North West Air Ambulance

North West Air Ambulance Charity (NWAA) receive no government or NHS funding and must raise over £9.5 million to keep it operational. The NWAA is called out five times a day, increasing to ten in the summer.

It used to operate two helicopters by Bond Air Services from bases at Royal Preston Hospital and University Hospital of South Manchester, Wythenshawe.

As of 2018, three helicopters fly 365 days a year from their bases in Blackpool and City Airport Manchester (Barton) covering 5,500 square miles and eight million people.

Unless a patient requires specialist treatment, the usual destination for casualties from the Lake District will be Furness General Hospital.