Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust: Celebrating 35 years

35 YEARS OF SAVING LIVES

In 1987, Cornwall became the first county in the UK to launch an air ambulance helicopter, a vital service that has proven time and again its importance in such a rural destination.

On April 1, Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust (CAAT) celebrated 35 years since that first emergency callout, with staff past and present and former patients invited to celebrate and share their memories.

The service has attended more than 31,000 emergency missions since its launch. In 2021 alone, Critical Care Paramedics were called to 1,092 patients in need, attending everything from medical emergencies to trauma-related incidents across the county and beyond. The helicopter reaches incident scenes in an average of just 12 minutes, and significantly reduces the time taken to get seriously ill patients the treatment they need, whether on scene or in hospital.

Bus driver Derek Lindsey, from St Eval, was gardening when he began suffering severe chest pains one Bank Holiday Monday in 1990. Within 10 minutes of the paramedics arriving, he was whisked to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. His name is now on the underside of the helicopter, along with more than 1,000 others as part of the Heli Heroes campaign, raising over £120,000 for the charity.

“I have no doubt the air ambulance saved my life,” says Derek, now 81. He has since dedicated much of his time to fundraising - “The air ambulance is top of the list” - while his daughter, Debbie Henshaw, was so inspired by events she applied to work for the charity and is now senior fundraising manager.

The original crew members were trained by Dr Peter Cox, who had attended many road traffic accidents. His daughters, Caroline Cox and Vicki Ashton-Cox, were present for the celebrations. “Dad was passionate that anyone who arrived on scene as first responders, regardless of hierarchy, should have the correct training and know what to do, and what not to do,” recalls Caroline. “He was effectively training the first paramedics, which was ground-breaking at a time when ambulance staff weren’t trained to be anything more than drivers; many in the industry doubted it was a good use of money, but it has proved its worth.”

In 1989, Dr Cox had a heart attack and was himself airlifted to hospital by crew members he had trained. “He had firsthand experience of the service, and we got an extra 30 years out of him,” says Vicki. “I feel rather emotional – it's nice to see how far it’s come, and to think Dad was involved at the very beginning.”

Geoff Newman was the first pilot, and has written a book about the history of the air ambulance. “It was very exciting when we went for the first alarm call, and to be able to demonstrate from the get-go why we needed such a resource in Cornwall,” he says. “A student had jumped from

Paul Westaway climbs on board the first helicopter

rocks in Porthcurno and suffered spinal injuries; she needed extra-special care and transport, and was miles away from the land ambulance, whereas we were able to land on the beach. She made a full recovery and I have met her twice since. To say I am proud to have played my part in this service is an understatement.”

Having travelled to Germany to check out its air ambulance provision, medical staff secured three months’ funding and CAAT was born to raise the rest to get it flying seven days a week. Paul Westaway was the first paramedic in the helicopter. “At the time, they had only just introduced paramedic training,” he recalls. “It’s incredible to think that 35 years later, there are 37 air ambulance services across the country. It all started here in Cornwall, and care is improving all the time.”

Jeremy Griffiths had served two years on land ambulances when he was recruited to the air ambulance crew in 1998. He has been with it ever since, flying in all its various aircraft. “There have been such massive changes over the years, in equipment, training and machinery,” he marvels. craft designed for rapid access and transfer. While that still stands, we have better patient access now and more room means more capability and extended care. We carry monitors and ventilators, and since 2020 we have even carried blood - transfusions are among the medical interventions we can carry out on the roadside.”

Truro mayor Steve Webb was a patient in 1991, when a swimming pool fundraising marathon went awry – a misplaced dive resulted in a broken neck, leaving him wheelchair bound. “I had just raised £1,800 for the air ambulance, little knowing I would need it myself before the day was over,” he says. Steve was airlifted to Salisbury, and was keen to catch up with original crew members. “It’s amazing to see how the air ambulance has evolved,” he said.

As the service enters its 35th year, the charity is looking to the future, ensuring the service continues to provide and serve the people of Cornwall at their greatest times of need. Part of this has included welcoming two brand new Rapid Response Vehicles to the roster, with more plans in motion to extend the current airbase. This follows the arrival of the AW169 helicopter in 2020, extending the hours the helicopter could fly thanks to a public fundraising campaign which raised almost £3 million.

The service costs just under £5m per year to operate, with no National Lottery or direct government funding. “There is no doubt that this lifesaving service is vitally needed in this county,” said CEO Tim Bunting. “But what’s more amazing is that it’s completely funded by the generosity of the people of Cornwall and beyond. Without that support, our crew could not do what they do – help to save lives and keep more families together in Cornwall.”

CAAT will host a new one-day festival on July 16: Helifest will celebrate blue light services across the region with a day of family fun. Revellers can expect live music, stalls, circus entertainment and more, all intended to connect families to Cornwall’s vital emergency services. It will also be the first chance for the community to get up close to the new air ambulance, as well as other emergency services, among them Devon & Cornwall Police, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, RNLI and Cornwall Blood Bikes, each showcasing their crucial work in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Tickets £5pp. l