Questions about our service
We provide the air ambulance and critical care response for Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire. We are also sometimes called to neighbouring areas, such as Somerset and Wales, to assist our air ambulance colleagues there.
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity operate from an airbase at Almondsbury in South Gloucestershire, adjacent to the M4/M5 Almondsbury Interchange. Our charity office is based in Bristol near the Ashton Gate Stadium.
Our Critical Care Teams are available 18 hours a day from 07:00 to 01:00. We have a day team operating from 0700 to 1900 from the helicopter and a critical care car, and a late team operating from a critical care car from 13:00 to 01:00.
Our crew are called to incidents where the patient has a life-threatening emergency, whether through illness or injury. They are only called to patients where their specialist level of skills can make a difference on scene, they are not called as a rescue service for people in hard to reach areas.
We receive over five call-outs a day on average to critically ill or injured patients.
This depends on the type of incident and the type of treatment the patient needs on scene. We aim to be anywhere in our region in 20 minutes from receiving the call, and we can be on scene for any length of time necessary. If we transport the patient to hospital, we factor in handover times and then getting back to base. Often we can attend multiple jobs in a row so can be away from the base for many hours.
We aim to be in the air or on the road within just four minutes of receiving an emergency call-out and to have arrived anywhere within our region within 20 minutes of receiving the call.
Sometimes. Where it is the fastest and most appropriate means of getting a patient to hospital, we can fly them in the helicopter. Often we will transfer a patient in the back of a land ambulance so that our crew can closely monitor them and continue specialist care on route to the hospital.
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity representatives can give talks to your group, organisation, or business on what it is we do and why. Find out more and book here.
Our standard crew consists of a Pilot, a Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care (SPCC) and a Critical Care Doctor. A trainee doctor or paramedic often accompanies the crew in the fourth seat in the helicopter.
Our Specialist Paramedics and Critical Care Doctors are highly trained in pre-hospital emergency medicine and bring the skills and equipment of a hospital direct to the patient in need. They can perform lifesaving surgical interventions, usually only done in an operating theatre, at the scene of an incident. Read more on what our crew do on scene here.
Our crew take the patient to the hospital best suited to their needs, which isn’t necessarily the closest one. We are lucky within our region to have many specialist hospitals, such as Southmead Hospital, which is a Major Trauma Centre, and the Bristol Royal Infirmary, which includes the Bristol Heart Institute and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. These are the most frequent hospitals we transfer patients to as they offer the specialist care that our patients need. For example, if we attend to a patient in Bath, we usually transport them to one of the above hospitals rather than taking them to the local Royal United Hospital as they will need a major trauma centre, specialist cardiology or paediatric treatment.
Our crew carry the same specialist equipment usually found in a hospital, such as ventilators and kit for emergency procedures such as blood transfusions, anaesthetics or even emergency surgery. Most of the equipment they carry is not found on a land ambulance, as the crew need to be specially trained in critical care to use it. They also carry advanced drugs, such as advanced pain relief, which is not carried on a land ambulance. The kit we carry is all funded by charitable donations.
Our team are dispatched by a dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and Critical Care team based in the 999 ambulance call centre in Exeter. They listen in to 999 calls and dispatch our crew to those who need specialist attention. Often our crew are also called upon by land ambulance crews who have arrived on scene and need their advanced skills to care for a patient.
Find out what happens when you dial 999 and need an air ambulance here.
We operate three critical care cars that allow us to offer a more resilient service and reach more patients in need. Our late team respond from a car from 13:00pm to 01:00am and our day team will respond by car in instances where the weather prevents them flying, or the area of the incident has very restricted and limited landing sites.
Our Critical Care Doctors are Consultants in regional hospitals across a range of specialities, including anaesthetics, emergency medicine, intensive care, cardiology, and paediatrics. They are required to undergo up to two years of Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine training with GWAAC in order to become Critical Care Doctors.
Our Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care (SPCC) have all gained significant experience in the ambulance service before undergoing a rigorous selection process to join our team, where they begin their two years of training to become a qualified SPCC. Read more on the selection process and assessment day here.
Our Pilots must have a minimum of 2,000 hours flying experience, hold a Commercial or Air Transport Pilot’s Licence (Helicopter), an Instrument Rating, Class 1 Medical, EC135 type rating and be specifically trained and checked for Helicopter Emergency Medical Service operations. Our Pilots are all employed by Babcock Aviation Services, which is where we lease our helicopter from as well.
