Report highlights inadequate UK landing facilities for air ambulances

Areport produced by the Association of Air Ambulances (AAA) has highlighted that 60% of air ambulance landing facilities are inadequate in the UK, raising concerns that this could lead to greater morbidity and mortality.

The report, which was produced by the AAA after the issue was raised at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Air Ambulances (APPGAA) Annual General Meeting in October 2013, focuses on the treatment of major trauma—the biggest killer of people under 50 years of age.

On average, 70 people are treated by air ambulances in any one day. Patients attended will often be critically ill, suffering from major trauma, burns, cardiac or neurological illness. However, despite the severity of the conditions presented, air ambulances frequently have to land some distances from the hospital in inadequate facilities, which require a land ambulance to complete the journey to definitive care.

The report reviewed the 29 Major Trauma Hospitals for adults and children in the UK and concluded that only seven have suitable helipads. A further eight have landing facilities with operational issues and the remaining 15 sites require a secondary land transfer by land ambulance or vehicle (See Table 1).