Request help »

Ambulance shortages: check out flight ambulance services in the UK

Check out how flight ambulance services have become an efficient and popular option of transporting patients safely to, from, or across the UK

Request help »

Ambulance shortages: check out flight ambulance services in the UK

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The disruptions caused by Covid-19 have had an unparalleled magnitude. While several sectors have experienced the repercussions of the pandemic, the health sector has been, and still is, engaged in a long and hard battle to guarantee that appropriate treatment and care is distributed to all those in need of it as and when required. Nonetheless, faced with such a massive number of patients, the merits of the public healthcare system in various countries are being questioned. One of the main concerns with regards to UK citizens and residents is with regards to patient transportation. Medical Repatriation UK looks at the prospects of flight ambulance services.

Ambulance shortages in the UK and globally

Ambulance shortages have proven to be a serious predicament in various countries across the globe. At the beginning of the year, in the UK, the North East Ambulance Service introduced a new measure, asking people with suspected strokes or heart attacks to get a lift to the hospital because of staff shortages, an initiative not applauded by many but which the institution deemed necessary. This ambulance crisis is prevalent all across the UK, with patients having to wait for days before the deployment of an ambulance. Even in other countries, such as the US, similar strains are being felt. The EMS and paramedics have issued a call for help in light of the burnout faced because of the crisis.

ground ambulance UK

Flight ambulance services: an alternative

Faced with this dilemma, patients can find reassurance in the fact that flight ambulance services are an alternative transportation option for the sick and injured. These come in the form of airplanes and helicopters, which can usually be deployed one or two days after a booking has been made. Considering the shortage issue, it is a given that those needing emergency services will be given priority by the NHS and other ambulance services. Nonetheless, this does not mean that the situation is any less important for other patients requiring medical supervision while being transported. That is where Medical Repatriation UK can be of service.

Ensuring safe patient transportation over both short and long distances, the firm has air ambulances that are equipped with the latest medical equipment and staffed with medical professionals on board. It can transport even ICU patients, having to get back to the UK from abroad or needing to get to a hospital for treatment.

Flight ambulance services available for UK citizens and residents

The aircraft of Medical Repatriation UK can be used in a variety of case scenarios, all encompassed under the idea of medical repatriation and medical evacuation. Both of these concepts deal with transferring patients in a medically supervised way and both types of mission are accessible to UK citizens and residents.

Medically repatriation is the process of getting someone sick or injured back to the UK from abroad. In most cases, the patient fell ill or injured after a vacation/trip and wishes to get back home for treatment to be closer to their loved one to recuperate after an injury/surgery.

repatriation airplane

Medical evacuation is the process of getting patients out of their current location often to foreign grounds with more adequate healthcare, either to benefit from specialist or experimental treatments being conducted abroad or to visit a loved one while being under medical supervision.

What are the types of transportation methods available for UK citizens and residents?

Medical Repatriation UK has two types of air ambulance options available for UK citizens and residents. These are:

  • Air ambulance helicopters: These are suitable to travel short distances because of their range. Short-haul flights involve traveling to and from the hospital, inter-country hospital transfers or to travel within the border area of two different countries. Faster than ground ambulances, they also offer the added benefit of not having to wait long hours in traffic.
  • Air ambulance planes: With different sizes of medical planes available, Medical Repatriation UK can transport patients to or from any location across the globe. Its air ambulances can even access remote locations that are usually inaccessible via commercial flights.

patients and doctors

How to book an air ambulance in the UK?

Booking an air ambulance in the UK is a fairly simple process. Thanks to the expertise and experience of Medical Repatriation UK, the deployment of either a helicopter or airplane can usually be arranged within one or two days. To book an air ambulance, just get in touch with one of our aviation experts, either by phone, mail or contact form. They will promptly get back to you, assisting with the tasks that need to be done to arrange a flight. With our agents taking care of everything, you just need to prepare your luggage and wait for the flight. Some of the tasks that we handle are:

  • Advising you on the appropriate transportation option for your situation
  • Scheduling the flight, departure and landing date etc.
  • Assessing the patients’ fitness to fly based on their medical documentation
  • Arranging for additional medical equipment if needed
  • Liaising with hospitals in both countries to ensure a smooth process
  • Arranging for ground transportation in both locations
  • Taking care of administrative tasks for landing permits etc.
  • Assisting you with other tasks.

Contact us if you need flight ambulance services in the UK

If you need an air ambulance in the UK, just get in touch with one of our agents. They are available every day on a 24-hour basis to assist you and to arrange for a flight, whether it is for a medical repatriation or evacuation mission. Reach them by:

Back