We attended a special Parliamentary Reception at the House of Commons last week to raise awareness of the life-saving work of the Air Ambulance Charities involved, which attracted support from key political figures.
Over 70 members of parliament attended the event held on 7th March. The reception was organised by Air Ambulances UK (AAUK), the national charity supporting the life-saving work of the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities, including KSS.
The reception aimed to raise matters of importance and priorities of the sector through engagement with political leaders and policy makers on key issues that relate to Air Ambulance Charities life-saving services.
The key issues and challenges raised at the reception were increased demand and increased costs, safe access to patient data and access to helipads and landing sites.
Simmy Akhtar, AAUK’s CEO, said “We were delighted to host the Parliamentary Reception at the House of Commons for the first time since 2019 due to the impact of COVID-19. It was wonderful to see so many parliamentarians attend to support the life-saving work of Air Ambulance Charities. It demonstrates MPs and Ministers regard for the Air Ambulance community and the vital role that the sector plays in the Urgent and Emergency Care System. Thank you to all those who attended, and we look forward to working with key stakeholders on key challenges and issues facing our sector”.
David Welch, our CEO, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity to engage with MPs of all parties and to raise awareness our critical, life-saving work, the challenges we face, and the exciting plans we have for the future, in order to implement our exciting and ambitious Five-Year Strategy – Working Together to Save More Lives. I was pleased to see many MPs from Kent, Surrey and Sussex in attendance, and look forward to working closely with them in the future.”
