Wiltshire Air Ambulance attends record number of incidents

New figures have revealed the charity responded to 1,343 missions, a 15 per cent increase from 2023.

This surpasses the previous record of 1,238 incidents in 2020.

The most frequently attended locations were Swindon, Bath, Chippenham and Trowbridge, with 243, 117, 109, and 90 call-outs respectively.

Within the Salisbury area, including Tidworth and Amesbury, the air ambulance was called to 72 incidents.

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A total of 341 patients were transferred to nearby hospitals, with the majority being taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath, Southmead Hospital in Bristol and Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

The aircrew, consisting of pilots, critical care paramedic and doctors, are operational up to 19 hours a day throughout the year.

In 2024, they attended an average of four missions every day.

The charity’s helicopter was deployed for 619 missions, accounting for 46 per cent of the total.

The remaining 724 incidents were attended by critical care cars.

Cardiac emergencies made up the highest number of call-outs at 326, around a quarter of all missions.

Other incidents included 287 medical emergencies, 190 road traffic collisions, 72 sporting incidents and 58 assaults.

A total of 182 incidents involved children, and 32 per cent of all missions (438) took place at night.

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Doctors were on board for over half of all missions attended, an increase from the previous year.

The aircrew delivered 68 pre-hospital emergency anaesthesias, 32 blood transfusions and 55 procedural sedations.

The LUCAS CPR machine was used 80 times, and 12 regional nerve blocks were administered.

Chief executive David Philpott said: “It’s sad to report that demand for our medical expertise rose significantly across Wiltshire and Bath during the past year.

“None of this vital work would be possible without the incredible generosity of the public and local businesses, and we are extremely grateful for their ongoing commitment and support.”

In late 2024, the charity rebranded to include Bath in its name, reflecting its operational area.

The aircrew was also dispatched to incidents outside their primary operational area, with 23 per cent of the incidents occurring outside of Wiltshire and Bath.

Image Credits and Reference: https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/24845605.wiltshire-air-ambulance-attends-record-number-incidents/?ref=rss