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Registered charity Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) has launched a Coronavirus Emergency Appeal to raise vital funds for its life saving service.

KSS needs to raise £535,000 to ensure it can continue to provide world-class fast-response medical care to the sickest and most critically injured across the Kent, Surrey and Sussex regions. In addition, the charity is now also working alongside the NHS and South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) to transfer critically ill Coronavirus patients between hospitals in its local regions.

The KSS Coronavirus Emergency Appeal has been triggered by a shortfall in its core funding due to the cancellation of major fundraising events, combined with the increased costs associated with operating a safe service during the Pandemic, with full infection prevention controls for its crew, patients and aircraft. KSS has needed to invest in specialist equipment and protective wear to ensure its staff have the necessary resources to stay safe and can continue to save as many lives as possible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Commenting, David Welch, CEO said, “This is the most important appeal KSS has ever launched. Never in our 30-year history have we had to call on public support with this urgency. We are steadfast in our commitment to continuing our primary service at this time and are also fully committed to working on the frontline of the Coronavirus pandemic when called to do so, while ensuring the safety of our patients and our crew. However, we need help from our inspirational and generous supporters in order to deliver these services.

“Like everyone, we are facing unprecedented times, and fundraising is incredibly challenging. As a charity, we are completely reliant on the generosity of our donors and supporters, with 89% of the £14M we need each year to deliver our life saving service being raised or donated by the public we serve. We could not operate without you and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

“But we now urgently need your help. Please donate today to help KSS care and save lives.

“I thank you on behalf of each and every patient we treat and care for. Together we can save the lives of those who need us now more than ever.”

Donations can be made online at www.aakss.org.uk/appeal

 About KSS

KSS recently announced its Outstanding CQC rating, having achieved Outstanding in all five of its inspection key lines of enquiry. It is the first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service to achieve this top rating in all categories.

Operating out of Redhill Aerodrome and headquartered in Rochester, KSS provides world-leading pre-hospital emergency care whenever and wherever required to save lives and to enable the best possible patient outcomes.  Covering Kent, Surrey and Sussex, KSS serves a population of 4.8 million plus those who travel through the area – making it one of the busiest services in the UK.  Its crews of pilots, doctors and paramedics fly over 2,500 missions a year, and it was the first, and only, UK Air Ambulance to operate its helicopters 24/7.

KSS has outlined a number of items that the organisation needs as part of its Emergency Coronavirus Appeal:

  • £7.50 could fund 9 sets of disposable moisture repellent coveralls
  • £35 could fund 200 fluid repellent surgical masks
  • £50 could fund 50 ventilator filters for infection control within the aircraft
  • £620 could fund a Versaflo respirator to help patients to breathe and protect them from hazardous substances

For further information about Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex:

www.aakss.org.uk @airambulancekss

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