Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
Encyclopedia
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance is an air ambulance
service serving the counties of Hampshire
and Isle of Wight
in Southern England
, United Kingdom
. It is one of twenty-five air ambulance services in the United Kingdom
.
The service began operating on 1 July 2007 and has flown over 2,600 missions. The charity's head office is located at St. Mary's Stadium
in Southampton
and the helicopter is based at Thruxton
airfield near Andover
.
The air ambulance costs around £110,000 per month to operate efficiently and successfully.
, a type often utilised as an air ambulance. It is usually airborne within four minutes and typically flies at 140mph, making it capable of reaching most locations in Hampshire within fifteen minutes, though flights to the Isle of Wight may take longer.
The Eurocopter EC135 replaced its predecessor, a 33-year-old MBB Bo 105, in September 2010. The EC135 can carry a crew of up to four, but typically carries two paramedic
s and one pilot. An additional doctor or family member of the patient may occupy the fourth seat.
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
service serving the counties of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
in Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is one of twenty-five air ambulance services in the United Kingdom
Air Ambulances in the United Kingdom
There are a number of air ambulance services in the United Kingdom using either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. Thirty helicopters, all operated by commercial companies and funded by charitable organisations, cover England and Wales...
.
The service began operating on 1 July 2007 and has flown over 2,600 missions. The charity's head office is located at St. Mary's Stadium
St Mary's Stadium
St Mary's Stadium is the home of Southampton F.C., in the city of Southampton. It is a UEFA 4-star rated stadium and with a capacity of 32,689 is the largest football stadium in the south of England, outside of London.-History:...
in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and the helicopter is based at Thruxton
Thruxton, Hampshire
Thruxton is just off the A303 road five miles west of Andover. It is a village with a Manor House, thatched cottages and village green...
airfield near Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
.
Service
The service covers the counties of Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and responds where required to traffic collisions, sporting accidents, collapses, and other incidents. It may conduct helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) during the daytime only, but may carry out non-emergency patient transfers between approved sites during both daylight and night-time hours.The air ambulance costs around £110,000 per month to operate efficiently and successfully.
Helicopter
The current helicopter is a twin-engined Eurocopter EC135Eurocopter EC135
The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...
, a type often utilised as an air ambulance. It is usually airborne within four minutes and typically flies at 140mph, making it capable of reaching most locations in Hampshire within fifteen minutes, though flights to the Isle of Wight may take longer.
The Eurocopter EC135 replaced its predecessor, a 33-year-old MBB Bo 105, in September 2010. The EC135 can carry a crew of up to four, but typically carries two paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
s and one pilot. An additional doctor or family member of the patient may occupy the fourth seat.