YORKSHIRE Air Ambulance (YAA) has added two custom-built rapid response vehicles to its life-saving fleet. 

They will help the charity extend its operations during adverse weather conditions, when their aircraft are offline for routine servicing and when, in some circumstances, it is quicker to get to the patient by road than by air.

The two new vehicles were custom-built to meet the needs of the air ambulance service and they are fully capable of carrying the same life-saving equipment found in both helicopters.

One of the vehicles will be based at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Nostell airbase and the other at their North Yorkshire Topcliffe airbase.

YAA Chairman Peter Sunderland said the charity is "absolutely delighted" with the addition of the vehicles.

"These cars will make a huge difference to our operations in adverse weather conditions and in places unreachable by aircraft, enabling us to provide swift medical interventions that could have a major impact on a patient’s chance of survival and subsequent quality of life," he said.

"None of this would have been possible without the generosity of the Mark Benevolent Fund, Henry Surtees Foundation, Morrisons Foundation and the Tesco Bags of Help scheme in York, who have kindly sponsored the vehicles.”

Matt Syrat, YAA Clinical Operations Manager, added: “The capabilities of our new rapid response vehicles will allow us to be able to get to patients during periods of aircraft downtime or extreme weather which render flying impossible, ensuring we can deliver prehospital care in the right place and at the right time.”

Darren Coleman-Heald, Charities Manager at the Mark Benevolent Fund, said: “The Mark Benevolent Fund is delighted to have joined forces once again with our partners at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. This all-important project and the vehicle provided reach deep into the heart of your community and will be a certain lifeline to many.

"The Mark Benevolent Fund is the official charity of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, the third largest branch of Freemasonry. Our 35,000 members will be pleased to know that their donations are being used wisely, helping those in need and saving lives right across Yorkshire.”

Nick Smith, Executive Director of Operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said the long-standing partnership it has with YAA is a "great asset" for the Yorkshire region.

YAA serves five million people across Yorkshire and carries out more than 1,500 missions every year. The charity operates two, state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.