Receiving help from above
Air ambulance aid for West Londoners
NEARLY 200 people across seven west London boroughs were treated in the first six months of the year by London’s Air Ambulance (LAA).
The charity which helps saves lives has released statistics for the period between January 2016 and June 2016, as part of National Air Ambulance Week (NAAW).
Of the 917 patients treated across London, 198 casualties (more than 20% of the total) were from Westminster, Hillingdon, Harrow, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Ealing, and Kensington and Chelsea.
Westminster, along with Lambeth borough, were the busiest areas in the capital with 64 patients treated in the first six months of the year.
The second highest number of casualties treated in west London were in Hillingdon where 38 patients required treatment from LAA, followed by 29 in Ealing.
The borough with the fewest number of patients in need of air ambulance assistance were in Hounslow where there were 11 patients. Just last week, LAA were called to the scene of a stabbing in Heston where a man required surgery after being taken to hospital.
MP for Brentford and Isleworth Ruth Cadbury said: “If any resident in Brentford and Isleworth can spare time during National Air Ambulance Week I urge them to get involved and help the charity continue to provide an advanced trauma team for London.”
In other parts of west London, 20 patients were treated in Hammersmith and Fulham; closely followed by Kensington and Chelsea where there were 19 patients; and Harrow with 17.
Volunteers have been spotted across busy London stations raising awareness of the charity and shaking buckets for donations.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is calling for people to back the charity.
He said: “I urge Londoners to get involved, donate and support the doctors, paramedics, pilots and staff at the coalface of emergency care.”
Data from LAA also revealed on average each month a doctor and paramedic from the LAA perform 46 anaesthetics, eight open heart surgeries and eight blood transfusions on the roadside.