Air transport and beyond

Air ambulance charities across the UK are working together this month to celebrate National Air Ambulance Week (NAAW). The nationally coordinated event was started by the Association of Air Ambulances (AAA) in 2012. As we look to raise awareness of air ambulances, it is worth taking some time to consider the rapid development they have undergone since the first dedicated helicopter unit went into service in Cornwall in 1987.

Great Britain is now covered by 21 air ambulance charities which provide 36 emergency helicopters (helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS)) and 2 dedicated inter-hospital transfer aircraft. In July 2017, Northern Ireland's first air ambulance undertook its first mission, ensuring the entire UK is now covered by air ambulance services.

Air ambulances have expanded geographically, providing increasingly complex interventions, and are increasingly available at night as of 2012. The prevalence of doctors on board most aircraft is also on the rise, and has had a dramatic effect. The ability to quickly and safely provide interventions that were previously only available in the hospital has radically changed the service. The role of the air ambulance team has moved from providing aeromedical evacuation to delivering crucial pre-hospital interventions.