Bentaylor42/sandbox/UKAirAmb |
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Air ambulance services in the United Kingdom are provided by a mixture of organisations, operating either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft to respond to medical emergencies, and transport patients to, from, or between points of definitive care. These air ambulances fulfil both emergency medical services functions, as well as patient transport between specialist centres, or as part of a repatriation operation.
The first air ambulance services in the UK commenced in Scotland in November 1933 with a flight from Wideford Airport, Kirkwall Orkney and in February 1939 the first night time ambulance flight was undertaken from Wideford to the island of Sanday, using car headlights to help take off and landing. The aircraft used was a General Aircraft Monospar G-ACEW operated by Highland Airways.
Emergency air ambulances are generally helicopter based, and used to respond to medical emergencies in support of local ambulance services. In England and Wales, all of these services are charitably funded, and operated under contract with a private provider. [1] The ambulance staff crewing these flights are generally seconded from the local NHS ambulance service. In Scotland, there is the only publicly funded air ambulance service, with the Scottish Ambulance Service operating two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft in this role, alongside a single charity helicopter (EC135T2), operated by Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance.
Service | Radio call-sign | Reg | Aircraft | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cornwall Air Ambulance | Helimed 01 | G-CNWL G-CIOS |
2 × MD-902 (Only one operational at any single time) | |
The Air Ambulance Service:
Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance Children's Air Ambulance (emergency patient transfers only) |
Helimed 54 Helimed 53 Helimed 80 Helimed 81 |
G-TAAS G-HEMZ G-PICU G-TCAA |
||
Devon Air Ambulance | Helimed 70 Helimed 71 |
G-DAAN G-DVAA |
2 × EC 135 | |
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance | Helimed 10 | G-DSAA | AW169 | |
East Anglian Air Ambulance | Helimed 85 Helimed 88 |
G-RESU G-HEMC |
2 x H-145 | |
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance | Helimed 07 Helimed 55 |
G-EHEM G-HHEM |
1 ×
MD-902 1 x AW169 |
|
Great North Air Ambulance | Helimed 58 Helimed 63 Helimed 58 or 63 (operates as spare) |
G-NHAA G-NHAB G-NHAC |
3 × AS-365 | |
Great Western Air Ambulance | Helimed 65 | G-GWAC | EC-135 | |
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance | Helimed 56 | G-HIOW | EC 135 | |
Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance | Helimed 60 Helimed 21 |
G-KSST G-KSSC |
2 x AW169 | |
Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance | Helimed 29 | G-LNAC | AW169 | |
London Air Ambulance (HEMS) | Helimed 27 Spare (Helimed 28 if required for major incidents) |
G-EHMS G-LNDN |
2 x MD-902 (Only one operational at any single time) | |
Magpas Air Ambulance | Helimed 66 | G-HMDX | MD-902 | |
Midlands Air Ambulance | Helimed 03 Helimed 06 Helimed 09 |
G-RMAA G-HWAA G-OMAA |
2 ×
EC 135
1x H145 |
|
North West Air Ambulance | Helimed 08 Helimed 72 Helimed 75 |
G-NWAA G-NWAE G-NWEM |
3 × EC-135 | |
Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance | Helimed 76 | G-SCAA | 1 × EC-135 | [1] |
Scottish Air Ambulance | Helimed 02 Helimed 05 Gama xxx Gama xxx |
G-SASN G-SASS G-SASC G-SASD |
2 ×
EC-145 T2 2 × King Air 200C |
|
Thames Valley Air Ambulance | Helimed 24 | G-TVAL | EC 135 | [2] |
Wales Air Ambulance | Helimed 57 Helimed 59 Helimed 61 Helimed 67 (Children's) |
G-WENU G-WOBR G-WROL G-WASC |
3 x
H145
1 x EC135 |
|
Wiltshire Air Ambulance | Helimed 22 | G-WLTS | Bell 429 | [3] |
Yorkshire Air Ambulance | Helimed 98 Helimed 99 |
G-YOAA G-YAAC |
2 × H145 |
There are also a number of patient transport operations in the UK, generally using fixed wing aircraft, and which are part of a system of moving patients between points of care, or as part of a repatriation to the UK. There is a helicopter based patient transfer service, focused on paediatric cases, called the Children's Air Ambulance, which first flew in 2012. [2]
The Scottish Ambulance Service operates two fixed wing aircraft in this role, and there is a similar service provided under contract in Northern Ireland, with patients flown to the mainland UK for treatment. [3] In 2015 the neonatal, paediatric and adult emergency care and retrieval operations were brought together with the Scottish Ambulance Service and utilise the aircraft and road ambulances for this purpose. They are co-located at the Scottish Ambulance Air Base at Glasgow International Airport.
There are also a number of private providers offering transport by fixed wing aircraft.
In 2012, the Children's Air Ambulance was launched, providing a national service for the transport of paediatric patients to specialist centres. In 2017, G-HEMZ will be retasked to emergency HEMS operations and replaced with 2 brand new AgustaWestland AW169 helicopters - registered G-TCAA and G-PICU. Both of which are currently in the final stages for service and pilots are undergoing training for the new aircraft, which are provided by Specialist Aviation Services.
