The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) provides specialist emergency critical care by land and air to a population of 2.1 million people across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire, operating 365 days a year. Its mission is to give patients the very best chance of survival by delivering rapid, specialist treatment at the scene of a medical emergency and significantly improve patients’ chances of survival and recovery.
GWAAC’s team of highly trained Critical Care Doctors, Advanced Practitioners, and Specialist Paramedics bring the expertise of a hospital emergency department directly to the patient at the scene of an incident. Equipped with advanced skills and technology, they are able to perform complex interventions that would usually only be available in hospital.
Using its distinctive green and blue helicopter alongside a fleet of critical care cars, the team can reach patients quickly across the region. Operating from its airbase in Almondsbury, South Gloucestershire, near the junction of the M4 and M5 motorways, GWAAC can be anywhere within its coverage area in approximately 20 minutes, ensuring timely intervention when every second counts.
As a charity, GWAAC must raise over £4 million each year to remain operational. It receives no day-to-day funding from the Government or the National Lottery and relies entirely on voluntary donations and the support of local communities to continue its lifesaving work.
In 2025, GWAAC experienced its busiest year on record, attending 2,344 patients in urgent need of medical care. On average, the team responds to more than six people every day, with each mission costing around £2,200. Every call-out has the potential to be life saving, making a critical difference to patients and their families at moments of greatest need.
