The East Anglian Air Ambulance has moved its Western operational base to Cambridge Airport as it launches an enhanced and more sustainable service which it believes will help save more lives across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

The charity has worked closely with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) in developing the new service which will, for the first time, provide a guaranteed doctor/paramedic crew on board its aircraft, Anglia Two, 365 days a year – a staffing level regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for air ambulances.

Operating from Cambridge Airport will enable the EAAA to make significant savings on operational costs and ensure that the aircraft is available for callouts for almost an hour longer every day. Previously Anglia Two, which serves Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, was based at Cambridge Airport but operated from RAF Wyton. The Marshalls Group, which runs the airport, has provided the charity with hangar space, a range of weather-related services, including snow clearance, and improved facilities for its crew.

Commenting on the launch of the new service Dr Jeremy Mauger, Clinical Lead at the EAAA, said: “A doctor/paramedic team is the preferred model for air ambulance crews because doctors can deliver a greater range of time-critical interventions, such as anaesthesia, at the incident site if necessary. We’ve worked hard to get to this stage and are delighted to be launching a service with doctors on board every single day. This will help our crews save more lives and improve the outcomes for many other victims of accidents and medical emergencies in our region.”

He continued: “We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received from Cambridge Airport. Terry Holloway and his team have made us very welcome and moving our operational base to the airport is a key element in enabling us to run a sustainable air ambulance service with an enhanced level of patient care.”

The EAAA is launching the same service aboard Anglia One, the aircraft serving Norfolk and Suffolk and which is based at Norwich Airport.