Air ambulance expands road fleet after busy year

An air ambulance charity has expanded its vehicle fleet after its "busiest year" on record.

Magpas Air Ambulance hoped the addition of three new rapid response vehicles could help it meet a "rising demand" for lifesaving care.

All the cars will carry the same kit bags as the air ambulance and medical teams will have access to the same hospital-level equipment and drugs as in the helicopter.

The Cambridgeshire-based charity said it was not the mode of transport that made a difference but the right care delivered as quickly as possible.

Magpas Air Ambulance serves a wide region and can be called to areas including Peterborough and Bedfordshire.

It said factors such as weather and road conditions, light and proximity to incident scenes, meant it was sometimes more effective to travel to patients by road.

Andy Smith, Magpas Air Ambulance clinical operations manager and critical care paramedic, said: "The visibility of our response vehicles is of paramount importance to the safety of our clinical teams and public, especially when responding in the hours of darkness.

"We have specially designed our livery to be highly reflective and increased the emergency lighting installed on all the vehicles, as well as further enhancing the emergency siren to warn other road users of our presence.

"We hope people across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and further afield will be able to spot these new Magpas Air Ambulance cars on the road, just as they do our helicopter in the sky."

The vehicles will be fully operational by spring 2025 and have an advanced braking system and a large fuel tank.

They will all be fitted with the latest emergency light and safety systems, including hands-free communication devices and a sat nav system activated by the NHS critical care desks.

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