Helicopter Emergency Medical Service operating from the Royal London Hospital: the first year

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Trauma Surgery
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The implementation of helicopter services for emergency trauma care introduces a new dynamic to hospital resource allocation.
• Assessing the impact of air ambulance services on hospital workload is crucial for optimizing trauma care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the workload imposed on a support hospital during the first year of operation of an emergency trauma helicopter service.
• To identify key parameters contributing to hospital workload and analyze trends over the study period.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 135 patients transported by helicopter to the Royal London Hospital over one year.
• Data collection included patient outcomes (death, transfer, discharge), Injury Severity Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), injury mechanisms, and resource utilization (bed-days, operations, blood transfusions).

Main Results:

• A total of 135 patients were admitted, with a median ISS of 17. Blunt trauma (117 patients) was more common than penetrating trauma (15 patients).
• Total workload included 2361 hospital bed-days, 118 operations (287 theatre hours), and 702 units of blood transfused.
• Patient admissions significantly increased in the second six months (102 vs. 33) due to improved call-out efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Emergency helicopter services for trauma significantly increase hospital workload, necessitating careful resource management.
• Increased efficiency in operational procedures can lead to higher patient volumes and potentially improved access to trauma care.
• The study highlights the need for ongoing assessment of air ambulance impact on healthcare systems.