An air ambulance service covering the south-east of England is hoping to introduce new equipment to help treat heart attack patients.

Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) wants to have an on-scene life support kit called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to help increase the “speed and effectiveness” of its care.

The organization celebrates its 35th anniversary this month. raised £1 million will purchase a second rescue helicopter outright at the beginning of this year.

KSS chief executive David Welch said the service “will continually seek to collaborate and innovate to improve the care we provide”.

Duncan Bootland, the charity’s medical director, said: “We are looking at innovations and advances in technology around the world on how we can support the hearts and lungs of people having heart attacks.”

The charity said it had carried out more than 46,000 missions since its founding in 1989.

It responds to approximately nine emergency calls each day.

Sam Jenner, a former patient, is the focus of the charity’s Christmas fundraising appeal this year.

She was six months pregnant when she had a heart attack and fainted.

“Without CSR, many families like mine would face very different futures,” he said.

Kate Chivers, who founded the organization as an independent charity, said: “Who would have thought our baby would become such a beautiful eagle?

“Everyone who was there at the beginning will be amazed and delighted at the success achieved.”

More than 80,000 people recently took part in KSS’s Restart the Heart campaign, which offers CPR training sessions, including one With Brighton & Hove Albion players.