Sir Keith Pearson Appointed EAAA Trustee
Friday, 03 August, 2012
Sir Keith Pearson JP DL
The East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) has appointed Sir Keith Pearson JP DL to its Board of Trustees.
Sir Keith, who lives in Peterborough, was appointed Chair of Health Education England in June 2012. He was previously Chair of the NHS Confederation, the membership body for organisations that commission and deliver NHS funded services. From 2006-2010 Keith was Chair of NHS East of England.
The EAAA provides the life-saving air ambulance service across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The Charity's two helicopters, based at Norwich and Cambridge airports, fly highly-trained doctor and paramedic teams to emergencies across the region during daylight hours. When necessary, the aircraft transport patients to the most appropriate hospital to treat their condition or injuries.
Later this year, the EAAA aims to become the first air ambulance charity in England and Wales to extend its service to cover the hours of darkness. By providing year-round coverage across peak commuting periods, it aims to help save more lives. The investment required in new equipment and staff training will push its annual fundraising target up to £6 million a year.
Commenting on his appointment to the EAAA Board of Trustees, Sir Keith said: "It has been proven time and time again that helicopters are vital for the transportation of critically injured or ill patients to specialist hospitals. I look forward to bringing into this role both my passion for high quality, patient-centred healthcare and specialist knowledge of the East of England region. I will work with Charity colleagues and the NHS to embed the ambitions of the public in the decisions we take when spending the money they work so hard to raise."
EAAA Chief Executive Tim Page adds: "Sir Keith is quite rightly highly regarded for the expertise and knowledge he has gained working for more than 30 years in the healthcare sector. His experience will be invaluable to us and we are delighted to welcome him aboard at this key time as we move towards night operations."
