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UK Air ambulance costs - What you must know

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UK Air ambulance costs - What you must know

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How much does an air ambulance cost?

On the basis of a patient's state of health, there is always a multitude of options available for medical repatriation to the UK by air. Following a medical emergency abroad, and once patients have received initial treatment locally in the country they are in, they often wish to continue their treatment at a hospital that's closer to home. Confidence in the doctors back in the UK and the desire to be close to family members are key arguments in favour of transferring a convalescent to their desired UK hospital by an air ambulance.

The patient is flown and escorted by specialised medical staff ready to intervene at any moment throughout the air ambulance service, either in a seated arrangement or by lying down. In some cases, given a travellers health condition permits it, the medical repatriation can be carried out onboard a scheduled airliner, where the latter is transported in a screened-off area worldwide arrangeable both for short-haul and for long distances.

If a time-critical emergency occurs, ambulance helicopters are often used for shorter flights. With many hospitals offering helipads, this significantly facilitates patient pick up and fly out to a preferred hospital instead of opting for an international air ambulance, often by jet. The following is an overview of how air ambulance costs are put together.

Which air ambulance costs do i need to factor in?

Demystifying UK Air Ambulance Costs

For our air ambulance services, we calculate the costs and price of every mission and air ambulance individually, depending on various factors. At this point we would like to give you an insight into which elements are taken into consideration in the calculation of air ambulance costs.

Flight route

As with other flights, for an air ambulance flight the distance between the departure and destination airports is an important factor in the calculation of the costs. However, there is no simple flat rate per kilometre of the route. Rather, we need to calculate the costs individually.

Patient's state of health

The medical staff are selected and the equipment for the ambulance flight is adjusted according to the patient's condition. For intensive care patients, for example, highly specialised intensive care doctors and extensive intensive care medical equipment are used. This can increase the cost of the air ambulance flight.

Last-minute flights

We can undertake assignments at extremely short notice at any time, so that we can be ready for departure on the same day or the next. However, the location of a particular ambulance aircraft at the required time may make it necessary for us to use a larger aircraft or one that is further away. This can also affect the air ambulance cost.

Accompanying persons

Many patients prefer to be accompanied by people they know. When organising the flight, we are more than happy to accommodate any accompanying passengers. One accompanying person can usually fly free of charge. If several relatives would like to accompany the ambulance flight we will gladly book a larger ambulance aircraft for you. However, a larger air ambulance is usually more expensive, so the air ambulance cost also depends on the number of accompanying persons.

Ground transport

In the majority of cases, we organise the patient repatriation from bed to bed. With air ambulance flights, it is, therefore, necessary to organise the appropriate ground transports by ambulance or emergency vehicle, for example, from the hospital to the airport. Helicopters can take off and land directly at the hospital so that with helicopter flights no ground transport costs are necessary.

Will my insurance cover the air ambulance costs?

For ambulance flights, insurance companies always decide on an individual basis whether to take over the costs. The critical factor is usually whether the medical repatriation is deemed to be 'medically necessary' or 'medically reasonable'. We would be happy to advise you by telephone on how to make an insurance claim and which documents are required.

Of course, we are also here for you if the claim is rejected. In this case, we could still carry out the air ambulance flight outside the scope of your insurance coverage and provide you with a fair and transparent quotation. You would not need to be a member of any insurance scheme for this purpose.

The cost of your air ambulance flight: We'll find your best and most cost-efficient options

We will be happy to calculate the cost of your air ambulance flight for you free of charge and without obligation. We look forward to your enquiry and will send you an individual quotation within a very short time regarding our medical transport service. Regardless of whether you are planning an ambulance flight well in advance, or whether it is an emergency situation: you can reach our team 24/7, even on public holidays. We will be happy to take the time to provide you with an individual consultation.

We’ll find you the most affordable rates back home, and more.

Having a partner that can deliver a completely turnkey and soothing medical evacuation or repatriation service is critical during these hard times, and Medical Repatriation UK understands this. We have agreements in place with the majority of major British airports, as well as smaller airfields, allowing us to provide high-quality service throughout the United Kingdom. What sets us apart?

  1. Worldwide availability
  2. 24/7 availability
  3. Fast dispatch times
  4. International global and British network
  5. Multilingual staff
  6. Transparent costs, no hidden fees
  7. Personal flight consultant, no call center
  8. Maximum relief for our clients
  9. Bed-to-Bed service (if requested)

Contact us now about your medical repatriation

Please feel free to contact our 24-hour service with any questions you may have. Our experienced team will gladly take the time to give you a detailed free consultation. Contact us:

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