Cambridgeshire-based Magpas and the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) have agreed the merger in principle and are currently in the process of ironing out the finer details.

A new name that will reflect the partnership working of the two key cares services is inevitable, but has yet to be discussed.

Chief Executive of Magpas Ian Brooke said as registered charities and as a health provider there were many regulatory obstacles that had to be overcome along the way and it would therefore be "quite a long process".

Both organisations already provide vital life-saving services across the region and have been sharing resources and expertise in Bedfordshire, Peterborough and across the rest of Cambridgeshire since September 2007, in conjunction with the East of England Ambulance NHS Trust.


READ ET COMMENT: Merger will make service better


In addition to their own rapid response car, Magpas' highly skilled doctor and paramedic teams have been manning Anglia Two, the East Anglian Air Ambulance's emergency helicopter, a BK 117, based at RAF Wyton, near Huntingdon.

Anglia One, its first aircraft, continues to serve Norfolk and Suffolk.

Having worked together successfully, both organisations say that a merger was the logical next step and will result in one of the most advanced emergency care services in the UK.

Executive Director of the East Anglian Air Ambulance Simon Gray commented: "This merger offers to give people in our region the highest standard of emergency medical care in the country. There is already so much synergy between the two charities and we also see an opportunity to share experience and best practice.

"Both charities are already highly respected in their field so it's important that we take time to consider how best to integrate our organisations by consulting those who help and support us."

Mr Brooke added: "The new charity that results from this merger will be fantastic for our region. The East Anglian Air Ambulance is widely regarded as one of the leading operations of its kind and Magpas' level of clinical excellence has lead to it becoming the only charity of its kind in the UK to achieve Independent Healthcare Provider Status.

"When you combine two beacons of excellence in this way, the result will not only benefit our region but will also provide a service that will set the standard for the rest of the UK to follow."

Neither the EAAA nor Magpas receives government or National Lottery funding and are entirely dependent on fund-raising and private donations. It costs the EAAA about £2 million to run the air ambulance for a year.