The monthly mission report: November 2023

During November 2023, London’s Air Ambulance’s advanced trauma team – dispatched from atop The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel – attended to 149 patients.

Bringing the emergency department to the roadside, attending to these patients included administering 23 rapid sequence intubations, 14 blood transfusions, eight femoral arterial lines and one thoracotomy (open chest surgery). We are the only ones in London who can do some of these procedures at the scene of the accident: we’re there for London’s critically injured when they don’t have time to make it to hospital.

Serving the 10 million people who visit, live and work in London, the boroughs visited the most in November were Lambeth, Hounslow and Camden. After stabilising the patient, we then escorted 39 per cent (45) of our patients to The Royal London Hospital. Thirty-two per cent (36) of our patients were taken to St Mary’s Hospital, 14 per cent (16) to St George’s Hospital and 11 per cent (12) to Kings College Hospital. Only once during the month – as this is not the primary purpose of dispatching our crew – did we fly a patient to hospital.

In terms of mechanisms of injury, 46 of our patients in November were due to assault (31 per cent). Falls resulted in 26 patients (17 per cent), transport-related injuries 24 patients (16 per cent), medical-related injuries 17 (11 per cent) and accidents 11 (seven per cent). Other or unknown injuries also resulted in 25 patients (17 per cent).

If you would like to read October’s mission report to see how the months compare, please do so here.

We work 24/7, 365 days a year to save lives in London. But we’re a charity, with 96 per cent of our income reliant on public support. This year we need to replace both our helicopters, at an additional cost of ￡15 million. Can you help support our Up Against Time appeal today?