WHITECHAPEL’S London Air Ambulance has been thrown a seven-year lifeline after securing a multi-million pound deal.
The helicopter service – which flies to any location within the M25 and sometimes beyond – has secured funding from Spanish-owned bank Santander.
The charity that runs LAA, which operates from The Royal London hospital, is now hoping to to raise a further �3 million a year to keep the service running.
Since last April the LAA has operated a 24 hour service, with the helicopter operating in daylight hours and a rapid response car fleet at night.
The team, which always carries two pilots, a trauma doctor and a paramedic, can be airborne within two minutes of getting a call.
It only takes 12 minutes to reach the furthest section of the M25.
Since being set up in 1989 the helicopter has undertaken almost 25,000 missions across London.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here