YORKSHIRE Air Ambulance is to carry blood on board for the first time, enabling critically injured patients to receive blood transfusions in the air or at the scene.

A donation of more than £16,000 has been funded from the Henry Surtees Foundation. Founded by motor sport legend John Surtees CBE, following the tragic death of his son Henry, killed aged just 18.

Leonora Surtees-Martell, daughter of the late John Surtees said: 'The Henry Surtees Foundation is delighted to support the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity with a grant of £16,000.'

Yorkshire Air Ambulance serves 5 million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,250 missions every year. Needing to raise £12,000 per day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances in the air and maintained.

Dr Jez Pinnell, Medical Adviser at Yorkshire Air Ambulance said, 'People with traumatic injuries are at greater risk from bleeding to death so having blood available on the air ambulance will benefit those patients prior to arriving at hospital. It will buy us extra time and allow us to replace the blood they're losing.'

Blood is being supplied by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and will be delivered from Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield by the Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes charity service.

Mandy O’Shea, Chief Biomedical Scientist - Blood Transfusion at the Trust, said: 'Having blood on board the Yorkshire Air Ambulance will make a significant difference to those critically ill patients requiring a blood transfusion at the scene.'

The YAA provides a life-saving rapid response emergency service 365 days a year to 5 million people across 4 million acres of Yorkshire.