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Ambulance helicopters in the UK: What you need to know?

Learn how ambulance helicopters are used in the UK. They are perfect for patients who need to travel short distances while being medically supervised

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Ambulance helicopters in the UK: What you need to know?

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Considering the complicated airspace in the UK, particularly in huge cities such as London, and its dense population, it is not a surprise to see helicopters flying around. From personal use to film production, helicopters are used for a myriad of purposes.

Common usage of helicopters

Besides personal use, these aircraft have several other purposes. They are not just used for executive and personal transport, but instead, the range of their missions is quite vast. Let’s look at some of the common usage of helicopters in the UK.

The military

During wars, the military would use helicopters to transport troops and equipment, for airborne command purposes, for engagement, reconnaissance and to evacuate and provide medical aid to injured soldiers. Nonetheless, you will often find military helicopters flying around in the city or elsewhere for training purposes.

The police force

The police use law enforcement helicopters, which are equipped with thermal image cameras and detection sensors to perform different types of missions, such as emergency landings, search and rescue operations, to respond to accidents, for surveillance operations, to track the movement of suspects or to monitor crowded, large events and public gatherings.

Film productions, advertisements, and others

Helicopters are often used for shooting purposes during film, television shows and commercial productions.

Aerial work operations
This involves any operations or paid work undertaken by an aircraft. This can involve activities related to construction, agriculture, photography, offshore and energy distribution, and others.

Air ambulance
Air ambulances helicopters are used to transport patients or those who need a rapid way of going from one location to another safely.

ambulance helicopter

Air ambulance helicopters in the UK

At the disposal of those in the UK are the air ambulance helicopters of Medical Repatriation UK. These aircraft have been specifically designed to transport patients since they come fitted with medical equipment and there is a medical professional on board. As such, those who need constant medical supervision can travel across different locations safely and avoid the hassle of ground ambulances, which means having to deal with traffic, unexpected delays, and a long and tiring trip. When would patients have to travel via an air ambulance helicopter?

To get to or back from the hospital: Sick and injured people who need to go to a hospital or to another healthcare facility to obtain treatment or for an appointment can opt for an ambulance helicopter instead of a ground ambulance to optimize on time.

Inter-hospital transfers: The same is applicable for inter-hospital transfers. You might choose to transfer from your current hospital to move to another healthcare facility that is specialized for a particular disease or that offers a higher level of care.

To get to a nursing home: Very often, the elderly need to travel to nursing homes, to a hospice and other similar facilities but find the journey by road to be too time-consuming and tiring and they need medical supervision en-route.

To get to a loved one: Similarly, if you want to visit a loved one, but you are sick or injured and cannot travel by road, an ambulance helicopter would be useful. Not only will it offer you the medical support you need en-route, but the trip will also be quicker.

To sum it up, helicopters are also commonly used for short-distance medical transport. The medically-equipped aircraft transport patients who wish to move around but are too sick or injured to do so in a ground ambulance.

Perks of ambulance helicopters

In contrast to ground ambulances, air ambulances do not have to deal with the complexities of navigating through the busy roads of the UK. Traffic, unexpected car accidents, unsuitable road infrastructure, and other such issues might cause delays and lengthen an already tiring and long trip for the patient. However, the aerial space does not have such issues. This, combined with the fact that air ambulance helicopters can travel much more quickly than ground vehicles, will lead to a smooth, rapid and comfortable transfer for the patient. The convenience of these transportation options is increased by the fact that they can land almost anywhere. Only a flat surface is required, which means that they can land or take off directly at the hospital.

When it comes to the safety of patients or the medical aspect of traveling via a helicopter, you do not have to worry. These aircraft come fitted with the latest state-of-the-art medical equipment to cater to the health of the patients en route. Moreover, they will be constantly monitored by an experienced doctor who will care for and intervene if needed.

helicopter repatriation

Finally, considering the efficiency and rapid response from Medical Repatriation UK’s team of experts, an ambulance helicopter can be deployed quickly, without wasting time. The team is available every day on a 24-hour basis to cater to your demands.

Traveling in the UK on an ambulance helicopter

Optimizing on time and efficiency is the main reason to choose an ambulance helicopter over a ground ambulance. They are perfect to cover short-range distances by air because of the several benefits that they offer. For instance, you can cover many locations without the need for fuel stopovers. As such, they offer increased comfort and rapidity.

However, they are not the most efficient method, especially when long distances are involved, since when compared to other forms of air transport methods, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to range and speed. For longer routes, it would be more beneficial, both in terms of cost and operational efficiency, to opt for an ambulance plane. These are airplanes that, like ambulance helicopters, are fitted with the latest medical equipment to ensure that constant care can be provided to patients. Moreover, there is a doctor and a paramedic on board, providing continuous medical attention.

Contact us for an ambulance helicopter or plane for your medical repatriation back to the UK

If you or your loved one need a flying ambulance to travel to another location in or out of the UK and you are not sure whether a helicopter or an airplane would be more beneficial for your case, you can get in touch with us. At Medical Repatriation UK, we have agents who have been trained to work out the best possible solution for you, depending on your situation. They are also going to offer a free non-binding quotation. You can reach them:

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