Great Western Air Ambulance Charity has unveiled a new critical care car which will allow them to reach more critically ill patients across the region.

The charity's emergency crew respond to those in need by critical care cars, as well as their helicopter, both carrying lifesaving medical equipment on board, including ventilators and advanced drugs that are not carried on a land ambulance.

GWAAC's crew are called to the most seriously ill or injured patients across the region, and their specialist skills enable them to perform hospital level emergency care at the scene, giving the patient the best possible chance of a positive outcome.

In 2019, they received more than 2,000 callouts to those in urgent need, of which over two thirds were responded to by critical care car. The cars ensure that the crew are always ready to respond in any conditions, for example when the helicopter is unable to fly due to bad weather or maintenance, or when the location of a patient has limited safe landing sites nearby and is easier to access by road.

Air operations officer at GWAAC, John Wood, said: "Having reliable, appropriate and fully equipped cars are essential for us to reach and treat patients in the most effective way. The new vehicles will enable our team to negotiate tougher terrain and drive safely in challenging weather conditions to reach patients quickly and safely, particularly in rural areas."

The new model, a Skoda Kodiaq, has been modified to meet the full requirements of the air ambulance's Specialist Paramedics and Critical Care Doctors. The vehicle has been specially converted to carry all the lifesaving medical kit that the crew bring to their patients. To convert and fully kit out a vehicle to be a critical care car costs £64,000.

This new car will be one of three vehicles to join GWAAC's fleet, updating the current models that the service uses, after the charity successfully bid for a one-off Government grant from the Department of Health and Social Care last year to purchase the much-needed new cars.

As a charity, GWAAC received no day-to-day funding from the Government or NHS and relies solely on charitable donations and grants from the communities it serves and local organisations to raise the £4 million needed each year to remain operational.