What was their challenge?
Magpas Air Ambulance used the Recovery Loan Fund (RLF) to invest in a purpose-built facility and land to construct it on.
When you’re critically ill or injured every second counts and for some patients their needs are so great that they cannot wait for an ambulance to take them to hospital. Often, their life and future recovery relies on specially trained doctors and paramedics bringing treatments and procedures usually only found in an A&E department to them.
Magpas Air Ambulance responds to an average of four emergencies a day, across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and the East of England. Its helicopter can reach speeds of 160 miles an hour and fly directly to the scene of an accident, usually arriving within 10 minutes. A critical care doctor is then able to provide lifesaving treatments, such as anaesthesia and emergency surgical procedures, many of which cannot be carried out by land ambulance paramedics.
When you’re critically ill or injured every second counts and for some patients their needs are so great that they cannot wait for an ambulance to take them to hospital. Often, their life and future recovery relies on specially trained doctors and paramedics bringing treatments and procedures usually only found in an A&E department to them.
Magpas Air Ambulance responds to an average of four emergencies a day, across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and the East of England. Its helicopter can reach speeds of 160 miles an hour and fly directly to the scene of an accident, usually arriving within 10 minutes. A critical care doctor is then able to provide lifesaving treatments, such as anaesthesia and emergency surgical procedures, many of which cannot be carried out by land ambulance paramedics.
What was the support you provided / offered
Magpas has leased its airbase for several years. The buildings are old and inefficient, so running and maintenance costs are high. Plus, the airbase is separate from the charity’s headquarters. When the airfield was earmarked for a housing development, the charity decided it was time to invest in a purpose-built development. It found the ideal site, a former police dog training centre with good road links (40% of call-outs require emergency response vehicles). The charity was able to secure a grant to buy the land and is part funding the development with a £2.5m Charity Bank loan and £1.4m loan from the SIB Recovery Loan Fund.
What was the impact or outcome of support?
Magpas will move into its new home by September 2023. The new build will be far more economical to run, especially as the airbase, training centre and offices will all be in one location. In total, the charity expects to save around £100,000 a year, which will more than cover the loan repayments. More importantly, the new location should help Magpas to reduce response times even further. Magpas also plans to increase the training it provides, including teaching members of the community CPR. And it will be able to improve staff and volunteer facilities, helping to attract the best candidates for vacancies. In short, the move will mean Magpas can save even more lives.
At Magpas Air Ambulance, we are using the scheme to help build a vital new airbase which will allow us to continue operating our 24/7 lifesaving service. This will bring great benefits to the charity and our patients – as well as reducing pressure on already stretched NHS services – by reducing vehicle despatch times by up to 15 minutes, reducing overheads with a new energy efficient building and helping us build a training centre for the next generation of doctors and paramedics. This wouldn’t be possible without the government backed loan scheme.