.jpg/2000px-Air_ambulance_(9029085846).jpg)
Community hub
Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
London's Air Ambulance Charity
London's Air Ambulance Charity is a registered charity that operates a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) dedicated to responding to serious trauma emergencies in and around London. Using a helicopter from 08:00 to sunset and rapid response vehicles by night, the service performs advanced medical interventions at the scene of the incident in life-threatening, time-critical situations.
The charity was founded in 1989 by General Surgeon Dr. Richard Earlam in response to a report by the Royal College of Surgeons, which documented cases of patients dying unnecessarily because of the delay in receiving prompt and appropriate medical care. The charity was the first in the UK to carry a senior doctor in addition to a paramedic at all times on a helicopter, introducing a system that reduces the death rate in severe trauma by 30–40%.
The helicopters are hangared at RAF Northolt, but operate during the day from their base at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London. A helicopter can reach any patient inside the M25 London orbital motorway, which acts as the service's catchment area, within 15 minutes. Missions commonly involve serious road traffic collisions, falls from height, stabbings and shootings, industrial accidents and incidents on the rail network. The team can perform advanced life-saving medical interventions, including open heart surgery, blood transfusion and anaesthesia, at the scene. The charity operates 24 hours a day, serving the 10 million people who live, work and travel within the M25. The service treats an average of five patients every day.
London's Air Ambulance Charity has been at the forefront of innovation in pre-hospital emergency medical care since its inception in 1989. The service has adopted elements of medical, military and aviation culture to deliver the highest standards in intensive care to the roadside. The governance system and standard operating procedures (SOP) developed by the organisation are seen as a benchmark for other air ambulances across the world.[citation needed]
London's Air Ambulance carries a senior doctor in addition to a paramedic at all times, providing a 24/7 advanced trauma care outside of hospital, provide general anaesthetics on scene, and carry blood on board and administer blood transfusion on the roadside. From 2018, a consultant in pre-hospital emergency medicine will be present on most shifts, in addition to the other physician and paramedic.
In 2014, London's Air Ambulance performed the first pre-hospital resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA). Other key treatments performed by the service include surgical chest draining (thoracostomy), surgical and non-surgical rapid sequence induction (RSI), pelvic splinting (crucial to prevent blood loss in high impact crashes and crush injuries), advanced pain relief and sedation. The service started a trial of a portable brain scanner which can detect blood clots on the brain in April 2015.
In 2025, London Air Ambulance started offering extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to its patients who do not respond to normal resuscitation efforts.
The service's first helicopter was an Aérospatiale SA 365N Dauphin. Built in 1982, it was registered G-HEMS, and delivered in December 1988, in time for the launch of the service in 1989. It initially wore a white livery, but was repainted several times, eventually into a red livery following sponsorship by Virgin. It was retired from service in 2000.
Hub AI
London's Air Ambulance Charity AI simulator
(@London's Air Ambulance Charity_simulator)
London's Air Ambulance Charity
London's Air Ambulance Charity is a registered charity that operates a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) dedicated to responding to serious trauma emergencies in and around London. Using a helicopter from 08:00 to sunset and rapid response vehicles by night, the service performs advanced medical interventions at the scene of the incident in life-threatening, time-critical situations.
The charity was founded in 1989 by General Surgeon Dr. Richard Earlam in response to a report by the Royal College of Surgeons, which documented cases of patients dying unnecessarily because of the delay in receiving prompt and appropriate medical care. The charity was the first in the UK to carry a senior doctor in addition to a paramedic at all times on a helicopter, introducing a system that reduces the death rate in severe trauma by 30–40%.
The helicopters are hangared at RAF Northolt, but operate during the day from their base at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London. A helicopter can reach any patient inside the M25 London orbital motorway, which acts as the service's catchment area, within 15 minutes. Missions commonly involve serious road traffic collisions, falls from height, stabbings and shootings, industrial accidents and incidents on the rail network. The team can perform advanced life-saving medical interventions, including open heart surgery, blood transfusion and anaesthesia, at the scene. The charity operates 24 hours a day, serving the 10 million people who live, work and travel within the M25. The service treats an average of five patients every day.
London's Air Ambulance Charity has been at the forefront of innovation in pre-hospital emergency medical care since its inception in 1989. The service has adopted elements of medical, military and aviation culture to deliver the highest standards in intensive care to the roadside. The governance system and standard operating procedures (SOP) developed by the organisation are seen as a benchmark for other air ambulances across the world.[citation needed]
London's Air Ambulance carries a senior doctor in addition to a paramedic at all times, providing a 24/7 advanced trauma care outside of hospital, provide general anaesthetics on scene, and carry blood on board and administer blood transfusion on the roadside. From 2018, a consultant in pre-hospital emergency medicine will be present on most shifts, in addition to the other physician and paramedic.
In 2014, London's Air Ambulance performed the first pre-hospital resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA). Other key treatments performed by the service include surgical chest draining (thoracostomy), surgical and non-surgical rapid sequence induction (RSI), pelvic splinting (crucial to prevent blood loss in high impact crashes and crush injuries), advanced pain relief and sedation. The service started a trial of a portable brain scanner which can detect blood clots on the brain in April 2015.
In 2025, London Air Ambulance started offering extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to its patients who do not respond to normal resuscitation efforts.
The service's first helicopter was an Aérospatiale SA 365N Dauphin. Built in 1982, it was registered G-HEMS, and delivered in December 1988, in time for the launch of the service in 1989. It initially wore a white livery, but was repainted several times, eventually into a red livery following sponsorship by Virgin. It was retired from service in 2000.