The Medicash Foundation, the charitable arm of leading Liverpool-based health insurer Medicash, has funded a lifesaving defibrillator and monitor for the North West Air Ambulance (NWAA) Charity.

The device can not only quickly ascertain the condition of a patient’s heart, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, ventilation and body temperature, it also performs emergency defibrillation for patients in cardiac arrest. It does all this whilst communicating seamlessly with other medical equipment both onboard the aircraft and at the receiving hospital, ensuring that doctors can provide the best possible medical care for the patient.

The North West Air Ambulance Charity responds to over 2,700 emergency 999 calls every year. Operating across the entire North West, its three helicopters and four wheel-drive critical care cars bring enhanced pre-hospital care to patients at scene, whether in the heart of our communities, on the roads and motorways, or in the remote countryside of the North West.

Andy Duncan, lead HEMS paramedic at the North West Air Ambulance Charity, said: “We receive no NHS or government funding, so we are extremely grateful for the donation from Medicash that has allowed us to strengthen the tools available to our crew.

“We provide enhanced pre-hospital care to some of the most critically ill and injured patients across the region, where a quick response could improve the patient’s recovery and help save lives. Ensuring our teams have access to the latest technology such as this means we can bring the hospital to the patient and provide the very best pre-hospital care to our patients.”

Medicash Chief Executive and Foundation Trustee Sue Weir said: “The North West Air Ambulance Charity represents a lifeline for people across the region. They perform a vital service and need and deserve our support. By providing this device we are helping to provide the very best care to patients across the North West, and we encourage other organisations to help promote and support the important work that they do.”

To find out more about the North West Air Ambulance Charity please visit https://www.nwairambulance.org.uk/ or call 0800 587 4570.