PARAMEDICS on the region’s air ambulance can now give seriously ill patients in North Wiltshire life-saving blood transfusions onboard.

The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) helicopter is now carrying blood supplies to treat patients before they arrive at hospital.

The charity has teamed up with Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) to fund the initiative. WAA is also carrying blood on its helicopter, meaning that the two air ambulances are the first in the South West of England to carry blood.

It is estimated that this will benefit two to four patients a month.

GWWAC lead doctor Matt Thomas said: “Blood is a precious life saving resource, by putting it on the air ambulance we are getting it to the right people at the right time.

“By having blood on the air ambulance we now have the ability to better stabilise patients with life-threatening bleeding and get them to hospital whereas before this may not have been the case.”

Emergency blood transfusions are likely to be used on patients who suffer life-threatening bleeding caused by trauma and some acute medical conditions.

The blood will be collected daily from the North Bristol Trust Transfusion Laboratory at Southmead Hospital and delivered to GWAAC’s airbase in Filton by the charity Freewheelers EVS.

If the blood is not used, it will be returned to Southmead Hospital by the volunteer blood bikers after 24 hours.

Melanie Rowbottom, a trustee of Freewheelers EVS, said: “Delivering blood supplies to air ambulances is a new venture for us and we are delighted to be working in partnership with Great Western Air Ambulance and Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

“We are excited to play our part in delivering a component of a service that could save many more lives, fully supported by the commitment of our members to make deliveries to the Air Ambulance bases 365 days a year.”

The blood, two units of O negative, will be stored in a Credo blood box, an insulated box that maintains the blood within a narrow temperature range preventing damage and spoilage.

The WAA is an important life-saving service in the area and saved the life of a young boy earlier this year in Malmesbury when he suffered a severe allergic reaction to sesame seeds and required urgent medical attention.

Young Luca Duff had to be rushed to hospital by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, which landed on a field nearby.