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

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

The organization, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this month, raised £1 million earlier this year to buy a second rescue helicopter.

David Welch, chief executive of KSS, said the service would “continually strive to collaborate and innovate to improve the care we provide”.

Duncan Bootland, the charity’s medical director, said: “We are looking at innovations from around the world and advances in technology in terms of how we can support people’s hearts and lungs while they have a cardiac arrest.”

The charity said it has done more than 46,000 missions since it was founded in 1989.

It responds to about nine emergency calls every day.

Former patient Sam Jenner is at the center of the charity’s Christmas fundraising appeal this year.

She was six months pregnant when she collapsed from cardiac arrest.

“Without KSS, many families like mine would face very different futures,” she said.

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

“Anyone who was there at the beginning would be amazed and delighted by what has been achieved.”

More than 80,000 people participated in the recent KSS Restart a Heart campaign, which provided CPR training sessions, including one with Brighton & Hove Albion footballers.