Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance call outs soar

The charity's doctors, dispatchers, pilots and paramedics responded to 1,183 emergency call-outs in the region, mostly from Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Gosport, Fareham and Newport.

The rise equates to an extra two patients every day that require the expertise of the air ambulance team.

By June, the service had reached more than 1,000 call-outs.

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May was recorded as the busiest month with 222 emergencies - the highest seen since July 2019.

According to the charity, each mission cost an average of £3,500, and they need to raise nearly £10m for this year in order to stay fully operational.

The charity attributes the significant increase to more Critical Care Paramedic car shifts, run alongside the helicopter team, and effective clinical recruitment over the past year.

The team focuses only on the most seriously ill and injured patients in the region, providing hospital-level care wherever necessary - beachside, roadside, countryside, or bedside.

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Most frequently, the calls were related to cardiac arrests, accidental injuries and road traffic collisions.

Clinical lead for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Dr Simon Hughes said: "Every day we give our patients, their friends and families the best chance of not only survival, but a successful recovery. Nobody knows if or when they’re going to need us, but a cardiac arrest, medical incident or road traffic collision can happen to anyone, anywhere at anytime.

"We are 100 per cent funded by the generosity of the public that we serve. And we are all incredibly humbled and grateful to everyone who continues to keep us responding to the people who need us most."

Fully reliant on public donations, the charity thanked its unwavering supporters whose contributions enable them to continue this vital service for patients in need.