Wiltshire Air Ambulance began carrying packed red blood cells on board in 2015 and last year pre-hospital blood transfusions were carried out by our critical care paramedics and volunteer doctors more than once per month on average.

The MEQU °M Warmer will ensure the critically ill and injured patients we attend receive the blood products we carry at the required temperature to enter the blood stream.

The aircrew aim to virtually cycle from the charity's airbase in Semington, near Trowbridge, to each of the hospitals they usually airlift patients to, including Salisbury District Hospital, Southampton General Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Great Western Hospital, Gloucester Royal Hospital, Bristol Royal Infirmary & Children's Hospital, Southmead Hospital, Weston General Hospital and Royal United Hospital in Bath, before returning to the airbase. They will then do it all over again the other way!

That's a total distance of 654 miles, meaning they'll need to cycle on average 93.4 miles per day to complete the mammoth trek.

The cycling will take place virtually at the airbase on exercise bikes donated by Places Leisure, who operate the Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham.

Here are our friends at Essex and Herts Air Ambulance using the MEQU °M Warmer.