The need for the Great North Air Ambulance Service is now bigger than ever, with more than 2,100 incidents attended in 2023.
We’re working hard to make sure that we’re able to save anyone in need, no matter who, when, or where, but we can only do this with your support.
It’s been a long-term ambition of ours to provide 24/7 cover across the region, and while the end goal is in sight, we need your help to sustain and expand our service. You can read more about our ‘Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere Appeal’ here.
Here is a timeline of our 24/7 journey so far:
May 2002
We officially became a charity, registered with the Charity Commission. Our headquarters were opened in Darlington and we had an aircraft based at Durham Tees Valley Airport (now Teesside International Airport) in the North East for the first time.
September 2003
In partnership with James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, we were one of the first air ambulances in the country to carry doctors onto its aircraft. This is a significant progression in the standard of pre-hospital care.
August 2004
We unveiled the first air ambulance to be based in Cumbria. At the time of the launch, this aircraft covered five days a week, and our other helicopters based in Blyth, Northumberland and Teesside, were on duty seven days a week and covered the two days the Cumbria helicopter did not fly.
Support our mission to be a 24/7 service
2010
Our service continued to expand and we began replacing our fleet with three Dauphin AS365 N2s. The helicopters were bought to ease the financial strain of leasing and help safeguard our financial position in years to come.
May 2012
We began volunteer ad hoc nightshifts in the North East to determine if there is a need for a doctor and paramedic team to operate on a night-time.
January 2015
We became one of the first air ambulances in the UK to carry blood supplies.
This meant our team could deliver blood transfusions outside of hospital. The following year, fresh frozen plasma was introduced on our aircraft and rapid response vehicles to further improve patients’ chances, and in 2022 we celebrated administering blood transfusions to 500 patients.
April 2015
We teamed up with the North East Ambulance Service and were commissioned to provide a paramedic and doctor team on Friday and Saturday nights in the North East.
Hundreds of patients were treated in the first 12 months of the service and we recognised how vital it was that our team covered the rest of the nights.
August 2017
Our critical care team performed a successful thoracotomy (open chest surgery) when a man was stabbed and left for dead in Horden, County Durham. The footage of this surgery was the first time a pre-hospital thoracotomy had been recorded in the world and has become a vital training aid for pre-hospital teams. Our team have since carried out several successful thoracotomies.
October 2018
The North East night-time service is considered a success and is expanded to four nights a week. To support the expansion, we bought two fully-equipped Volvo XC90 vehicles.
Help us be there for anyone, anytime, anywhere
August 2020
Our critical care team based at Teesside Airport relocated to our new headquarters near Eaglescliffe, Stockton. The previous year, our administrative and fundraising staff moved from offices in Darlington and Newton Aycliffe to its new site.
The same day as the relocation, a new helicopter called the Guardian of the North II began work at the base.
April 2021
Our new chief executive David Stockon is welcomed to the charity and makes it his mission to have a 24/7 service across the region.
May 2021
We launched our night-time service in Cumbria covering Friday and Saturday nights. A new helicopter called the Pride of Cumbria II also started work at our base in Langwathby, Penrith and attended ten incidents during its first weekend in operation.
February 2022
We expanded our night-time service in Cumbria to cover Thursday and Sunday nights. This means we now have a doctor and paramedic operating on a rapid response vehicle four nights a week in the North West.
December 2022
Our charity ambassador Kerry Irving, who is well known for running the ‘Max Out in the Lake District’ social media pages, kindly funded a brand-new Volvo XC90, which proudly displays his dog Max’s pawprint. By having an additional Volvo in the fleet, this meant our team now have an older Volvo as a backup which has the specifications needed to meet the current demands of the team.
January 2023
We began operating 24/7 in the North East, meaning every night we now have a paramedic and doctor team on a rapid response vehicle ready to deliver care to the people in the North East.
March 2023
We expanded our night-time service in Cumbria to four nights week and started covering Thursday and Sunday nights in addition to Friday and Saturday.
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