New critical care car for Wiltshire Air Ambulance

A new critical care car has been unveiled by Wiltshire Air Ambulance, partly funded by a grant from the HELP Appeal.

The Volvo XC90 has arrived at the airbase in Semington and is ready to take the charity’s critical care paramedics to emergencies across Wiltshire.

The new Volvo replaces the older model, which was involved in an accident in March while en route to an incident.

Operated by the County Air Ambulance Trust, the HELP Appeal first supported Wiltshire Air Ambulance by funding the helipad installation at the airbase when it opened in 2018, including its underfloor heating.

The HELP Appeal also fully funded the charity’s other critical care car, a BMW, in 2023.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance deputy chief executive Barbara Gray said, “Once again, the HELP Appeal has very kindly supported our charity with the necessary funds to complete the purchase of our brand-new Volvo Critical Care Car.

“We now have two fully branded cars with state-of-the-art technology and equipment, which our crews can use to respond to emergencies when the helicopter is unavailable, when an incident is particularly close by, or if we need to send a second crew by road.”

Richard Miller, Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s safety and operations manager, said, “The new Critical Care Car comes with the very latest Volvo technology to ensure our crew can attend emergencies quickly and efficiently.

“Crucially, the boot compartment is big enough to carry an exact match of the medical equipment used on-board the helicopter, allowing us to deliver all of the critical care skills we would as if we attended in the aircraft.”

HELP Appeal chief executive Robert Bertram said, “We had no hesitation in helping to fund this vital critical care car as it will save lives, support Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s dedicated team, and ensure that everyone has access to the urgent medical attention they need, at any time.”

Pictured (l-r) critical care paramedic James Hubbard; chief pilot Matt Wilcock; HELP Appeal chief executive Robert Bertram; Wiltshire Air Ambulance deputy chief executive Barbara Gray and critical care doctor Reuben Cooper