[[Category:Air ambulance services in the United Kingdom|*]] [[Category:Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Aviation in the United Kingdom]]
Bentaylor42/sandbox/UKAirAmb |
---|
Air ambulance services in the United Kingdom are provided by a mixture of organisations, operating either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft to respond to medical emergencies, and transport patients to, from, or between points of definitive care. These air ambulances fulfil both emergency medical services functions, as well as patient transport between specialist centres, or as part of a repatriation operation.
The first air ambulance services in the UK commenced in Scotland in November 1933 with a flight from Wideford Airport, Kirkwall Orkney and in February 1939 the first night time ambulance flight was undertaken from Wideford to the island of Sanday, using car headlights to help take off and landing. The aircraft used was a General Aircraft Monospar G-ACEW operated by Highland Airways.
Emergency air ambulances are generally helicopter based, and used to respond to medical emergencies in support of local ambulance services. In England and Wales, all of these services are charitably funded, and operated under contract with a private provider. [1] The ambulance staff crewing these flights are generally seconded from the local NHS ambulance service. In Scotland, there is the only publicly funded air ambulance service, with the Scottish Ambulance Service operating two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft in this role, alongside a single charity helicopter (EC135T2), operated by Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance.
Service | Radio call-sign | Reg | Aircraft | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cornwall Air Ambulance | Helimed 01 | G-CNWL G-CIOS |
2 × MD-902 (Only one operational at any single time) | |
The Air Ambulance Service:
Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance Children's Air Ambulance (emergency patient transfers only) |
Helimed 54 Helimed 53 Helimed 80 Helimed 81 |
G-TAAS G-HEMZ G-PICU G-TCAA |
||
Devon Air Ambulance | Helimed 70 Helimed 71 |
G-DAAN G-DVAA |
2 × EC 135 | |
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance | Helimed 10 | G-DSAA | AW169 | |
East Anglian Air Ambulance | Helimed 85 Helimed 88 |
G-RESU G-HEMC |
2 x H-145 | |
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance | Helimed 07 Helimed 55 |
G-EHEM G-HHEM |
1 ×
MD-902 1 x AW169 |
|
Great North Air Ambulance | Helimed 58 Helimed 63 Helimed 58 or 63 (operates as spare) |
G-NHAA G-NHAB G-NHAC |
3 × AS-365 | |
Great Western Air Ambulance | Helimed 65 | G-GWAC | EC-135 | |
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance | Helimed 56 | G-HIOW | EC 135 | |
Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance | Helimed 60 Helimed 21 |
G-KSST G-KSSC |
2 x AW169 | |
Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance | Helimed 29 | G-LNAC | AW169 | |
London Air Ambulance (HEMS) | Helimed 27 Spare (Helimed 28 if required for major incidents) |
G-EHMS G-LNDN |
2 x MD-902 (Only one operational at any single time) | |
Magpas Air Ambulance | Helimed 66 | G-HMDX | MD-902 | |
Midlands Air Ambulance | Helimed 03 Helimed 06 Helimed 09 |
G-RMAA G-HWAA G-OMAA |
2 ×
EC 135
1x H145 |
|
North West Air Ambulance | Helimed 08 Helimed 72 Helimed 75 |
G-NWAA G-NWAE G-NWEM |
3 × EC-135 | |
Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance | Helimed 76 | G-SCAA | 1 × EC-135 | [1] |
Scottish Air Ambulance | Helimed 02 Helimed 05 Gama xxx Gama xxx |
G-SASN G-SASS G-SASC G-SASD |
2 ×
EC-145 T2 2 × King Air 200C |
|
Thames Valley Air Ambulance | Helimed 24 | G-TVAL | EC 135 | [2] |
Wales Air Ambulance | Helimed 57 Helimed 59 Helimed 61 Helimed 67 (Children's) |
G-WENU G-WOBR G-WROL G-WASC |
3 x
H145
1 x EC135 |
|
Wiltshire Air Ambulance | Helimed 22 | G-WLTS | Bell 429 | [3] |
Yorkshire Air Ambulance | Helimed 98 Helimed 99 |
G-YOAA G-YAAC |
2 × H145 |
There are also a number of patient transport operations in the UK, generally using fixed wing aircraft, and which are part of a system of moving patients between points of care, or as part of a repatriation to the UK. There is a helicopter based patient transfer service, focused on paediatric cases, called the Children's Air Ambulance, which first flew in 2012. [2]
The Scottish Ambulance Service operates two fixed wing aircraft in this role, and there is a similar service provided under contract in Northern Ireland, with patients flown to the mainland UK for treatment. [3] In 2015 the neonatal, paediatric and adult emergency care and retrieval operations were brought together with the Scottish Ambulance Service and utilise the aircraft and road ambulances for this purpose. They are co-located at the Scottish Ambulance Air Base at Glasgow International Airport.
There are also a number of private providers offering transport by fixed wing aircraft.
In 2012, the Children's Air Ambulance was launched, providing a national service for the transport of paediatric patients to specialist centres. In 2017, G-HEMZ will be retasked to emergency HEMS operations and replaced with 2 brand new AgustaWestland AW169 helicopters - registered G-TCAA and G-PICU. Both of which are currently in the final stages for service and pilots are undergoing training for the new aircraft, which are provided by Specialist Aviation Services.
[[Category:Air ambulance services in the United Kingdom|*]] [[Category:Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Aviation in the United Kingdom]]