For the clinicians on shift at Magpas Air Ambulance, this festive season will be like any other time of the year.
The medical team at the Cambridgeshire-based charity will continue to be on call; ready to provide patients with vital, lifesaving care when every second counts.
While families share gifts, laughter and moments under the tree, Magpas Air Ambulance’s doctors, paramedics and aviation crew will be spending their days at the charity’s base in Alconbury Weald… Ready to respond to the next emergency call and provide lifesaving care this Christmas; to keep you, your family and our community safe.
Magpas Air Ambulance’s clinicians are specially trained to provide hospital-level medical care, such as general anaesthetics and surgical procedures, to patients at the scene of their incidents. This early, advanced intervention saves lives, limits disability and reduces recovery time.
For some people in the community, the advanced medical care provided this Christmas might mean they get to spend the next with loved ones.
One of the medics giving up their Christmas this year to help others is Critical Care Paramedic Sarah Walter. She explains, “It is important for us to be available to provide essential critical care to the most unwell patients across our region and be there for families in their time of need at this time of year. There is always a huge emotional element to the incidents we attend during this period... What should be a festive and happy experience sadly ends in emergency situations for some, which makes the work we do feel even more poignant at Christmas time.”
She continues, “We have a great team spirit when on shift, but in all honesty, it can feel sad leaving your family over Christmas. I will be swapping the fizz and time spent with loved ones for a cuppa among colleagues, but that isn't much of a sacrifice knowing I can be there for our community when a medical emergency, such as a cardiac arrest or road traffic accident, happens.”
But as a charity, Magpas Air Ambulance needs you on the team too.
Lucy Chapman, Magpas Air Ambulance Director of Income and Engagement, explains, “I feel very lucky that we live in an area where (even on Christmas Day) if the worst happens, the Magpas Air Ambulance team will be ready and waiting to respond; giving up their own Christmases to save ours. But we need help from our community too. As a charity, we are reliant on fundraising and can only provide lifesaving care thanks to people’s donations. So, if you’re considering supporting a charity this Christmas, please join our team by choosing to donate to Magpas Air Ambulance. No matter the size, every pound can make a lifesaving difference.”
