‘From roadside to back garden, mountainside to motorway’ North West Air Ambulance provides critical care when it is most needed – and its latest accounts reveal a rise in demand but not income. Tony McDonough reports

With no direct Government or NHS funding the North West Air Ambulance (NWAA) provides critical care cover to more than 8m people.

And accounts just posted on Companies House for the 12 months to March 31, 2025, show how the charity saw a6.4% rise in call-outs – while its annual income remained broadly the same as the previous year at £15.6m.

In the report, NWAA chair Kim Spencer outlined how a new five-year strategy will see it raise its level of care even more, raise its profile and, crucially, step up its fundraising efforts.

In the previous year NWAA, founded in 1999, finished with a £1.4m surplus. However, with outgoings up 13% to more than £16m the latest accounts show an annual deficit of £516,000. And it is not difficult to see where the extra expenditure has gone.

Totally reliant on fundraising and donations, this remarkable service operates three helicopters and four critical care vehicles 365 days a year.

Its team comprises a medical director, a consultant paramedic, 23 consultant level doctors, 20 critical care paramedics, one pharmacist, seven pilots and three engineers.

During the 12-month period they responded to 3,371 incidents and treated 1,652 patients – a rise of 6.9%. Those callouts included the attack on the Southport dance school in July 2024, when three children were stabbed to death and many others badly injured.

NWAA’s income was made up of donations (£6.6m), trading activities from its 10 charity shops (£8.5m) and £524,000 from investments. Donations included legacies totalling £1.3m. Leases for its helicopters and properties cost almost £5m a year.

Kim Spencer said in the report: “Patients are truly out of the heart of everything we do, and this past year has been a powerful example of that.

“We attended more than 3,300 missions across our region, delivering enhanced pre-hospital care to people in most difficult and unexpected circumstances.

“From roadside to back garden, mountainside to motorway – we’ve been there, making the difference when every second counts. We’ve made remarkable strides behind the scenes too.

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“Blood is now on board all of our aircraft and critical care vehicles, a game-changer for trauma patients, and our night car service expanded and is available every night of the week.

“From Crewe to Carlisle our crews serve the largest population outside of London, providing care to more than 8m people. None of this is possible without the generous support of the people in the North West.”