Magpas

Coordinates: 52°19′55″N 0°03′47″W / 52.3320°N 0.0631°W / 52.3320; -0.0631
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Magpas Air Ambulance
Formation1 January 1971 (1971-01-01)
TypeCharitable organisation
Legal statusRegistered Charity 1119279
HeadquartersAlconbury Weald, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England
Coordinates52°19′55″N 0°03′47″W / 52.3320°N 0.0631°W / 52.3320; -0.0631
Area served
East of England
Aircraft operated
Leonardo AW169
CEO
Daryl Brown
Revenue (2022)
£6.5 million[1]
Staff (2022)
65[1]
Volunteers (2022)
40[1]
Award(s)Queens Award for Voluntary Service
Websitemagpas.org.uk Edit this at Wikidata
G-HMDX
MD900, G-HMDX in previous 'HELIMEDIX' livery.

Magpas Air Ambulance is a registered charity that operates a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) dedicated to the seriously ill and injured in the East of England.

Founded in 1971, the charity operates a helicopter and three rapid response vehicles from its base in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. As of 2022, their staff consists of 65 employees and 40 volunteers. They are dispatched by both the East of England Ambulance Service and the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

History

20th Century

Magpas Air Ambulance was founded in 1971 by Dr. Neville Silverston and Dr. Derek Cracknell as the Mid Anglia General Practitioner Accident Service (MAGPAS).[2] Its name derives from its close historical and geographical association with the Cambridgeshire Constabulary, then known as the Mid-Anglia Constabulary. The service was originally offered by general practitioners from across Cambridgeshire to provide quick medical care to victims of road accidents. The organisation became a registered charity in 1972.[3]

In 1977, Magpas Air Ambulance contributed to the founding of the British Association for Immediate Care, of which the charity remains a member. In 1997, the charity entered a partnership with the Cambridgeshire Constabulary to use the police helicopter from RAF Wyton, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. In 1999, the charity became the first service in the region to provide a night-time helicopter emergency medical service.

21st Century

In 2007, the East Anglian Air Ambulance agreed to provide a helicopter, dubbed Anglia Two, to be operate from RAF Wyton for daytime missions.[4] Although this was withdrawn in 2010, Magpas Air Ambulance continued to provide the service in conjunction with the police.

Between 2000 and 2010, the charity developed a network of community first responder schemes across Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. These local volunteers were trained by Magpas Air Ambulance to respond to medical emergencies in their local area and treat the patient until the ambulance service arrived. In 2010, the Magpas Air Ambulance first responders were joined alongside other schemes under the leadership of the East of England Ambulance Trust, though the charity's volunteers were dropped in the same year.[5]

In 2012, Magpas Air Ambulance began flying with its own helicopter.[6]

Magpas Air Ambulance was registered with the Healthcare Commission[7] and was inspected by the Care Quality Commission in March 2014.[8] This looks at the charity's governance and care quality to ensure it meets national standards. In 2015, Magpas Air Ambulance announced that they would extend their hours of operation to 24/7 in 2016.[9] Although the helicopter is not available at all times, this makes them the first air ambulance charity in the East of England region to offer 24/7 helicopter emergency medical service.[10]

Research

In partnership with the University Hospital of Leicester, Magpas Air Ambulance runs CTARP (the Cambridge Trauma and Audit Research Project). This project looks to identify lessons from all cases of traumatic injury occurring in Cambridgeshire. This can then be used to improve the quality of care and examine ways to prevent incidents in the first place.[11]

Awards and nominations

In 2005, Magpas was awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.[12] In 2022, clinicians from Magpas and the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) won the 999 Hero category in The Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards.[13] In 2023 Magpas was granted the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for its support of Armed Forces personnel.[14]

Facts and figures

  • In the year ending June 2022, the charity reported an income of £6.5 million, which included £1.3M of government grants. Expenditure was £5.6M, of which £4.2M was spent on operating the air ambulance service.[1]
  • In 2022, the charity employed 65 people and had 40 volunteers.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Charity Overview: MAGPAS". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  2. ^ Barrett, Hywel (17 August 2014). "OBITUARY: Founder of Huntingdonshire charity Magpas Air Ambulance Dr Derek Cracknell MBE". The Hunts Post. Archived from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Charity Commission Removed Charity Mid Anglia General Practitioner Accident Service". Charity Commission. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  4. ^ Charity Commission Return 2009 (PDF), Magpas Air Ambulance, July 2010, retrieved 13 October 2010[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "East Anglian Air Ambulance drops Magpas Air Ambulance volunteers". BBC News. 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Magpas medical charity to get own helicopter". BBC News. 18 April 2012. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Regulatory Assessment Statement 2008/2009" (PDF). www.cqc.org.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Providers: Archived: Magpas - East of England". www.cqc.org.uk. Care Quality Commission. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Magpas Trustees Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 December 2015" (PDF). willinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  10. ^ Lamy, Joel (2 October 2015). "Magpas launches first 24/7 emergency care service of its kind in the East of England". Peterborough Today. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  11. ^ Research, Magpas Air Ambulance, retrieved 13 October 2010[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ "Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2005". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  13. ^ Mottershead, Hannah (28 November 2022). "Magpas Air Ambulance and EEAST team win prestigious Who Cares Wins award". Magpas Air Ambulance | Your Support Saves Lives 24/7. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  14. ^ Mottershead, Hannah (13 July 2023). "Cambridgeshire air ambulance first in the UK to receive Gold Award for Armed Forces support". Magpas Air Ambulance | Your Support Saves Lives 24/7. Retrieved 27 September 2023.

External links

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