How to book an Air Ambulance Charter to the UK?
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The UK has some of the best medical facilities in the world. The Commonwealth Fund Ranking released a report in 2021 stating that the UK was at the 4th position globally when it comes to the best healthcare system. That is why people from different countries wish to come here, especially since in a lot of cases, the treatment that they need is either not available or not up to the standards in their home country.
How to proceed if you wish to benefit from the same medical facilities?
The most important part is to arrange for a flight since traveling while you are sick or with someone sick is not an easy task. In these situations, an air ambulance charter is the best option for you. These are special aircraft that have been designed for this purpose. They are fitted with medical equipment that patients need to ensure that they can travel safely and comfortably to the destination of their choice.
If you need help getting a flight to the UK to receive medical treatment, Medical Repatriation UK can help you out. We have various specially-equipped aircraft to serve your needs and to get you back to the United Kingdom without wasting time and while providing the best care en-route.
Why book an Air Ambulance Charter to the UK?
People choose to travel to the UK to receive medical treatment because of several reasons. These include:
- For better medical care
More often than not, the UK offers patients better medical care than what they would have obtained in their home country; not only in terms of medical equipment and technologies but also in terms of the medical staff. Doctors and other experts in the country are famous and reputable across the globe and patients wish to benefit from their expertise, especially in complicated cases where they have lost all hopes in their home country. - To be closer to family
Being sick or injured and going to the hospital is not a pleasant situation and it can be a more trying experience if you are alone abroad with no family members at your side. Not only are you not familiar with how things are, but also you do not have the moral support needed. That is why many British residents who got into a situation, such as a serious accident, involving urgent medical care while they are visiting another country opt to come back to their home country as soon as possible. - After a surgical operation abroad
It could be that you have gone through a surgical operation in another country but now, you need/ want to come back to the UK to rest and recover. After the operation, you might not be fit enough to travel through scheduled flights. For example, you might need to lie down at all times, or you need some medical equipment. In these cases, a chartered ambulance plane will give you the privacy and comfort you need.
The booking process:
How to proceed if you wish to book an air ambulance charter to the UK?.
- The first and most important step of the booking process is contacting us. You can do so on a 24 hours basis on any day.
- We will begin with a free discussion session, which is non-binding. During this, our medical flight experts are going to listen to your needs so that we can assess the situation and work out the best solution for you.
- Then we will send you a non-binding quotation, if need be so that you can review our offer. We will also inform you about the necessary documents, such as passports, visas, etc. needed.
- If you have any questions or any doubts while considering whether to book the air ambulance charter, we are happy to call you back free of charge to provide answers, explanations and recommendations.
What happens after the call?
If you decide to move forward with the booking process, we are going to conduct a fit-to-fly assessment to ensure that the patient is capable enough of travelling safely, even in a medically-equipped ambulance plane.
This assessment will be based on reviews from the patient’s existing records and will be followed by a consultation with family members to discuss the results and the risks, if any, of the flight so that they are properly informed before making a decision.
If you opt to book the air ambulance, we will take care of everything, such as scheduling time and dates of the flight, coordinating with the hospital in the UK, permits, air traffic rights and other formalities. Everything is done swiftly so that a flight can be booked on the same or following day to ensure no time is wasted.
Why opt for an air ambulance charter instead of a scheduled flight?
You might be thinking that traveling via a scheduled flight might be more cost-effective. While true, in some cases, the patient’s condition or the situation does not allow for this.
- Medical needs: While an air ambulance is fitted with all the state-of-the-art medical equipment needed to serve the patient’s needs, that is not the case for a regular flight. What happens if an emergency pops up en route? Besides the equipment, the patient will also have an experienced doctor on board to care for him when chartering an air ambulance. This will ensure that he reaches the UK safely.
- Availability: In time-sensitive cases, if the patient requires urgent care or if he just wants to get to his home country as soon as possible, travelling via a commercial airline is not the best option since flights are not usually readily available. In contrast, we can arrange for a private air ambulance flight on the same or following day for you.
- Airline’s refusal: Even if there is a flight available, the airline might not agree to have the patient on board, since it does not want to risk dealing with complications, or infecting other passengers. In this case, the only option is to charter an air ambulance.
- Patient comfort and privacy: An air ambulance charter will offer the patient more comfort and privacy than a scheduled flight since you will not have to deal with other passengers on board the flight. The patient will be able to relax, instead of sitting upright and medical personnel will be able to intervene more efficiently if needed since they will not be disturbed by others.
- Covid-19: if you have tested positive for Covid-19, no commercial airline will take you on board their flight because of the risk of infecting other passengers and their staff. However, you can still come back to the UK via an air ambulance which will be equipped with an isolation unit so that you can travel safely.
Contact us for your booking
If you think an air ambulance charter is suitable for you or you want more information on our services, you can contact us at any time for a free consultation:
- Telephone: +44 (0) 20 3608 0483
- Email: info@medical-repatriation.uk
- Our contact form