The Air Ambulance has made a real difference for those seriously injured in a road crash and it offers two distinct advantages.
The first is that most crews include a highly qualified doctor able to deliver in most cases life saving care. The London Air Ambulance advanced trauma team performed the world’s first successful heart surgery at the roadside in 1993.
The second is the reduced time taken to transfer a seriously injured person from the roadside to a Major Trauma Centre saving valuable minutes.
Notwithstanding the obvious benefit of the Air Ambulance, they are all operated across the UK by 21 charities and rely upon fundraising to meet their daily operating costs. It seems remarkable that the Air Ambulance charities are not in receipt of central funding which is the case with the ground ambulance service.
Nevertheless, in absence of central funding, I would like to propose that in cases of road crash where motor insurance is compulsory that the cost of the Air Ambulance be reimbursed by the “at fault” motor insurer which is already the “norm” for both NHS land ambulance as well as NHS hospital treatment costs subject to a cap under a procedure known as “Injury Cost Recovery”.
It would be a significant back step in our health system should an Air Ambulance not be able to operate due to lack of funding.
Tim Arnold, as a cyclist, was involved in a car crash in 2024 during which he suffered serious injury meeting the criteria for an evacuation from the scene by the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance into the Major Trauma Centre at Southampton General Hospital. Tim’s feedback on the service encapsulates why this service must continue:
Without their service in this matter the outcome could have been a lot different. To this end I will be ever in their debt as what they do is truly a valuable and life saving service.
In the meantime, please continue where possible to support your local Air Ambulance by raising funds and when they do land ensuring you are at a safe distance from the landing zone.
A team of avid runners from Moore Barlow are delighted to be running the Great South Run 2024 in aid of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance that brings an advanced critical care team to people in their region when they need it most.
To find out more about the challenge and to sponsor our team click here: Team Moore Barlow at the Great South Run 2024, in support of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.
For more information on the Air Ambulance charity and to locate your local Air Ambulance then click here: https://www.airambulancesuk.org/the-uks-air-ambulance-charities/
Matthew Claxson is a Partner in the Serious injury team at Moore Barlow who are a UK leading Personal injury firm. If you have been seriously injured or bereaved as a result of a road traffic collision then contact us to explore a legal claim on Freephone 0800 157 7611 or claim@moorebarlow.com. Our team acts for clients who have suffered serious injury or bereavement and we help those clients to access rehabilitation, receive interim payments and compensation to help them rebuild their lives.
