, with 656 and 621 individuals respectively requiring the specialist team’s assistance (29% and 27% of total call-outs). South Gloucestershire followed with 345 call-outs, then North Somerset with 277, Wiltshire with 124, and Bath and North East Somerset with 123. The crew also responded to 126 incidents outside of GWAAC’s region, including Wales and Somerset.
CEO Anna Perry expressed pride in the specialist crew’s ability to assist a record number of patients in 2024. She also acknowledged the hard work of everyone who supports GWAAC in raising the necessary funds to keep the vital service operational. However, as operating costs have increased by approximately 10% in the last year, and additional expenses such as increased employer National Insurance Contributions are looming, Perry recognizes the challenges ahead. She hopes that the local community will continue to support GWAAC, emphasizing that there are many ways to do so, including donations, volunteering, and shopping at GWAAC’s stores. Perry concludes, “Thank you to those who have supported us in the past and to those who will support us in the future, you are helping save lives.”
For more information on GWAAC and ways to support the charity, visit www.gwaac.com.