Questions about our helicopter
We operate just one helicopter from our airbase in Almondsbury, our EC135 T2+, known as Helimed 65. You can take a tour of Helimed 65 online here.
Our helicopter can carry a maximum of five people. This includes the Pilot, up to three medical crew members and one patient on the stretcher. Where necessary, we can also take a parent of a child instead of a crew member if we are airlifting the child to hospital.
Our helicopter has a maximum airspeed of 155 knots, equivalent to approximately 186 miles per hour. However, we cruise at an airspeed of 120 knots (140 mph), covering two nautical miles per minute, flying in a straight line.
Our helicopter measures 12.16 metres from the tip of the rotor blades to the end of the tail. We need an area with a diameter of 25m (double the length of the rotor blades) which is clear of obstructions in order to land at the scene of an emergency. This is roughly the same size as a tennis court.
Our maximum take-off weight is 2,910 Kilogrammes; approximately three tonnes which is half the weight of a full grown elephant!
Our standard fuel load provides 1 hour 35 minutes of flying time and a range of 190 nautical miles. This is the equivalent of flying non-stop from our base in Almondsbury to Newcastle – which would take around 4 to 5 hours by road.
We spend around £50,000 on fuel for the helicopter each year.
Each mission our crew attend costs approximately £2000, including helicopter running costs, our crew and all of our specialist equipment and drugs.
We can fly at night, but when it is dark we can only land in surveyed landing sites e.g. a hospital helipad, or back at our airbase. We can only land in an unsurveyed site (usually the scene of an incident) in daylight – this is so that the Pilot and crew can safely see any dangers that might affect their landing, such as telephone wires or livestock.
Yes. Our Pilots are highly trained and experienced to fly in a variety of weather conditions - in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) and under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).
For operations over land, we need a cloud ceiling of 500 feet above ground level and 1500 metres visibility. The maximum wind speed for starting and stopping our rotors blades is 50 knots. Strong winds make for a bumpy ride in a helicopter but if it is blowing in the right direction wind can help us get to a patient more quickly.
When the weather is poor it may be possible for us to respond to patients along the Bristol Channel coast and Severn Valley using the helicopter, whilst responding to incidents on higher ground using our fleet of Rapid Response Vehicles.
No, we lease our helicopter from Babcock Aviation Services. This means that when it needs maintenance, we are given a replacement helicopter and can still respond to incidents.
Not very often! But if we are landing close to an airport or airfield, such as Bristol Airport, we may need to obtain permission from Air Traffic Control. However, as a HEMS aircraft, we have many exemptions and are able to land in unsurveyed sites that other aircraft are not allowed to do.
Fundraising and charity questions
All air ambulances in England are charity funded. We receive no money from the Government or NHS, but around half of our Specialist Paramedic costs are funded by South Western Ambulance Service. Our independence from Government means that we can ensure that the money we raise is spent directly on our local communities and in creating a service that is right for them, regardless of any changes in Government policy or priorities.
If you have a full collection tin, please call our charity office on 0303 4444 999 to let our team know, or email info@gwaac.com with your name, address and contact details and we will let you know how you can pay the money into the bank yourself, let you know your nearest drop-off point, or schedule a volunteer to come and collect it from you.
If you have unwanted items for our charity shops, you can drop them off at one of our shops in Westbury-on-Trym or Yate. More information on addresses, opening times and what you can and can’t donate here.
If you have unwanted textiles (clothing, bedding, etc.) that you can't give to our charity shop, you can find one of our charity recycling banks here.
If your details have changed then please contact our Supporter Care Team on 0303 4444 999 or by emailing info@gwaac.com to let us know.
Yes! Donations via cheque are welcome and should be made out to ‘Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’ and posted to our charity office address: Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, 3rd Floor, County Gates, Ashton Road, Bristol, BS3 2JH
We have a contract with a company called Tower Lotteries who have a team of lottery canvassers who go door-to-door asking people to play our lottery. The lottery is our biggest source of income and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who plays. You can find out more here. If you have any concerns or queries around the legitimacy of a door-to-door fundraiser who says they are from Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, please do get in touch and we can check this out for you.
Still have more questions?
If your question hasn't been answered, or you would like to find out more and need to get in touch, you can email info@gwaac.com or call our friendly Supporter Care Team on 0303 4444 999.
