Westminster Report

BY the Rt Hon Mark Francois MP, Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford.
On a Mission: To Thank Our Great Air Ambulance Team!
I recently had the privilege of visiting the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) at their principal base at North Weald airfield. As a long-time supporter of the Air Ambulance, I gratefully accepted the opportunity to meet the crews and the leadership of the organisation at their base at North Weald, near Ongar.
By way of background, the EHAAT was established in 1997 (initially as Essex Air Ambulance), with the first flight taking place the following year. In the years since, the Trust including its capabilities and operations have continued to grow and they now provide free, life-saving, pre-hospital Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) across Essex, Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.
EHAAT currently has two highly-equipped Leonardo AW169 helicopters and a fleet of rapid response road vehicles at its disposal, which, between them, operate 24/7, 365 days a year. As a result, the Trust, on average, treats some 1,900 patients annually.
Moving on to the visit itself, I was fortunate enough to be given a tour of the helicopter hangar and I was also shown the Air Ambulance’s “CPR Smart” programme, which aims to teach Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) skills to secondary school pupils across Essex and Herts, so that they are properly trained in providing potentially life-saving assistance in emergency situations, should the need arise. It is also hoped that the programme will be rolled out to Essex and Herts primary schools, to familiarise younger pupils with the technique of CPR, in due course.
I fully support EHAAT’s endeavours to do this, as soon as practicable.
Briefly, on CPR, some constituents may recall the British Heart Foundation’s advert, which aired a few years ago, in which notorious ‘hard man’ Vinnie Jones demonstrated how to perform the technique, whilst keeping to the rhythm of “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees.
The number of individuals suffering from Cardiovascular Diseases has risen in recent history and it is, therefore, incredibly important that as many people as possible are aware of how to perform a life-saving technique, such as CPR. EHAAT now sends qualified instructors into schools, to actively demonstrate the latest CPR techniques, as they continue to evolve.
The Essex & Herts Air Ambulance is one of our most popular local charities and so it was a privilege to visit their team. Some reading this article may be excited to learn that this opportunity is by no means reserved to elected officials, as members of the public can also arrange to visit EHAAT’s Visitor Centres, located at both of their airbases at Earls Colne and North Weald.
Further information about visiting either airbase can be found on EHAAT’s webpage: https://ehaat.org/. Given how positive my experience was, I would highly recommend that constituents who may be interested, do consider arranging a visit.
I should perhaps also point out, for those with an interest in military history, both as the Shadow Armed Forces Minister and as a Battle of Britain buff myself, I know that what was once RAF North Weald was a key fighter station back in 1940 and so it was very good to see it being used for another vital purpose in the 21st century – in this case, savings lives, across both counties.
In summary, I would, once again, like to extend my thanks to EHAAT and the dedicated staff that they have working across both airbases. As a charity that is funded almost entirely by fundraising events and donations from the public and businesses, both large and small, I was very impressed with the Trust’s operations and I wish the great team from the Air Ambulance, all the very best for the future, in their vital role.
Picture: Mark Francois MP with Essex & Herts Air Ambulance CEO Mark Jarman-Howe and his team and their new Leonardo AW169 helicopter, at their base at North Weald airfield, Essex.
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