16 Sep 2024
In July 2024, our advanced trauma team – who serve the 10 million people who visit, live and work in London – attended to 206 critically injured patients.
We bring the emergency department to the roadside when someone does not have time to get to hospital. Treating these individuals at scene included administering 25 rapid sequence intubations, 19 blood transfusions, eight thoracotomies (open chest surgery) and more. Some of these procedures only our crew can provide on scene in London.
We cover all the boroughs within the M25, using our helicopter fleet and rapid response cars to get to the patient’s side as quickly as possible. In July, Southwark was the most visited borough, followed by Ealing and Newham. Once the patient has been stabilised, our team then accompany them to the nearest major trauma centre.
Fifty-seven of this month’s patients were taken to The Royal London Hospital (40 per cent), 36 to St Mary’s Hospital (25 per cent), 22 to King’s College (15 per cent) and 21 to St George’s (15 per cent). Two patients were flown back to The Royal London, which is a rare occurrence for our team as our primary role is not a ferrying service.
Fifty of July’s patients were as a result of assault (24 per cent). Falls resulted in 36 patients (17 per cent), transport-related injuries 29 patients (14 per cent), medical-injuries 23 (11 per cent) and accidents 15 (seven per cent). There were also 53 patients that had other or unknown mechanisms of injury (26 per cent).
If you’d like to compare July’s mission report to the month’s prior, you can read June’s report here.
To run our service, it costs approximately £15 million a year. But we’re a charity, with 96 per cent of our funds reliant on public support. Can you help us keep flying and ensure we continue to save lives in London?