User:Bentaylor42/sandbox/UKAirAmb

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.

History

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

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. 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)	G-CNWL MD902 G-CIOS MD902
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	AgustaWestland AW109SP AgustaWestland AW109SP 2x AgustaWestland AW169	G-TAAS AW109 G-RSCU AW109 Helimed 80
Devon Air Ambulance	Helimed 70 Helimed 71	G-DAAN G-DVAA	2 × EC 135	G-DAAN EC135 G-DVAA EC135
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance	Helimed 10	G-DSAA	AW169	G-DSAA AW169
East Anglian Air Ambulance	Helimed 85 Helimed 88	G-RESU G-HEMC	2 x H-145	G-RESU H145 G-HEMC H145
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance	Helimed 07 Helimed 55	G-EHEM G-HHEM	1 × MD-902 1 x AW169	G-HHEM 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	G-NHAA AS-365 G-NHAB AS-365
Great Western Air Ambulance	Helimed 65	G-GWAC	EC-135	G-GWAA EC135. This was the charity's previous helicopter.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance	Helimed 56	G-HIOW	EC 135	G-HIOW Eurocopter EC135
Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance	Helimed 60 Helimed 21	G-KSST G-KSSC	2 x AW169	Helimed 64 prior to being liveried G-KSSA MD902 (foreground) & G-KSST AW169 (background)
Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance	Helimed 29	G-LNAC	AW169	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)	G-EHMS MD902 G-LNDN MD902
Magpas Air Ambulance	Helimed 66	G-HMDX	MD-902	G-HMDX MD902
Midlands Air Ambulance	Helimed 03 Helimed 06 Helimed 09	G-RMAA G-HWAA G-OMAA	2 × EC 135 1x H145	Helimed 03, G-RMAA at RAF Cosford, H145 Helimed 09; G-HWAA at Tatenhill Airfield, Eurocopter EC135
North West Air Ambulance	Helimed 08 Helimed 72 Helimed 75	G-NWAA G-NWAE G-NWEM	3 × EC-135	G-NWAA EC135 G-NWAE EC135 G-NWEM EC135
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	G-SASN EC145 G-SASD 200C G-SASC 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	G-WENU H145 G-WASC EC135
Wiltshire Air Ambulance	Helimed 22	G-WLTS	Bell 429	[3]
Yorkshire Air Ambulance	Helimed 98 Helimed 99	G-YOAA G-YAAC	2 × H145	G-YAAC H145

Patient transport operations

Privately operated fixed wing air ambulance from the UK

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.

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. 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.

Notable accidents involving air ambulances

• On 19 May 1996, a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft operated by Loganair for the Scottish Ambulance Service crashed short of the runway at Lerwick/Tingwall Airport in Shetland while turning to final approach at night during strong and gusting winds. The pilot was killed, and the physician and flight nurse were injured. There was no patient on board at the time.
• On 26 July 1998, the three man crew of the Kent Air Ambulance died when the aircraft collided with power lines and crashed in a field in Burham, near Rochester Airport. Initial investigation established no definitive cause for the crash, due to the fireball produced on impact. Controversy ensued when the pilot's employers, Police Aviation Services, denied liability. On 19 February 2004, following a civil case brought by the pilot's widow to the High Court in Manchester, it ruled that the crash was caused by mechanical failure, not as suggested flying low for fun, and ordered compensation to be paid.
• On 14 June 2000, four passengers and one pilot were killed when a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, chartered for a medical transfer from the Isle of Man, crashed on approach to Liverpool Airport.
• On 15 March 2005, a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft operated by Loganair crashed into the sea while descending toward Campbeltown Airport in western Scotland. The aircraft was operating an air ambulance flight on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service. The pilot and paramedic both died in the crash.

See also

• Police aviation in the United Kingdom

External links

• www.associationofairambulances.co.uk – The Association of Air Ambulances in the UK (full list of all air ambulances)

[[Category:Air ambulance services in the United Kingdom|*]] [[Category:Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Aviation in the United Kingdom]]