First mission flown from new Yorkshire Air Ambulance base
Thursday, 21 November, 2013
Crew that undertook the first mission from the YAA’s new base at Nostell Priory near Wakefield (L-R): Paramedic Matt Syrat, Pilot Garry Brasher and Paramedic Sammy Wills.
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance has flown their first mission from the charity’s new state-of-the-art air support unit at Nostell Priory near Wakefield.
The rapid response helicopter was called to a road accident involving a male cyclist and a vehicle in Holmfirth near Huddersfield and flew to the scene of the incident in only nine minutes. The patient was taken to hospital by land ambulance after his injuries were found to be non-life threatening.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) has relocated one of its two helicopters from Leeds Bradford Airport to the purpose-developed air support unit in the grounds of the Nostell Estate.
The move will enable the charity to improve its coverage and response times to patients in the west and south of the county. The YAA’s second helicopter will continue to operate from its base at RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk, covering the north and eastern part of the region.
The new location will also mean better operational availability - given the lower altitude of Nostell compared to Leeds Bradford Airport which was often affected by fog.
As well as benefiting from an enhanced location, the new Nostell base boasts a larger helicopter hangar space, on-site accommodation, a dedicated fuel bowser, helipad facility and improved office facilities.
The move will also generate some cost savings for the charity from having on site accommodation and buying fuel directly from the supplier.
Peter Sunderland, YAA Chairman said: “This relocation to Nostell is a major step forward for the charity. It will enhance our service across the region, improving flying times to all areas and creating an operational overlap in our busiest areas.
“We are located on an independent site with a long-term lease which gives us stability and the opportunity to deliver an even better service to the people of Yorkshire.”
Nostell will be manned 365 days a year with emergency flights only taking place during daylight hours, in line with CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and planning regulations.
The YAA provides a rapid response emergency service to five million people across Yorkshire – England’s largest region. The independent charity needs to raise £9,990 each day to keep its two helicopters in the air and maintained.
With no direct government funding the only help the charity receives is the provision of paramedics from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
In its 13-year history the YAA has transported more than 5,200 patients to hospitals across Yorkshire. Last year, it flew 933 missions and carried 444 patients – an 18 per cent increase on the previous year.
