Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) has announced that 2023 was its second busiest year on record.

The Critical Care Team received a total of 1,979 call-outs to incidents across the charity's whole region which includes Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire.

In B&NES, 101 people needed the urgent response of GWAAC's specialist crew, an increase from 94 missions In 2022.

In 2023, the crew attended 73% of total call-outs to the charity's whole region in one of their fully-equipped critical care cars and 27% by helicopter. In B&NES, the blue and bright green helicopter was a more familiar sight with the crew responding to 34% of patients by helicopter.

Bath residents, however, won't see GWAAC's helicopter land at the Royal United Hospital very often as the crew often takes patients to specialist hospitals for their requirements, like Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

Do you know the most likely reason someone would need GWAAC's air ambulance crew in B&NES?

In 2023 almost 50% of missions to B&NES were for cardiac arrests or road traffic collisions (RTC).

The specialist team of Critical Care Doctors, Advanced Practitioners and Specialist Paramedics and Pilots was called to help 26 people suffering a cardiac arrest in B&NES (26% of all missions to the area) and 21 people who had sustained a serious RTC injury (21% of all missions in B&NES).

The team responded to 503 call-outs for cardiac arrests across GWAAC's whole region which makes up one-quarter of its annual missions and 377 RTCs, nearly one-fifth of its annual missions.

Overall, serious medical-related incidents accounted for 51% of GWAAC's total missions in B&NES in 2023, while trauma-related injuries accounted for 49% of missions in the area.

The third most common type of incident that the crew responded to in B&NES after cardiac arrests and RTCs was falls; the crew was called to help 11 people who needed the skills of the Critical Care Team.

The lifesaving service isn't just there for adults. In 2023 GWAAC was called to more children and teenagers than ever before. They responded to 289 young people and 15 of them were in B&NES.

"With our mission numbers steadily rising year on year it's more important than ever that we continue to receive the support of the people in our communities.

"As a charity, we receive no direct government funding and rely on the kindness of people donating their time and money. Costs are rising too and we need to raise over £4 million every year just to stay operational."

Anna Perry, Chief Executive Officer, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity