Almost 40% of our missions last year (2023) we responded to by car. They are vital in getting us to our patients if low cloud means we can’t fly, or when providing extra resilience as part of our Critical Care Paramedic car response.

Thanks to an incredibly generous donation of more than £37,000 from the HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads including at University Hospital Southampton and St. Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight, we have added a new Volvo XC90 to our fleet which is now online and ready to respond to life-threatening emergencies across the region.

What equipment do the cars carry?

Our vehicles carry the same equipment as the Air Ambulance, such as blood products, defibrillators, and monitors that can record ECG’s, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide levels.

This means that the care the patient receives on scene is the same as would be the case if the helicopter team had responded.

The car has also been specially converted with a blue light fit out which gives our crew the best chance of bringing life-saving critical care to our patients as quickly and safely as possible.

Michael Henriques (HELP Appeal Chair), Robert Bertram (HELP Appeal CEO) and Richard Corbett, (HIOWAA CEO) visiting our airbase to launch the car.

Richard Corbett, our CEO, said:

“Our road vehicles are vital cogs in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance wheel. They ensure that we can maximise our response and continue to grow as a service. We are incredibly grateful to the HELP Appeal and its supporters for their generosity, which will undoubtedly change and save lives in our region for many years to come.”

Robert Bertram, HELP Appeal CEO, said:

“The HELP Appeal focuses on funding projects that save time to save lives, whether that’s fit for purpose NHS hospital helipads or state of the art critical care cars. Knowing that HIOWAA’s car is equipped to the same level as an air ambulance means that critically ill patients will be given the best possible treatment at the scene. Thank you to our supporters for making this possible.”

Thank you to everyone at the HELP Appeal for your support.