Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance’s new £13million operational base at Southampton Airport has officially opened, with Island Echo among those given a first look inside the completed facility today (Tuesday).
The charity has relocated from its former home at Thruxton to the purpose-built airbase adjacent to Southampton Airport, which is expected to significantly reduce response times to incidents across the Isle of Wight and the wider region.
The move hasn’t come without significant financial commitment, though. The site was purchased using £9.2million from reserves, with a further £3.6million required for interior fit-out works through the Operation Airbase appeal. Around 50% of the building is set to be leased out to generate a sustainable revenue stream for the charity.
Invited guests – including High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight, Nigel Hartley – toured the state-of-the-art building this morning, meeting the charity team and the flying medics that make the life-saving efforts possible.
Facilities showcased include dedicated crew briefing areas, patient debrief spaces, offices and improved accommodation for staff and volunteers, as well as a heated hangar.
During today’s event, the air ambulance was scrambled to a real emergency. Within moments, the helicopter’s engine was starting up and then the flying medics were airborne, heading to Hayling Island. This provided a powerful demonstration of the life-saving service’s day-to-day reality.
Close coordination with air traffic control ensures rapid departures, with both NATS and AGS Airports, the owners of Southampton Airport, having supported the project.
Island Echo previously reported on the project while construction was underway – and has now seen the finished base first-hand.
Dr Chris Hill, Medical Director for HIOWAA, spoke to Island Echo about how there has already been a noticeable, positive impact on response times, particularly to the Isle of Wight.
He said:
“We hope this move will make a significant difference to outcomes for those suffering serious injury or illness. Being centrally located means we are now much closer to the Isle of Wight.
“Already, in the last few days, we have found that we can reach anywhere on the Island within 5 to 10 minutes, which is a vast improvement compared to when we were based at Thruxton.
“In our world, minutes matter. Every minute can make a difference, and the sooner we can provide the critical care we offer, the better the outcome for the patient.
“This is about delivering hospital-level care in someone’s home or at the roadside. If a procedure needs to be carried out, a drug administered, or a critical decision made, we need to do that as early as possible.
“Instead of providing that care 20 or 30 minutes after an injury, we can now do so within 5 or 10 minutes.
“We have already started to see early signs of improved outcomes, and we hope that will ultimately translate into fewer life-changing injuries for patients experiencing the worst day of their lives.”
The move marks a major milestone for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, which relies entirely on public donations to operate.
The helicopter typically operates between 07:00 and 02:00 each day and is staffed by a pilot alongside 2 highly trained medics, usually a doctor and an advanced paramedic. On the ground, critical care cars are crewed by 2 advanced paramedics.
Each mission costs an average of £3,500, equating to around £17,750 per day to keep the service running.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance is the charity that delivers an advanced Critical Care Team to sick and injured people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight when they need it most.
Available both day and night, 365 days a year, the Air Ambulance Critical Care Team is called out an average of seven times a day to attend road traffic collisions, sporting accidents, collapses and many other incidents.
Donate today to help make their next mission possible.
