An air ambulance service will start carrying blood so it can begin saving people before they go to hospital.

The Essex & Herts Air Ambulance will carry blood supplies on board its helicopters and Rapid Response Vehicles for patients suffering significant blood loss as of Wednesday (March 20).

The ability to offer early transfusion at the scene of an accident will significantly reduce the time lost taking a patient to hospital to receive blood.

EHAAT helicopters and RRVs will carry packed red blood cells of O Negative blood, meaning they can be used on any patient, supplied daily from the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.

EHAAT clinical director Stuart Elms said: “This exciting new venture has been many months in preparation and will make a significant difference to the most critically injured patients in our region.”

Tracy Nevin, blood transfusion specialist practitioner at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, added: “We are so delighted and excited to be working in partnership with Essex & Herts Air Ambulance in providing emergency blood at the roadside. We have developed such a positive working relationship in such a short time that we’re elated to be going live.”