Agenda item

Presentation and verbal update from Emma Saunders of Magpas regarding the work Magpas is undertaking in relation to rural communities.

An update was given by Emma Sanders from Magpas on the work it is undertaking in relation to the rural communities.

Members made comments, asked questions, and received responses as follows:

·         Councillor Taylor asked if the drugs Magpas use are more expensive than the ones used by the Air Ambulance service? Emma Sanders responded Magpas purchases everything to be able to deliver their service, there is no support from the NHS, Government funding or  National Lottery funding, grants are applied for through foundations and trusts and some purchases are made through the NHS with a discount but the majority of life saving drugs are purchased by Magpas itself.

·         Councillor Mrs Laws asked if the doctors and nurses give their time freely and what does the fundraising money contribute towards? Emma Sanders responded staff are all paid and running cost are covered out of the charity money but 70% of the charity money does go back into the service. She stated that because of the nature of the job, staff do need to be paid and to cover all the costs, the charity needs to raise £6,000,000 per year to keep the consistency of the service that is provided, there are around 60 volunteers who come and assist with the administration of running events for the fundraising and accounts side of the charity who give up hundreds of hours to help Magpas raise much needed money.

·         Councillor Mrs Laws stated that the National Lottery was mentioned, do Magpas not apply for that funding? Emma Sanders replied Magpas has never received National Lottery Funding as the applications have never been successful, but there has been success with other applications like the Lyle Foundation during the Covid pandemic, this same foundation also gave Magpas a grant to purchase land to operate from.

·         Councillor Mrs Laws stated there are professionals that can complete application forms for grants and funding, is this something that has been considered? Emma Sanders responded that within Magpas there is a colleague who works on all the applications for trusts, grants and foundations to enable the charity to receive money for any equipment the charity may need.

·         Councillor Count asked how did Magpas end up with their vehicles and how do they receive 999 calls? Emma Sanders responded that when a 999 call is made at that desk is a critical care paramedic who is employed by the Air Ambulance and that paramedic listens in on every call and depending on the emergency the nearest Air Ambulance will be dispatched which will then trigger a call to Magpas if they are the nearest. She stated that if the weather is unsuitable for flying then the vehicles will take over, the rapid response cars operate as a delivery system rather than a full working ambulance with the key equipment needed to perform any operation required at the scene of an emergency and once the patient is stable, they will then be transferred to an ambulance.

·         Councillor Humphrey asked why both the Air Ambulance and Magpas operate in the same area? Emma Sanders responded Magpas have been operating in the same area for 50 years and the Air Ambulance moved from Norfolk to Cambridgeshire 20 years ago. She stated that the two charities do operate separately but when there is an emergency need, they all work alongside each other.

·         Councillor Marks asked whether Magpas claims anything back from insurance companies for equipment that has been used, for example the £135 cost for using breathing equipment at a road traffic accident? Emma Sanders stated this is something that is presently being investigated.

·         Councillor Marks stated that he was not aware of the location of the new base mentioned in the presentation. Emma Sanders replied Magpas is now based at Alconbury Wields in a purpose-built facility which was funded through various funds, trusts and foundations, which has allowed them to improve on the service with the addition of sleeping pods for the shift workers, there is a family room so patients can come and talk through their experiences and understand what happened to them and seek further support if needed, there is a donated gym facility to help keep the medical team physically and mentally fit plus there is a simulator room to help with training needs which emerge from the medical team being in a medical emergency environment and allows them to practice working in an emergency situation.

Members noted the information provided.