...  on behalf of the Henry Surtees Foundation

Musician and composer Nick Mason, best known as the drummer of Pink Floyd, attended the Midlands Air Ambulance base at Strensham, near Worcester last Friday, to hand over a cheque for £18,275 on behalf of the Henry Surtees Foundation

As a keen supporter of the air ambulance and self-confessed petrol head, boasting a large collection of vintage and classic cars, Mr Mason was happy to support the cause.

The donation of £18,275 presented to Midlands Air Ambulance crews will be used to fund specialist equipment designed specifically for critical care transport, including a Zoll X Series Monitor, defibrillator and aircraft bracketry. The equipment developed for the military and air medical operations, enables the flight crew to continuously deliver the highest quality CPR and resuscitation capabilities, whilst patient data is automatically uploaded and streamed to remote displays in ambulances, hospitals and communication centres as the rescuer cares for the patient at the scene of incident and in transit.

Becky Steele, air operations manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity said: “As a pre-hospital emergency service that attends some of the most traumatic incidents in the region, it is vital Midlands Air Ambulance has the right equipment to give patients the best chance of survival and greater recovery outcomes. We are extremely grateful to the Henry Surtees Foundation for the grant for the monitors, which have become one of our greatest assets on board our three air ambulance helicopters and our rapid response vehicles.”

Since 1991, Midlands Air Ambulance has responded to more than 43,000 missions, averaging 2,000 per year.

John Surtees CBE said, “I would like to thank Nick Mason for his enthusiastic support of the Foundation and being able to fit into his busy programme this visit to represent us. The Foundation is very pleased with the association it has been able to make in the assistance given to a number of Air Ambulance regions including that of the Midlands Air Ambulances and Great Western Air Ambulances. The service they provide is vital and something which is continuously developing with the introduction of new life-saving equipment”.

The Henry Surtees Foundation have also actively supported and provided funding for the following Air Ambulances:
Midlands Air Ambulance
Great Western Air Ambulance
Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance
Great North Air Ambulance
Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance