Toyota trust's £4,000 gift to air ambulance for life-saving equipment

Two handheld capnograph and pulse oximeters have been bought to replace equipment which has been in constant use.

The money was donated from the Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust to Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA).

Karl Bexon, airbase manager for the emergency service, said: “This equipment is extremely valuable to our doctors and critical care paramedics to assess and treat our patients.”

“The capnograph measures the level of carbon dioxide in the respiratory gases and offers reliable feedback about the severity of a patient’s condition and how they respond to treatment. It is especially necessary if the patient has to be anaesthetised.

“The pulse oximeter displays the percentage of blood that is loaded with oxygen, which is of critical importance in pre-hospital care. This equipment is also essential to our team when monitoring patients that are trapped. Our previous versions of this equipment had served us very well, but due to the constant use since we first purchased, we were in need of replacements.”

The charity’s frontline crews work around the clock every day of the year to help save lives by delivering pre-hospital critical care to patients. The air ambulance carries clinicians who are able to perform surgical procedures, from thoracotomies to caesareans to amputations, by the roadside when the need is there – highlighting the importance of the equipment they carry on board the aircraft and in their critical care cars.

Dave Richards, human resources general manager for the charitable trust, said: “We are proud of our long-standing relationship with Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance, a fantastic organisation who work tirelessly to save lives and make a difference in the areas around our plants”.

The money awarded to the ambulance service was mainly raised through seminars at Toyota’s plant in Derby, attended by delegates from around the world.