Sellafield donates £61k to Cumbria emergency response charity

Last year's money from Sellafield bought two new emergency response vehicles

The company running the Sellafield nuclear plant has announced funding for volunteer emergency services.

It has given £61,000 to the Cumbria Beep Doctors charity, whose volunteer doctors provide a rapid respond to accidents and emergencies.

The charity used £91,000 given by Sellafield last year to buy two response vehicles and has spent this year's donation on equipping them.

Charity chairman Dr Theo Weston said it had "revolutionised" its roadside care.

"Our patients will benefit significantly," he said.

"The chest compressor works better than any human and, without the hi-tech monitoring and ventilation systems, we wouldn't be able to provide the same level of pre-hospital care to patients."

'Vital work'

Beep Doctors' 12 volunteer medics cover 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They provide enhanced emergency care and surgical procedures that are not normally possible until a patient reaches hospital.

Sellafield's chief executive officer Euan Hutton said the charity did "vital" work and the company was "delighted" to support it.

"I'm proud that our funding will help the Beep Doctors save even more lives, and get patients back to their families," he said.

Sellafield invests £10m each year on community projects and organisations.

Beep Doctors' volunteers attended 262 call-outs in 2022 and treated 302 casualties.

So far this year they have responded to 216 call-outs.