THE public across the West Somerset and Wellington areas are being asked to give a ‘tenner’ to help the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) continue saving lives.

The call comes ahead of Air Ambulance Week 2023 which takes place between September 4 and 10 and is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the vital life-saving work of air ambulance charities across the UK.

DSAA will be asking people during the week to support its life-saving work by giving £10 to the cause, enabling the charity ‘to be there for patients, today, tomorrow’ and in the future’.

Since March, 2000, DSAA has been there for critically ill and injured people when they needed them the most.

The enhanced skills of its team and the specialist equipment and drugs that they carry, along with the speed of their response, can make the difference between life and death.

The emergency helicopter service provided for local communities is 95 per cent funded by charitable giving.

Last year, the DSAA was tasked to 2,424 incidents, with missions costing an average of about £3,500 each.

In its 20-plus years the DSAA has grown from one pilot and two paramedics who were operational only during daylight hours a few days a week to enough crew members to cover 19 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Every shift is covered by a highly-skilled critical care team, comprising at least one critical care doctor, one specialist practitioner, a pilot, and a co-pilot.

They operate day and night and together work tirelessly to save lives.

The pilots use their flying skills to reach patients often in remote locations, by the roadside, in a park, or on a beach.

The clinical team provides complex and life-saving interventions at the scene of the incident.

Together, they bring the hospital to the patient, giving them the best possible chance of survival.

Once patients reach hospital, the charity’s patient and family liaison nurses are on hand to provide support during the hardest time of their lives.

However, there are times when the service is not available, which is why public support during Air Ambulance Week is needed.

DSAA chief executive Charles Hackett said: “Our vision is to be able to reach every patient that needs pre-hospital critical care, something that would not otherwise be available to them.

“At the moment, there are times when we are not able to reach those patients, there may be weather limitations, the aircraft may need essential maintenance, or a patient might need critical care during the five hours a day we currently do not currently operate.

“Therefore we have been spending time looking at what developments, what equipment, and what facilities we need to reach these patients as well.

“Over the years, we have been very careful to spend funds only in the best interest of our patients.

“However, running an aircraft is not cheap.

“With inflation and the need for us to reach an increased number of patients, costs are obviously going up.

“Patients who need critical care, patients who one day could be any one of us or somebody we love, deserve to have this care available to them when they need it.

“That remains our focus, so please, if you able, donate £10 today and allow us to help them, too.”

Contributions can be made via the DSAA website hereor using a mobile phone to text DSAA10 to 70085 (texts will cost £10 plus one standard network rate message), or by calling 01823 669604

Other ways to support the charity can also be found by visiting its website.