Air ambulance hopes for new cardiac equipment

Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex was founded in 1989

An air ambulance service that covers south-east England is hoping to introduce new equipment that will help treat cardiac arrest patients.

Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) wants to have on-scene life-support kit called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to help improve the "speed and effectiveness" of its care.

The organisation, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this month, raised £1m earlier this year to buy a second rescue helicopter outright.

David Welch, KSS chief executive, said the service would "continuously strive to collaborate and innovate to improve the care we deliver".

Duncan Bootland, the charity's medical director, said: "We are looking at innovations around the world and advances in technology around how we can support people's hearts and lungs whilst they are having a cardiac arrest."

The charity said it had made over 46,000 missions since it was founded in 1989.

It responds to about nine emergency calls every day.

Sam Jenner, a former patient, is the focus of the charity’s Christmas fundraising appeal this year.

She was six months pregnant when she collapsed with a cardiac arrest.

"Without KSS, lots of families like mine would face very different futures," she said.

Fatboy Slim was taught how to do CPR at a KSS event at the Amex Stadium in Falmer

Kate Chivers, who established the organisation as an independent charity, said: "Who would have thought our fledging would become such a beautiful eagle?

"Anyone who was there at the beginning would be astonished and delighted at what has been achieved."

More than 80,000 people took part in the recent KSS Restart a Heart campaign which delivered CPR training sessions including one with Brighton & Hove Albion footballers.

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