Mission statistics for UK aeromedical charity activity over 2021 shows just how reliant the response services are on their helicopter operations. The Devon, Wales, Scotland and Cornwall Air Ambulance medical emergency services all experienced their busiest years ever, and all thanked the public for their support.

Devon Air Ambulance was tasked to 1900 incidents in 2021. The crew attended over 1,900 incidents across Devon and were also called to assist in the neighbouring counties of Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and Hampshire. Around 270 patients were conveyed to hospital by air.

Patient services operations director Nigel Hare comments: "Alongside our pilots, around three quarters of our deployments were by helicopter, with over 500 missions using one of our critical care cars. Helping almost 1,200 patients suffering from life threatening or life changing medical emergencies or traumatic injuries has required our clinicians and support staff to work tirelessly, often in challenging conditions during the pandemic, to ensure our patients were able to receive the highest level of care and have the best chance of a successful outcome.”

Cornwall Air Ambulance was tasked to 1,092 incidents in 2021, and its crews responded to 733 incidents in its AW169 helicopter.

CAA chief executive Tim Bunting says: “Mission numbers remained incredibly busy, despite the restrictions we had with the pandemic. This is the first year the charity has carried blood on board the aircraft, allowing the crew to administer lifesaving transfusions at the scene of an incident. It is amazing to see the difference it has made to patient outcomes, ensuring more seriously sick and injured patients can reach hospital for further treatment.

“Reaching hundreds of seriously sick and injured patients every year is only possible with the support of the people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Yet again our supporters have shown an immense love for Cornwall Air Ambulance through their incredible generosity, and I would like to thank each one of them for ensuring the helicopter keeps flying.”

The Wales Air Ambulance charity, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, received 3,544 calls during 2021; 1,870 attended by air. The onboard consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia and undertake emergency operations at the scene of the incident, before flying the patient directly to specialist care. The service also undertakes time-critical transfers between hospitals, supported by its dedicated helicopter transfer practitioners.

Now operational 24/7, the charity needs to raise eight million pounds every year to keep its fleet of four helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road.

Chief executive Dr Sue Barnes says: “The support that our charity receives is incredible. From everyone who raises money for us to our army of volunteers, they are all lifesavers. I would also like to thank our trustees, charity colleagues, partners, medics and pilots for their passion, determination and dedication to the people of our country and our focus on serving Wales and saving lives. On 3,544 occasions last year we were able to attend life or limb-threatening emergencies, and that was only possible thanks to everybody I have mentioned.”

Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance saw emergency call outs soar well beyond pre-pandemic levels with crews at its Aberdeen and Perth airbases deployed 810 times, from every part of the Scottish mainland and many of its islands.

It airlifted a total of 333 people, with nearly three quarters being flown to the country's four major trauma centres at Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh.

Throughout the year, SCAA's two EC135 helicopters airlifted advanced medical teams directly to the scene of 111 emergencies. A total of 160 missions involved air transfers from remote or island locations to advanced mainland hospital care where hours were saved on journey times for vulnerable patients. The majority of emergencies attended by its air ambulance helicopters were in Highland, Grampian and Tayside health board areas. Throughout the year, SCAA airlifted patients to 15 different hospitals from Orkney to Newcastle.

SCAA chief executive David Craig says: "We expected to become increasingly busy as the country returned to some semblance of normality following lockdown. But the demands on our two helicopters and rapid response vehicles have been considerable throughout 2021.

"The fact that three quarters of our airlifted patients were flown to one of the country's four major trauma centres shows the high-acuity trauma our crews are dealing with.”