Our clinical care
Explore the specialism we bring to each medical emergency to ensure the best outcome for everyone we treat.
We save lives on the scene
Most of what we do on a daily basis is usually only seen within hospital walls. But we bring the emergency room to the patient. Fast. 24/7. 365 days a year. Anywhere. On the road, at the beach, in a park. We can carry out complex surgical procedures wherever the patient needs us.
We are constantly undertaking additional training and working closely with other emergency services so we can deliver a higher level of critical care when every second counts.
Learn more about some of the interventions we deliver. The care we provide is extensive, and is only possible due to the excellent teamwork of our experienced doctors and paramedics.
Open heart surgery
We are able to perform surgery to repair injuries to the heart using a procedure called a thoracotomy. This is a significant surgical intervention and only in the most severe traumatic incidents would this procedure be carried out.
By making an incision across the chest, we can identify the origin of the bleeding and remove any blood clots that may be stopping the heart beating, allowing the heart to beat again and restore oxygen circulation to the brain.
Blood transfusions
If a patient has lost lots of blood, we are able to replace this with the blood we carry in our kit.
We partner with SERV Kent Bloodrunners – a charity that provides emergency courier services to transport blood products, between hospitals and our bases. Thanks to their dedicated volunteers, in 2013, we became one of the first UK Air Ambulance services to carry blood on board.
Emergency anaesthetic
Sometimes a patient is so unwell we need to take over breathing for them. For us to do this, we need them to be unconscious. We give them a general anaesthetic before inserting a tube into their windpipe so we can regulate their breathing.
Going under general anaesthesia has its risks. It’s important for everyone at the scene to work in harmony to make this decision and to continue to monitor the patient both at the scene and on the way to hospital.
Rarely, we can also deliver local anaesthetics to patients with significant injuries in the arms and legs. This involves using a specialist ultrasound device to find the nerve that requires numbing before injecting the anaesthesia. This provides pain relief to those that need it most, making the rest of their treatment and onward travel more comfortable.
What types of incidents do you attend?
The most common incidents we attend are road traffic collisions, medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest or strokes, and accidental injuries. However, we go to any type of incident that requires our specialist emergency care.
What other interventions can you do?
We deliver a wide range of lifesaving and life-improving interventions. Using specialist procedures we can:
- Reinflate collapsed lungs
- Operate on badly injured limbs
- Save your eye sight following a head injury
Plus other techniques that require additional training and equipment, only made possible when an air ambulance team arrives.
Who decides that the air ambulance is needed?
When a 999 emergency call comes in, we have dedicated dispatchers scanning all the information, quickly and efficiently deciding which require an air ambulance. It’s them who keep our pilots, medical crew, and the caller informed and prepared.
Sometimes, we’re called directly by emergency services already on scene. They will have assessed the incident and identified a need for our specialist crews.
