Introduction from our Chair

This is my last annual report as I will step down as Chair of KSS on 8th December 2021 and, in writing my introduction, I can reflect on the charity’s exceptional performance during this last financial year.

It is an enormous credit to our clinical and operational teams that, throughout the pandemic, not a single shift has been missed despite higher than average staff absences. Standard operating procedures, designed for the introduction of a new inter-hospital transfer service, were rapidly adapted for the exacting requirements of transporting COVID-19 positive and other critically ill patients by both road and air. This involved providing highly skilled crews to transfer these patients between hospitals when necessary at the request of Public Health England. The first of these transfers took place on Christmas Day 2020 and expert advice from our Senior Leadership Team has informed national policy.

As a charity embedded within the communities that we serve, that places great emphasis upon face to face community fundraising often involving volunteers, the lockdown measures presented a significant threat to our financial stability. Very rapidly, overcoming the new constraints of having to work from home, our Income Generation, Marketing and Communications Team launched an emergency appeal for the first time. This exceeded expectations and over £1.5 million was raised within six months, which includes a grant of £374,375 received from government in response to an application by Air Ambulances UK. This was an exceptional performance by dedicated, hard working staff and we are extremely grateful to the many people who have given to KSS in different ways, including the donation of gifts in kind.

In September 2020, the charity’s outstanding performance was recognised when, amidst strong national competition, KSS was selected for the Charity Times Charity of the Year (with an income of over £10M) Award. Everyone, including our loyal donors and volunteers, deserves to take credit from this accolade. The achievements of the last year only serve to reinforce a deep rooted commitment to continuous improvement and to finding new ways to improve patient outcomes. The Trustees’ decision to invest in KSS’s own research programme is indicative of a strategic intention to generate new understanding of pre-hospital emergency medicine and to share this nationally and internationally. In the last year a £500,000 research grant was jointly awarded to KSS, in collaboration with the University of Surrey and South East Coast Ambulance from the National Institute for Health Research live video transmission from 999 callers using the GoodSAM app. Two paramedics have also successfully completed the first year of their PhDs.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees I would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to David Welch and all members of staff and to our volunteers and supporters for their loyalty and dedication during difficult times. As outgoing Chair, I would like to acknowledge and thank my fellow Trustees who give their time and considerable wisdom voluntarily and bring a wealth of skills and resourcefulness to this exceptional charity. My successor Barney Burgess not only brings superb qualities and experience to this role he is a former patient and I wish him the very best in a role which he is ideally suited to fulfil.