Find out more about the Air Ambulance
- How many people can the air ambulance carry?
- In what type of emergency will the air ambulance be used?
- What kind of equipment does the air ambulance carry?
- How do I call out the air ambulance?
- Does the air ambulance fly at night?
- How long does the air ambulance take to respond?
- Apart from speed, what are the benefits?
- How much does the air ambulance cost to run?
- How is the money raised?
How many people can the air ambulance carry?
The air ambulance is manned by the pilot and either two paramedics, or a paramedic and doctor. It can carry two patients on stretchers.
In what type of emergency will the air ambulance be used?
The air ambulance is used to attend many different types of emergency ranging from road traffic accidents to accidents in the workplace and at sporting events. The air ambulance is highly manoeuvrable and compact and can land almost anywhere. It needs an area only half the size of a tennis court for landing. It is also used to transfer patients between hospitals when they require emergency specialist treatment at another hospital.
The deployment of the air ambulance is influenced by many factors like:
- Are there life threatening injuries where speed is essential?
- Is the emergency in a remote location where the alternative is a lengthy road journey?
- Is access to the patient difficult?
- Do we need to be able to fly over congested roads?
- Is direct transfer to a specialist hospital necessary?
The most common reason for calling out the air ambulance in Hampshire and Isle of Wight is for road traffic accidents (around 33%). Other common call outs are for:
- Collapse / heart attack (about 20%)
- Equestrian (about 10%)
- Sports related (about 10%)
- Falls (about 10%)
- Agricultural (about 4%)
What kind of equipment does the air ambulance carry?
The air ambulance is fully equipped for many emergencies. It carries a full range of life-saving equipment including oxygen, two stretchers and bags, suction, a vital signs monitor, defibrillator, ventilator, spinal board & kit, burns Kit, traction splints, paediatric kit, and much more.
How do I call out the air ambulance?
You dial 999 in the usual way and ask for an ambulance giving Ambulance Control very clear and exact information about the emergency and where it has happened. Ambulance Control will usually call you back to tell you if they have asked the air ambulance to respond to your emergency.
If you live off the beaten track, why not stick a label to your telephone with your home grid reference (example SU485005)?
How long does the air ambulance take to respond?
The air ambulance is usually airborne within three minutes. It flies at 120mph (2 miles a minute) and from a central area it would take about fifteen minutes flight time to both county limits. A typical mission lasts about ninety minutes.
Helipads exist at Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Portsmouth Queen Alexandra, and nearby St Marys IOW. Southampton General Hospital is seeking planning permission for one.
Does the air ambulance fly at night?
Some air ambulances fly at night. Scotland provides a twenty four hour service but hospital transfers more than HEMS (helicopter emergency medical service). Some counties operate joint police / air ambulance and may be equipped for safe night operation.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance does not operate at night. Our current helicopter is not suitably equipped. Landing on unknown terrain with risk of unseen hazards, like telephone or power cables, would be unsafe. After evening rush-hour, our roads are usually less congested allowing comparable response by land ambulances.
Apart from speed, what are the benefits?
Statistics in Germany show that the average stay in intensive care is shortened between five and seven days, there are 9% fewer wound infections, a significant reduction in the number of deaths occurring during transport to hospital, and death from head injuries is down 15%.
How much does the air ambulance cost to run?
The air ambulance costs over £500 per flying hour. We must raise in excess of £65,000 every month to enable us to provide this vital service which is entirely funded by the generosity of the public.
How is the money raised?
The Air Ambulance Services receive no government funding. Each charity is totally dependent on its own local fund-raising efforts to raise the significant and ongoing sums of money required to keep its air ambulances flying.
Money is raised through the generous efforts of individuals and organisations in our two counties. In addition the charity attends events and makes presentations to organisations in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. The funds generated by the Flight for Life Lottery maintain a regular guaranteed income, allowing the charity to plan ahead.