Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance celebrates 30 years of saving lives

May 2024 marks a very special milestone for the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) as it celebrates its 30^th anniversary.

Since airlifting their very first patient on 13^th May 1994, LNAA has provided a life-saving Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the local communities of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. To date, the life-saving charity has responded to over 29,000 missions.

LNAA CEO, Karen Jobling, said: “This remarkable charity has come a very long way since its humble beginnings in 1994, when we operated out of a temporary building and could only get to patients if there was money in the bank to fuel up the old ex-police bölkow helicopter.”

Thirty years later LNAA now responds, on average, to four missions a day. Its state-of-the-art helicopter and two Critical Care Cars enable crews to give the very best treatments, day and night, to some of the most seriously ill and injured patients when they need it most, ensuring the patient has the best possible outcome.”

Shaun knows how only too well how vital the service is, especially to people living in rural and coastal communities.  Thirty years ago, he was one of the first patients to be airlifted to hospital by Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance and says the speed which the helicopter flew him from Boston Pilgrim Hospital to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, saved his life.

Shaun was six years old when his heart stopped beating not once but three times. The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance team ensured he received the specialist care he so desperately needed.

It was July 1994 and Shaun was with his family shopping in Skegness when he suddenly slipped and banged his head causing a seizure.  He was rushed to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital where doctors fought to stabilise him each time his heart stopped beating.  Due to the seriousness of his injury’s the medical team decided he needed to be transferred immediately to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC).

The two-hour journey by road ambulance from Boston was deemed too risky for the young boy and so Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance were called. In less than 30 minutes, they had safely airlifted Shaun to QMC where he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. He remained in hospital for three weeks, the first week in an induced coma.

Shaun will be forever grateful to the LNAA crew. He said: “If they hadn’t flown me from Pilgrim Hospital to Queen’s Medical Centre I probably would have died.”

The 30^th anniversary of this wonderful charity’s service to the community is a time for celebration as well as a reflection on how far it has travelled.  Karen said: “We receive no direct Government funding, and have only come this far, thanks to the incredible support from people, businesses and communities in Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire.”

“As we celebrate this huge milestone for the charity and look back on how we have been able to make a positive impact on the lives of so many people, we are reminded that we must ensure that LNAA continues to be by the side of patients for the next 30 years. We’d like to thank all our supporters for their past and future support.”

Throughout this 30^th Anniversary year, LNAA will be running a series of fundraising events and activities. To find out how you can get involved and help ensure this 30^th year is one to remember, visit www.ambucopter.org.uk