Air ambulance not for sale says trust's chief exec

THE Cornwall Air Ambulance is not for sale, the charity behind the lifesaving helicopter said this week.

The message from the organisation's chief executive Paula Martin follows news that the search and rescue (SAR) operation at RNAS Culdrose in Helston is to come to an end as an American firm takes over the contract.

She said the charity has been inundated by people coming into its fundraising shops concerned that the organisation has been taken over by Bristow, as part of the SAR contract.

"The Cornwall Air Ambulance is now, and will always be, funded by the people of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, for the people of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly," Mrs Martin said.

"It is unfortunate that the news came out within days of our own service improvement announcement, which will see two new air ambulances serving Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, plus the introduction of night flights from December 2014.

"I would like to reassure people that we are, and always will be, an independent charity, funded by and for the people of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly."

Mrs Martin explained that the two operations are quite different.

While the air ambulance relies on the generosity of the public for donations the search and rescue service is funded by central gover nment.

She added: "Operationally search and rescue uses very large helicopters equipped with winches. "They are traditionally called upon for largescale missions at sea and around the coast, as well as mountain rescues and searches.

"We, on the other hand, provide vital, airbased, rapid response paramedic and ambulance services to Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. "SAR also covers a huge geographical area from Cornwall and can be deployed anywhere in the UK, whereas we are here just for the people of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

"Obviously there are similarities between the two operations, we both use helicopters for a start, but we can launch and land far quicker than the big aircraft and also set down in really confined spaces that the larger aircraft can't."

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