Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance celebrates 14th birthday

Today (1 July) marks 14 years since the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) took to the skies to provide life-saving treatment for patients who have suffered critical illness or injury.

Since its launch in 2007, HIOWAA has attended 10,000 air ambulance emergencies and responded to more than 700 patients in need of critical care this year alone.

The helipad at UHS, which opened in 2011, is one of the few in the UK that can receive critically ill patients 24 hours a day, every day.

UHS has one of the fastest helipad-to-emergency department times nationally which enables patients to move swiftly from the emergency scene to a hospital with all the services they might require.

The Trust’s medical staff can also take part in a formal training programme in pre-hospital care, while paramedics can gain valuable additional experience within the hospital setting – and a number of UHS staff have dual roles with HIOWAA.

This follows a partnership formed in 2018 between UHS, HIOWAA, and South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) to integrate air ambulance charities with the NHS and has enabled an increase in the numbers of paramedics and medical staff for the air ambulance.

Partnership working has continued and evolved during the Covid pandemic as HIOWAA paramedics were able to help in the emergency department at UHS.

HIOWAA medical staff and paramedics were also involved with the military in facilitating the safe transfer of critically ill patients around the country.

This is a valued and important partnership that is truly reflective of our Trust values of patients first, working together, and always improving.

Happy birthday HIOWAA!

Watch their new video ‘Look Out For Us’ here (filmed pre-pandemic).