Great Western Air Ambulance

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity has operated helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) since 2008, providing enhanced pre-hospital critical care across southwest England. Based at Bristol Airport, the charity operates an Airbus H135 helicopter alongside a fleet of critical care response vehicles, allowing specialist teams to respond rapidly by air or road. Its crews include critical care doctors, specialist paramedics and advanced practitioners who deliver life-saving interventions at the scene before transporting patients to the most appropriate hospital.

The Air Ambulance had been based on the north side of Filton since 2008 but following an announcement by British Aerospace to sell the site, a new base was needed. Planning was finally approved after objections, in Dec 2016; the new base at Almondsbury, adjacent to the M4/M5 motorway interchange became operational in 2018.