Lloyd Land Rover Stockton Announce Partnership with GNAAS
Lloyd Land Rover Stockton are delighted to announce their partnership with the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
GNAAS has been a registered charity since 2002 and provides life-saving pre-hospital care to critically ill or injured patients across the region. Last year, the service responded to more than 1,900 incidents, with over 1,200 of those taking place in the North East.
With an annual operating cost of £9.6 million (£25,969 a day), the organisation relies heavily on the generosity of the public and corporate partnerships to remain operational. These donations help fund vital necessities such as defibrillation pads, blood-warming packs and fuel for their rapid response vehicles, all of which are essential in giving patients the best possible chance of survival.
In November, GNAAS launched an appeal titled Operation SOS: Secure Our Service to raise money towards a new helicopter fleet. To date, the appeal has reached over 20% of the £2.5 million deposit required to secure the service’s future.
Demand for GNAAS continues to grow, but its current Dauphin N3 and N3+ helicopters — which have carried out thousands of life-saving missions — are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. Ongoing parts shortages, rising maintenance costs, and lengthy periods out of service have made operations more challenging. Re-establishing a three-helicopter fleet would ensure that even when one aircraft is undergoing vital maintenance, two others remain available to respond to emergencies.
On average, the team responds to six callouts a day at any time, with their busiest day on record involving 22 separate activations. As a result, it is imperative the aircraft is always prepared to leave.
Onboard for every callout is a specialist team of professionals, including a pilot, paramedic, and doctor, all fully trained to adapt to any medical scenario. The critical care team provides expert on-scene medical treatment, including anaesthetising patients, performing amputations, and even carrying out open-heart surgery.
GNAAS was one of the first air ambulance services to carry blood on board their aircraft and vehicles, back in 2015. The service was developed by GNAAS doctor Rachel Hawes, who received an OBE for her work. Now, with over 10 years of the critical care, the team has administered more than 750 blood transfusions to patients, ultimately saving countless lives.
Speaking to the critical care team, it is clear how passionate they are about helping the local community, with some members travelling from as far as Edinburgh to be on call.
For every customer who completes a Lloyd Land Rover Stockton customer survey post-visit, Lloyd Land Rover Stockton will donate £1.00 on their behalf to Great North Air Ambulance Service. We hope these donations will help those within our local community in the times when they may need it the most.
Head of Business for Lloyd Land Rover Stockton, Kris Robson commented:
“We are incredibly proud to be partnering with the Great North Air Ambulance Service and supporting the life-saving work they carry out across our region. The dedication and commitment shown by the GNAAS team is truly inspiring, and it’s a privilege for us to play a small part in helping them continue their vital service. At Lloyd Land Rover Stockton we believe in delivering first class customer service on every visit and are always delighted to hear back from our customers. We hope our customers feel proud knowing that, through their feedback, they are directly contributing to saving lives.”
Make sure to follow us on social media to stay up to date with all the latest updates on the partnership.
Additionally, if you would like to find out more about the incredible work the Great North Air Ambulance Service does for the local community, visit Great North Air Ambulance Service or you can donate directly here.
