THE AIR ambulance service is closer to providing a 24/7 service in Cumbria after expanding the service to four nights a week. 

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) first launched its all-night rapid response vehicle night-time back in May 2021, covering Friday and Saturday evenings. 

That service has now been extended to cover Thursday and Sunday evenings. 

Last year, the critical care team was deployed 154 times on a rapid response vehicle to incidents in Cumbria, including road traffic collisions and cardiac arrests.

David Stockton, chief executive officer at GNAAS, said: "Becoming a 24/7 service has been a long-term goal of the charity, and a personal ambition of myself, so we’re very proud to continue that journey.

"Our team can now deliver a high level of pre-hospital care to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the North East, and we are now covering seven days and four nights in Cumbria, with an expectation to add more evenings over the coming months," he said. 

News and Star: Max, Paddy, Kerry along with GNAAS members. Max, Paddy, Kerry along with GNAAS members. (Image: GNAAS)

To facilitate the service expansion, the charity has recruited additional paramedics and specialist doctors who are now working through our training and evaluation process.

It takes between six and nine months to provide them with the skills, education and support needed to work at GNAAS, concluding with a sign-off day where they are assessed on their ability to work without a supervisor.

They also recently added a new Volvo XC90 to their fleet, which was funded by Keswick fundraiser Max Out in the Lake District.

Kerry Irving and his spaniel dogs Max, Paddy and Harry have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for various charities over the years, after gaining a huge international following on their ‘Max Out in the Lake District’ social media pages.

Sadly, Max passed away in 2022, but to honour his legacy, Max’s pawprint is proudly displayed on the new rapid response vehicle.

Kerry said: “Helping others in need is the greatest gift we can all give, and our community funded critical care vehicle given to GNAAS will help thousands of people in their hour of need.”