On Thursday (31 July) Adam Thompson, Member of Parliament for Erewash, visited the Nottingham base of The Air Ambulance Service which is called to save the lives of his constituents.
The Air Ambulance Service – which is a charity entirely funded by donations from the public – carries out missions throughout Derbyshire where the Erewash borough sits, as well as being called to emergencies in Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire.
Adam Thompson has served as the Labour Member of Parliament for the district since 2024, and took the opportunity during the summer parliamentary recess to visit The Air Ambulance Service charity’s heliport in Nottingham and meet the pilot and crew between missions.
During the visit – hosted by the charity’s Chief Executive Officer Peta Wilkinson – Adam was given a tour of one of the two AgustaWestland 109SP helicopters that fly at speeds of up to 185mph to carry the very latest lifesaving equipment and highly trained medical personnel to an average of ten missions a day. The helicopter had returned from an emergency call just moments earlier.
He was then given instruction in how emergency teams use realistic training dummies to simulate patient care scenarios. These mannequins are designed to mimic human anatomy and physiology, allowing for hands-on practice of various medical procedures and techniques.
The Erewash MP remarked: “What really struck me on my visit to the Air Ambulance service was that everyone around me was a hero – ex-NHS, veterans, specialists in their fields – all saving lives in the toughest situations imaginable. I am in awe of their work, it was a great visit, and I’ll support them going forward any way I can.”
The Air Ambulance Service CEO Peta Wilkinson added: “We are grateful to Adam for taking the time to visit us and learn how we use donations to deliver lifesaving first response and care in the air to the public every single day.”
