London's Air Ambulance
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| Founded | 1989 |
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| Type | Charitable organisation |
| Location | |
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Key people
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Gareth Davies, Clinical Director Charles Newitt, Interim CEO & Chief Operating Officer |
| Website | http://londonsairambulance.co.uk/ |
London's Air Ambulance, also known as London HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service), is a British registered charity that operates an air medical service dedicated to responding to serious trauma emergencies in and around London. Using helicopters by day and road vehicles by night, it functions as a mobile emergency department in life-threatening, time-critical situations.
London's Air Ambulance was founded in 1989 in response to a report by the Royal College of Surgeons which documented cases of patients dying unnecessarily because of the delay in receiving prompt and appropriate medical care. The charity was the first in the UK to carry a senior doctor in addition to a paramedic at all times on a helicopter, introducing a system that reduces the death rate in severe trauma by 30–40%.
From its base at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, a helicopter can reach any patient inside the M25 London orbital road, which acts as the service's catchment area, within 15 minutes. Missions commonly involve serious road traffic collisions, falls from height, stabbings and shootings, industrial accidents and incidents on the rail network. The team can provide advanced life-saving medical interventions, including open heart surgery, blood transfusion and anaesthesia, at the scene. The charity operates 24 hours a day, serving the 10 million people who live, work and travel within the M25. Of up to 5,000 999 ambulance calls made every day in London, up to seven of the most critical are passed to the air ambulance.
London's Air Ambulance has been at the forefront of innovation in pre-hospital emergency medical care since its inception in 1989. The service has adopted elements of medical, military and aviation culture to deliver the highest standards in intensive care to the roadside. The governance system and Standard Operating Procedures developed by the organisation are seen as a benchmark for other air ambulances across the world.
London sees some of the highest level of trauma in the world and the service is internationally renowned for clinical excellence and pioneering procedures. Innovations introduced by the service can dramatically increase patient’s chances of survival and recovery.
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