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1,000 reasons to believe in kindness: TCAA celebrates milestone of missions
As the festive season brings a spirit of giving, the Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA) is celebrating a monumental year marked by its unwavering dedication to supporting critically ill babies and children.
This year, the lifesaving national charity proudly reached its 1,000th mission—a landmark achievement that reflects its vital role in paediatric and neonatal care across the UK.
Since its first flight in 2013, TCAA has been a beacon of hope, providing a high-speed, dedicated transfer service for young patients needing specialist care. Working in partnership with 11 NHS Clinical Partner Teams, the charity ensures that even the most vulnerable patients have access to the specialist care they need, when they need it most. These partnerships include the work undertaken with Embrace, the Yorkshire and Humber Infant and Children’s Transport Service, part of the Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Children’s Acute Transport Service (CATS), Children’s Medical Emergency Transport Team (CoMET), ECMO, Kids Intensive Care and Decision Support & Neonatal Transfer Service (KIDS/NTS), North West and North Wales Paediatric Transport Service (NWTS), Wales and West Acute Transport for Children Service (WATCh), Southwest Neonatal Advice and Retrieval (SoNAR), South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS), Southampton Oxford Neonatal Transfer service (SONeT), and Southampton Oxford Retrieval Team (SORT).
This year’s milestone was reached on Friday, 05 July 2024, when the charity’s G-NICU helicopter undertook the 1,000th mission, transferring a neonatal patient with Embrace—the Yorkshire and Humber Infant and Children’s Transport Service. The journey, from Liverpool to Chesterfield, took just 33 minutes by air—compared to the two-hour-plus trip by road, exemplifying the life-changing impact of TCAA’s work.
Reflecting on the milestone, Alfie Daly, Head of Operations at TCAA, said:”Reaching that 1,000-mission milestone earlier this year, and now reaching 1,073, is a testament to the unwavering dedication and teamwork of everyone involved with the Children’s Air Ambulance. I am immensely proud of the incredible efforts of our entire team—from the airdesk team and crew members to our skilled pilots and all those behind the scenes who work tirelessly to ensure we can continue supporting the Clinical Partner Teams.
“Since introducing our three bespoke incubators, we have seen an increase in the neonatal patients we have been able to help, which highlights the ongoing enhancements and investments we are making in our service. I would also like to shine a light on the incredible work undertaken by the Clinical Partner Teams we work alongside—together, we are able to support so many families when they need us most, and we look forward to continuing to work with them and helping more critically ill babies and children.”
TCAA’s achievements this year builds on more than a decade of innovation, from bespoke incubators that enhance neonatal care to pioneering in-flight clinical offerings such as ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and nitric oxide. These advancements ensure that the charity continues to lead the way in aeromedical transfers, offering NHS clinicians the tools they need to provide world-class care in the air.
Chris Bailey, Associate Director of Operations at TCAA, expressed his pride in the service’s continued evolution, saying:”Since its inception, TCAA has continuously evolved to meet the growing needs of our NHS Clinical Partner Teams with helping critically ill babies and children. From the pioneering offering of ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and nitric oxide, to the launch of three bespoke incubators, our vital service continues to revolutionise paediatric and neonatal care.
“As TCAA celebrated this 1,000-mission milestone, not only are we incredibly proud to have helped so many young patients and keep families together, but our charity remains committed to enhancing support for those fantastic NHS teams we work alongside.
“On behalf of the charity, I’d like to personally thank all of our loyal supporters, as without them, we would not have been able to continually offer and improve our service—guaranteeing that we fulfil NHS clinicians’ requirements to ensure they have everything they need to provide the best possible patient care in the air.”
As a charity relying solely on public donations, TCAA’s achievements are powered by kindness and community support. Each mission costs an average of £3,600 to complete, and the charity’s work would not be possible without the generosity of its supporters. This Christmas, TCAA invites everyone to embrace the spirit of the season with its heartfelt message: “Believe in the joy of giving; kindness is the greatest gift.”
Through donations, TCAA can continue its vital work. This holiday season, every contribution will help TCAA move closer to its next 1,000 missions, ensuring that it’s there for more young lives.
As TCAA looks ahead to the new year, it remains committed to its mission of enhancing paediatric and neonatal care, and the charity is poised to continue making a difference for families across the UK.