Aylesbury Vale air ambulance service ‘incredibly grateful’ for electric vehicle gift

The air ambulance service for Aylesbury Vale has been given its first ever electric vehicle, to serve as its new blood delivery van.

The Citroen eDispatch, donated by Slough-based vehicle leasing company LeasePlan UK, was delivered to Thames Valley Air Ambulance at its operational base at RAF Benson. It will be used to transport blood between Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital and the base.

The electric van comes complete with custom internal fit-out to meet the charity’s needs, and fully branded livery. It replaces a previous vehicle donated by LeasePlan UK in 2019.

Thames Valley Air Ambulance was called out a record 3,158 times last year, making 2022 its busiest year yet. Its skilled critical care teams give people in Bucks, Berks and Oxon the best chance when the worst happens, bringing hospital-level care to their side 365 days a year.

It was the second Helicopter Emergency Medicine Service (HEMS) to carry blood on its emergency vehicles. Since it became an independent healthcare provider in 2018, its critical care teams have given almost 600 units of blood to patients.

Last month, Thames Valley Air Ambulance announced its crews are part of a trial to carry ‘whole blood’ as part of their emergency care for the treatment of patients suffering from severe blood loss, joining nine other air ambulance organisations to use ‘whole blood’ as well as separate red blood cells and plasma, as part of the SWiFT (Study of Whole Blood in Frontline Trauma) trial.

CEO Amanda McLean said: “Having our own dedicated vehicle to collect blood means our crews have been freed up to focus on patient care and this essential daily task is completed without interruption.

"Previously, one of our critical care response vehicles undertook this task, with a critical care paramedic or doctor making the 35-mile round trip, which was often delayed if they were called to an emergency.

“As a charity which receives no regular government or National Lottery funding, the backing of businesses like LeasePlan is vital to keeping our crews at the frontline of saving lives. We are incredibly grateful for LeasePlan’s dedicated and longstanding support to this mission.”