Ambulance Trust
The County Air Ambulance Trust is the Midland’s oldest independent air ambulance charity, launched in March 1993.  It played an indispensable part in securing the financial future of the first red helicopter flying from Cosford, at a time when the local economy  was badly affected by recession, paving the way for rapid expansion.

Today there are six helicopters in the Central England Region but the Helicopter Emergency Medical (System) or HEMS is not now solely about helicopters.  Financial priorities in hospital building programmes means there are too few places for the helicopters to land with less than one in three accidents & emergency hospitals and trauma centres having good helicopter access (ideally a surface or rooftop helipad within a short trolley push of the admissions area).  Additionally there is an almost total absence of night flying facilities with good lighting, porters and fire crews on hand necessary for point to point transfers.

2008 saw the launch of our HELP Appeal (Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads), a campaign and appeal to hasten the development of a highly equipped network of helipads and services  throughout the Region.  Midlands emergency patients will continue to benefit from the highest quality emergency medicine available anywhere.  CAAT is committed to spend £10m on this work.  The first new helipad was opened in October 2009 at Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital.