Foundation Funds Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance £24k Blood Plasma Project

Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) flight doctors and paramedics are now delivering life-saving blood plasma on scene, thanks to a £24,000 gift from the Henry Surtees Foundation.

The foundation supported LNAA in its Blood on Board project in 2017 with more than £16,000 and an audit of on scene transfusions since then showed the need for plasma, which is now being carried on our helicopter and Critical Care Cars and will be on board our second helicopter serving the Lincolnshire coast from 21 June.

LNAA Doctor, Tom Eckersley, who leads the project said: “Plasma makes up approximately half of our blood, the other half being mostly red blood cells. Importantly plasma contains the components of blood that help it to clot. We cover 3,500sq miles so a bleeding patient can be a long way from a major hospital capable of dealing with their injuries. With that in mind, we wanted to be able to deliver both these components of blood at the scene to save more lives.

”The doctors and paramedics on board the helicopter or Critical Care Cars carry out hospital level care beyond the walls of the hospital including blood transfusions, putting patients to sleep and even carrying out heart surgery.