Thank you!
Frequently asked questions about our Lottery
How do I know if a canvasser works for GWAAC?
A list of our current lottery canvassers can be found here. On this page you can check out their image, ID numbers and what they should be wearing. If you have any questions or concerns then please call our office on 0303 4444 999 or email info@gwaac.com.
How do I notify you of a change of address?
Please contact our lottery providers Tower directly on 0333 577 5707 with your previous and new address to update your details.
How do I cancel my lottery subscription?
If you'd like to cancel your lottery subscription then please email info@gwaac.com with your following details:
- Lottery ID number and/or GWAAC reference number
- Postcode and first line of address
- Name
- Contact number (incase we have any problems and need to get in touch with you).
Please note we also advise you to cancel the direct debit with your bank.
How do I make a complaint?
Please refer to our Complaints and Disputes Policy. If it's an emergency please call our charity office on 0303 4444 999.
Gift Aid FAQs
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a scheme from HM Revenue and Customs that allows us to reclaim an extra 25% on your donations made during the past 4 years, as well as on all future donations. This means that for every £1 you donate to GWAAC, we can claim an extra 25p.
Who is eligible?
You qualify for Gift Aid if you meet the following criteria:
You are a UK taxpayer
You pay enough tax – this is at least equal to the tax that all charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs will reclaim in the tax year of your donation.
This also applies if you pay tax on your savings, pension plan or investment income but taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify.
If you pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on your donations in the tax year, you will be responsible for paying any difference.
Are you a higher rate taxpayer?
If you pay higher rate tax, there is an extra benefit as you are able to reclaim tax on the amount you have donated. We, as a charity, can claim the basic rate of tax on the value of your gift and you can reclaim the difference between higher rate (40%) and basic rate (20%). If you want to receive the additional tax relief you must:
Include all your Gift Aid donations on your self-assessment tax return, or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.
We would suggest speaking to your accountant if you would like to do this.
How can I Gift Aid?
All we need is a single Gift Aid declaration, which will not only cover your future donations but also donations you have made for the past 4 years. To make your declaration, you can either:
- Call our team on 0303 4444 999
- Download the GWAAC Gift Aid donation form, complete it and send it to 3rd Floor, County Gates, Ashton Road, Bristol, BS3 2JH.
Please remember to let us know if you have changed your name and address, or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains tax, either by completing our online enquiry form or calling us on 0303 4444 999.
Does my donation qualify for Gift Aid?
Gift Aid can be claimed on both individual and some sponsorship donations provided they are gifts.
Your donation would not qualify for Gift Aid if:
- If it is an entry fee e.g. a ticket for a sports event or performance
- If it was a purchase
- If it is an entry fee for a competition e.g. a raffle
- You have donated via a Charities Aid Foundation voucher
What if I have agreed to Gift Aid to another charity?
You can support as many UK charities as you like through Gift Aid. You just need to make sure that you return a declaration to each charity that you support and you are paying enough tax during the year to cover your total annual donations.
Can I withdraw a declaration on a particular gift?
Yes - If, for any reason, you decide that your gift should not be included in Gift Aid – then simply call us and we will amend your record to reflect this.
Can you claim Gift Aid on sponsorship/donations I’m paying in on behalf of others?
It depends and this is where it gets complicated– we may be able to claim Gift Aid on fundraising events such as marathons or treks abroad. All sponsorship payments are eligible for Gift Aid if participants pay the cost of flights and accommodation themselves.
If a sponsor is connected to the participant, their donations only qualify for Gift Aid if the participant pays the full cost of the trip so that all the sponsorship money raised goes to the charity.
A ‘connected person’ is: defined by HMRC as
- a wife, husband or civil partner
- a brother, sister, parent or grandchild
- the wife, husband or civil partner of a relative
- a company under the control of the donor, or under control of connected persons
For more information about these rules please visit: https://www.charitytaxgroup.org.uk/tax/donations/gift-aid/donor-benefits/
To be able to claim Gift Aid on sponsorship monies, we will need to have the names, addresses and postcodes of the individuals and their permission to Gift Aid.
Can I stop giving?
Completing a Gift Aid declaration does not put you under any obligation to give again – it simply means that we can reclaim tax on the donations that you have already made, and any that you may give in the future.
If you have any further questions that we cannot answer, please contact your local tax office.