THAMES Valley Air Ambulance has marked a major milestone this week as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
The charity, which gives lifesaving care to critically ill and injured people, has treated its 10,000th patient since it became an independent healthcare provider in 2018.
It has been called out to nearly 35,000 incidents in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire, since it was established in 1999.
This would be enough patients to fill The Hexagon 29 times over.
Amanda McLean, Chief Executive Officer at Thames Valley Air Ambulance, said:
“We mark milestones like this with mixed emotions–we’re proud to be reaching more patients than ever before, bringing them hospital-level care when they need it the most.
“But we also know that behind every statistic on our database is a real person, with family and friends who love them.
“We know the ripple effects of a traumatic incident can reach far and wide–that’s why we also offer an Aftercare service, which guides patients and their loved ones as they negotiate the journey after a life-changing event.”
She added: “Both the care we deliver at the scene and the support we offer long afterwards are funded solely by our community.
“It’s your generous donations that have allowed us to be there for these 35,000 people in their time of need.
“From them, and from us: thank you.”
Statistics released by the charity show that it was called out to nearly 3,300 times in 2023, with 1,177 callouts in Berkshire.
This is compared to 1,095 in Buckinghamshire, 943 in Oxfordshire, and 78 in surrounding areas.
It constitutes an increase of around 4% across the Thames Valley since last year, though callouts in Berkshire saw less of a rise at around 1%.
As a charity, it is not regularly funded by the government and relies on donations.
More information about Thames Valley Air Ambulance is available via: tvairambulance.org.uk
