ON Friday, Harlow MP Robert Halfon visited the Essex Air Ambulance in Colchester.

The Essex Air Ambulance has attended 69 incidents in Harlow since 2015 and often made use of the helipad at Princess Alexandra Hospital. Robert met with senior staff including the Chief Executive, Jane Gurney, paramedics and pilots who showed the MP the inside of an air ambulance helicopter.

Robert said, “The Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance Trust is the SAS of the health service. They aren’t just an ambulance and transportation service, they are a mobile hospital, needed for the most severe and traumatic incidents. What is most remarkable is the skill, professionalism and level of training for all of the staff involved.

The Herts and Essex Air Ambulance Trust is a charity and relies on fundraising for most of it’s work. For this reason, I campaigned for the Government to ensure that Libor fines went to air ambulance services across the country. I’m really pleased that Essex Air Ambulance received two separate grants from this of £250,000 and £1.5 million. It was also incredibly helpful that the Government scrapped VAT of air ambulance and search and rescue vehicles which saves the charity £80,000 every year.

In 2015, I previously met with the Chancellor, Rebecca Harris MP and Jane Gurney at 11 Downing Street to welcome the Government’s support for our amazing air ambulances.

Given that the Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance Trust does so much in Harlow and across our county, I will continue to do all that I can to support them.”