Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) experienced its busiest ever year in 2016.

GWAAC relies solely on donations to keep running, but it did not stop it being on hand at 1,735 incidents across Bristol, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset and parts of Wiltshire last year. This is an increase from 2015, when the crew attended 1,655 jobs, by helicopter and critical care car.

Of the jobs during 2016 5.7% were in Bath and North East Somerset, 39.7% in Bristol, 19.1% in Gloucestershire, 10.2% in North Somerset, 11.5% in South Gloucestershire, 7.9% in Wiltshire and 5.9% were out of the charity’s region. GWAAC Head of Fundraising and Marketing Emma Carter said:

“The number of jobs we have attended show just how vitally important the critical care team is. We focus on getting the care to the patient as quickly as possible, and then transporting them to the hospital best equipped to deal with their needs. But we can’t do this without the support of the public, and we are calling on you to get behind your local air ambulance and keep us flying.”