Write a comment
Air Ambulance Northern Ireland is marking the ninth anniversary of its Helicopter Emergency Medical Service today, with the charity confirming it has now answered 5,731 call-outs since launching in July 2017. The milestone comes as the charity, working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, announces plans to buy its first helicopter outright rather than lease it, with the aircraft expected to enter service later this summer.
The crew has logged more than 125 flying hours since January 2026 alone, continuing a service that Air Ambulance NI says has become an indispensable lifeline for people right across Northern Ireland. Each mission is staffed by a consultant doctor and an advanced paramedic, who between them carry out a high volume of advanced clinical interventions at the roadside, in fields and in homes. Blood products are administered at the scene of severe trauma on average twice a month, stabilising patients suffering catastrophic blood loss before they reach hospital and significantly improving survival rates. The team also carries out rapid sequence induction, a complex procedure used to place critically injured patients into an induced coma at the scene to support airway management and safe transfer to further care.
On average the crew spends 43 minutes on scene before transferring patients to the most appropriate hospital, either by air or by road, with 65% of patients taken to the major trauma centre at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. The choice of hospital is made by the clinical team based on the nature of a patient's injuries or illness.
The service depends entirely on public donations and a dedicated volunteer network, with £3 million required in fundraising every year to keep it operational.
At the Institute of Fundraising Awards, Ulster Bank received a Highly Commended award for Fundraising Partnership of the Year for their Air Ambulance campaigns, former patient Hannah Babe was named Fundraising Volunteer of the Year, and the Sky-Blue Ribbon Group was honoured as Volunteer Group of the Year for its fundraising in memory of Ballymena United supporter Lydia Ross. At the national Air Ambulance UK Awards, Marcus Christie was named Volunteer of the Year. He began volunteering for the charity in January 2023 after his late mother, Joan Christie, former Lord Lieutenant of Co Antrim, was attended by the Air Ambulance, and has since worked as a community ambassador and fundraiser.
The charity also welcomed Michael Bloomfield OBE to its Board as a new trustee this year. Bloomfield previously served as Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and brings decades of experience in healthcare leadership, strategy and cross-agency partnership, which the charity says will strengthen its existing relationship with NIAS.
Breige Mulholland, Head of Operations and Finance at Air Ambulance NI, said nine years of service was a testament to the partnership between the charity, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the community that supports its work. She said reaching 5,731 taskings was "a sobering reminder of how vital this aircraft is" and that the charity would be "more equipped than ever to serve the people of Northern Ireland" once the new helicopter enters service later this summer.
To mark the next stage of its work, Air Ambulance NI has launched a campaign called 'Lift Off Together', inviting supporters to have their name, or the name of someone special, featured on the underside of the new helicopter in return for a donation of £200. Space is limited. Further information is available at airambulanceni.org/lift-off-together/
