North West Air Ambulance Charity (NWAA) brings advanced, lifesaving care directly to people suffering life-threatening illness and injury across the North West. Serving more than 8 million people across Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, its specialist teams deliver critical treatment at the scene when every second counts. Covering over 5,500 square miles, the charity provides enhanced pre-hospital emergency care to communities across both urban and rural areas.
Founded in 1999, NWAA has developed into a highly specialised provider of pre-hospital emergency medicine. Its highly skilled teams of pilots, specialist doctors and critical care paramedics respond by helicopter and rapid response vehicle, delivering advanced care that would traditionally only be available within a hospital emergency department. Crews are equipped to carry out complex medical interventions, including emergency anaesthesia, blood transfusions and other lifesaving procedures, helping to give patients the very best chance of survival and recovery.
Operating from airbases in Barton, Manchester and Blackpool, the charity provides a service 365 days a year. Whether responding to major trauma, serious medical emergencies or critically ill patients in remote locations, NWAA’s crews are ready to provide specialist care whenever it is needed.
Demand for the service continues to grow. The charity now attends more than 3,000 missions each year and has responded to over 50,000 incidents since its launch. Every mission represents someone facing one of the worst moments of their life, with crews bringing the specialist skills, equipment and expertise that can help save lives and improve long-term outcomes.
Despite working alongside the NHS and other emergency services, North West Air Ambulance Charity receives no government funding towards its day-to-day operations. The charity must raise more than £18 million every year to keep its helicopters and critical care vehicles operational, relying entirely on the generosity of supporters, fundraisers, lottery players, volunteers and corporate partners to continue delivering its lifesaving service.
Tower Lotteries has proudly supported North West Air Ambulance Charity since 2008. Through the continued support of lottery players across the region, vital funds help ensure specialist crews can reach patients in need and continue delivering lifesaving care across the North West. Every ticket played helps support the charity’s mission to bring the hospital to the patient when it matters most.
