The East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), which covers the Cambridge, Suffolk and Norfolk areas of the UK, recently launched an extended service at the Rowley Mile racecourse, Newmarket.

The launch was attended by the first patient of the original air ambulance, which has now been replaced by the Bolkow 105 DBS-5. For some time the operation had been flying an early Bolkow that was also allocated to support the BBC and Norfolk Police. The service has now been increased from a one day a week service to five days a week, and will soon fly everyday, requiring a dedicated helicopter and support team.

The ambulance will cost around £700,000 a year to run and has been partly funded by the Automobile Association, the rest of the money coming through private donations and charity fund raising activities. The AA linked up with the project, via its association with the National Association of Air Ambulance Services. Through the sponsorship deal the AA has pledged £13 million over the next three years to provide a network of air ambulances across the country. EAAA’s press officer Matthew Ware said: “Under the National Health Service’s funding prioritisation, the ambulance service comes quite low down. We accept this and press on finding alternative ways of raising money.”

Sterling Helicopters wet leases the DBS-5 to the EAAA, and actually bought the aircraft especially for the extended service, adding to its existing fleet of a Bolkow 105 DB and 105 DBS. Chief pilot Dick Bendy explained: “The Bolkow 105 was chosen as it can be easily adapted to an air ambulance role, and the DBS-5 has the added advantage of special blades which make the aircraft more fuel efficient and faster.” According to previous owners Humberside police, the DBS-5 is the only British registered helicopter of its type. Bendy said: “When modifying the aircraft we had to take the cameras off and remove the televisual equipment, then we replaced it with EAAA’s medical equipment and a stretcher.”

Air ambulances are primarily a way to avoid traffic; the EAAA is continuing studies to conclude whether the time saving has any effect on survival rates.