Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) is a leading Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), delivering lifesaving critical care to communities across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, KSS responds rapidly to life-threatening emergencies, bringing advanced medical care directly to the patient when every second counts.
Founded in 1989, KSS has grown into one of the UK’s most advanced air ambulance charities. Its specialist teams of doctors, paramedics and pilots bring the emergency room to the scene, providing hospital-level treatment at the roadside, in homes, and in remote or hard-to-reach locations. This includes administering anaesthesia, delivering blood transfusions and carrying out emergency surgical procedures that would previously only have been possible in hospital.
Operating from airbases in Kent and Surrey, KSS responds by using one of three advanced AW169 Leonardo helicopters or responding on the road using one of their 5 Volvo EC90 Rapid Response Vehicle to ensure the fastest and most effective deployment. The service can reach any part of Kent, Surrey and Sussex in under 30 minutes, delivering urgent specialist care wherever it is needed. When required, patients are transported directly to the hospital best equipped to treat them, helping to ensure the best possible outcome.
Since its first mission, KSS has treated over 41,000 patients, responding to a wide range of incidents including major trauma, cardiac arrests, road traffic collisions and medical emergencies. The charity is there for everyone, providing expert care at the point of greatest need.
KSS is an independent charity and receives only limited government funding. It costs £57,000 a day to run the service, with 91% of its regular income coming from the generosity of the public, through donations, fundraising, lottery players and volunteers. Every mission depends on this support, helping to ensure that lifesaving care is always there when it is needed most.
