Air Ambulance Crews Attend Over 1,100 Emergencies

The Air Ambulance Service responded to more than 1,100 emergencies across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire last year.

Helicopters were deployed to over 500 incidents, while critical care cars attended more than 600 call-outs, allowing specialist medical teams to deliver life-saving treatment to patients in the most serious situations.

The charity says the service costs around £2,300 every time the aircraft takes off, and it continues to rely on public support to remain operational, as it receives no government funding.

Phil Bridle is Head of Operations:

Air Ambulance helicopters

One family knows just how vital the Air Ambulance Service help can be.

Ten-year-old Destiny Whitbread, from Rothwell, is now back at school and enjoying her favourite activities after a dramatic bank holiday accident in August 2025 that saw her airlifted to hospital.

Destiny had been riding her bike with a friend when she lost control on a corner and crashed, with the handlebar piercing her leg. Dog walkers who heard her screams raised the alarm, and her dad rushed to the scene.

“She was trying so hard to be brave, but she couldn’t move. I could see the pain all over her face when I arrived,” he said.

Although they were initially warned of a long wait for transport, a paramedic carried out a video assessment and quickly recognised the seriousness of the injury. Within minutes, a land ambulance, fire crew and The Air Ambulance Service were on scene.

Destiny Whitbread during a visit to the Air Ambulance base

The air ambulance crew gave strong pain relief, carefully freed her leg and flew her to a nearby field close to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, where she was taken by road to the children’s A&E department.

“The morphine made her really giggly — she couldn’t stop laughing in the helicopter,” her dad said. “But seeing your child loaded into a helicopter is terrifying. The crew were incredible with both of us.”

Doctors later confirmed Destiny had narrowly missed a major artery. She spent three nights in hospital, had a skin graft and recovered at home on crutches.

Now discharged from plastic surgery, she has returned to school and is back to her energetic self — enjoying drawing, building Lego and playing with her cat, Splodge.

Her classmates even held a fundraiser, collecting £235.66 for the charity.

“Our living room was covered in coins for days,” her dad added. “But it was so worth it. We just wanted to say thank you.”

The family say they remain hugely grateful to The Air Ambulance Service team who arrived so quickly and helped Destiny when she needed it most.