A RISE in patients attended by London’s Air Ambulance Charity last year highlights the life-saving service it provides to the 10 million people who live and work in the capital.
Last year, the charity’s 30th anniversary year, the helicopter and rapid response cars took an advanced trauma doctor and paramedic to 63 patients in Ealing whose lives were on the line. That’s 14 more than in 2018.
Across the capital, London’s Air Ambulance treated 1,730 patients – an increase of 74 on the previous year, at a cost of £2,080 per mission.
Nearly one third of injuries were from stabbings and shootings (32%) or road traffic incidents (28%) and one fifth due to falls from height (22%).
Primarily funded by charitable donations, the service is also supported by Barts Health NHS Trust and the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
Barts provides the doctors, some financial support and a helipad at the Royal London Hospital.
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