Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS)

SARS is a voluntary emergency medical charity operating in Suffolk and its border areas. Our volunteer clinicians offer specialist assistance at serious or life-threatening medical incidents. Since we started in 1972, we have helped treat thousands of patients and saved countless lives.

SARS volunteers are specialists in prehospital care and include anesthetists, consultants in emergency medicine, and critical care paramedics. They carry equipment and drugs not normally found on frontline ambulances and can undertake advanced procedures at the scene of an incident, which are not normally possible outside the hospital environment.

Our charity receives no central government funding and relies on voluntary fundraising to maintain its activity. The clinicians give up their time and provide their skills without charge. This ‘donation’ of time equates to many hundreds-of-thousands of pounds each year, and the benefit that SARS clinicians can bring to a patient in terms of life-saving interventions, relief from pain and quicker recovery times is immeasurable. 

The last year has been a really challenging time but the amazing SARS volunteer clinicians gave over 6,000 hours of advanced prehospital medical care throughout Suffolk in 2020. They were called out to over 100 locations across the county – all of this during a pandemic. 2021 looks set to be another busy year, with SARS responders being mobilised to 72 incidents in January alone.

SARS is also helping combat the pandemic with charity volunteer and retired responder, Dr Andy Mason currently vaccinating staff at the West Suffolk Hospital. Andy is very keen to continue his work after the initial programme at West Suffolk Hospital has been completed. 

“I would really love to continue to be part of the vaccination programme in the local community. I am convinced that this is the way forward to ensure that the country can escape from the grip of this pandemic. The vaccination programme will save lives and protect our precious NHS and I am honoured to be able to be part of that.”

There are many ways you can also get involved and help support SARS this year. Please take a look on the SARS website: www.sars999.org.uk/get-involved

Or why not sign up to the SARS 999 Lottery. For as little as £1 a week you could win up to £25,000 while helping save local lives. To sign up please visit: www.sars999.org.uk/lottery

We are always keen to hear from you so please get in touch via email admin@sars999.org.uk or phone 01359 244186.Thank you!

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