Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) is marking 35 years since the charity was launched in November 1989, since when it has made over 46,000 missions, saving thousands of lives and providing the best possible outcome for patients, keeping more families and loved ones together.
KSS currently responds to around nine life or death calls every day across the South East when every second counts for survival.
The anniversary coincides with the start of the KSS Christmas Appeal, `Ready to Save Lives’ which is helping ensure that its specialist doctors and paramedics will be there for people across Kent Surrey and Sussex in their most urgent hour of need.
People like former patient Sam Jenner, who is the focus of the charity’s Christmas appeal alongside KSS paramedic, David Wright, who saved her life. Sam was six months pregnant when she collapsed with a cardiac arrest as she was getting ready for work.
Sam said: “Without KSS, lots of families like mine would face very different futures. Please donate to help KSS be ready to save more lives.”
KSS started as the South East Thames Air Ambulance, under the control of the regional health authority. The charity owes a huge debt to our founder, the remarkable Kate Chivers, who established it as an independent charity when an initial three months of funding came to an end and it faced an uncertain future.
Over the past 35 years KSS has grown to become one of the largest air ambulance services in the UK, serving a resident population of around 5M, and millions more transiting through our region every year. It covers much of the South East of England – 3,500 square miles across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Kate Chivers said: “Who would have thought our fledging would become such a beautiful eagle? Anyone who was there at the beginning would be astonished and delighted at what has been achieved, which exceeds all expectations and hopes, a remarkable level of excellence that is exceptional.
“What is most remarkable, is that this has been made possible through the outstanding support this charitable service has received from its donors and volunteers. “
KSS has become a world-leading Helicopter Emergency Medical Service with globally- renowned Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine clinicians as part of its remarkable crew.
David Welch, Chief Executive of KSS, said: “We’ve been on an incredible journey during the past 35 years, thanks to the amazing support and dedication of our founder, Kate Chivers, our staff, volunteers, former patients and their families, supporters and Trustees.
“We continuously strive to collaborate and innovate to improve the care we deliver to our patients and communities so we can save even more lives and ensure the best possible patient outcomes.”
Throughout its history KSS has innovated to meet the changing needs of the communities it serves. The doctors and paramedics of KSS are able to deliver medical interventions and procedures at a level that was once only available in hospitals.
In 2006 KSS began carrying doctors as well as paramedics on their helicopters and established a dedicated dispatch desk at the ambulance control centre. In 2015 KSS introduced their Dispatch Team – the first time KSS had a team of dedicated dispatchers, well versed in the working environment, technology and 999 call process, whose sole responsibility was to identify serious trauma incidents and dispatch our crew to scene.
Advances in care, such as pre-hospital blood transfusions which KSS has performed since 2013, have revolutionised what can be done for air ambulance patients. In 2013 it also became the first air ambulance in the country to fly 24/7 all year round, allowing it to care for even more patients.
In 2017 KSS introduced the state-of-the-art AW169 helicopter – providing greater speed, range, and all-weather capabilities, as well as a large cabin space to provide more in-flight care. In 2022 KSS moved to a same type fleet of three AW169 helicopters and also in the year were able to buy one of these amazing helicopters. In 2024, thanks to the generosity of their supporters, they purchased their second AW169 with their biggest every fundraising appeal to raise the extra £1M needed in just six-weeks.
KSS has made incredible progress over the last 35 years but wants to do more, to reach more patients, improve outcomes and save more lives.
KSS continues to respond to the changing needs of its communities, attending more with medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, developing community-based prevention, education and training initiatives and increasing the impact of its Patient and Family Aftercare Service across the communities it serves.
More than 80,000 people took part in the recent KSS Restart a Heart campaign which delivered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training sessions, helping to create an army of lifesavers across the South East.
KSS is committed to ensuring it continues to evolve in order to serve the changing needs of the communities it serves and push the boundaries of what can be achieved for patients.
It’s thanks to their supporters that KSS has been ready to respond to more than 46,000 thousand incidents in its history. In 2023 its communities needed its lifesaving service more than ever before with record levels of demand during which it responded to over 3,300 incidents.
Please help KSS be ready to save lives for the next 35 years and beyond by supporting the KSS Christmas appeal, `Ready to Save Lives’.
Key dates in KSS history:
- November 1989 – Established as South East Thames Air Ambulance
- 23 December 1989 – Michelle Leather, KSS’s first patient, was taken to the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford
- 26 July 1998 – Crew members Graham Budden, Mark Darby and Tony Richardson tragically sadly lost their lives whist serving the charity
- 2008 – KSS moved to a purpose-built facility in Marden
- 2006 – KSS began carrying doctors on board in addition to paramedics
- 2006 – KSS established a dedicated dispatch desk at the ambulance control centre, staffed by their paramedics.
- 2013 – KSS started carrying blood on board and became the first air ambulance in the country to fly at night as well as day all year round
- 2015 – KSS introduced their Dispatch Team – the first time we had a team of dedicated dispatchers, well versed in the working environment, technology and 999 call process, whose sole responsibility was to identify serious trauma incidents and dispatch our crew to scene.
- 2017 – KSS began operating from a purpose-built airbase at Redhill Aerodrome
- 2017 KSS introduced the state-of-the-art AW169 helicopter – providing them with greater speed, range, and all-weather capabilities, as well as a large cabin space to provide more in-flight care
- 2018 – KSS established our Charity HQ at Rochester Airport
- 2022 – KSS started flying with a single aircraft type, the AW169
- 2024 – KSS bought their second air ambulance following their `Buy it for Life’ Appeal
| For further information: aakss.org.uk |