Your support meant we were able to respond to 1,814 emergency missions in 2021 – making it our busiest year since before the pandemic.
In total, our teams of doctors, paramedics, pilots and dispatch assistants responded to 244 more incidents than in 2021.
Did you see us flying overhead this Christmas?
December saw the most call-outs for the charity (193) – the most in a single month since December 2019.
Throughout Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, we were called out to 19 emergencies across our region.
Were you one of our patients last year? Get in touch today and share your story today.
Mission breakdown
34% of our incidents involved cardiac arrest, 17% road traffic collisions and a further 17% were classed as medical emergencies, such as seizures. Other cases included falls from height, assaults, self-harm and sporting incidents.
982 (54%) of our call-outs we responded to in our helicopter and 832 (46%) were by road.
We were dispatched to the Isle of Wight a total of 124 times. One of those 124 patients on the Island was Janine, who we flew to when she fell nine feet off a sea wall while she was on holiday. Janine sustained severe injuries to her spine and skull and was in desperate need of critical care.
We get about
As well as our usual landing sites at University Hospital Southampton, Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital, Isle of Wight’s St. Mary’s Hospital and Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, we also ventured further afield to Surrey’s Frimley Park Hospital and Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.
All those miles and missions add up: we flew a total of 547 hours throughout the year, and our three emergency response vehicles covered more than 54,000 miles.
15 in 15
In July we marked the charity’s 15th anniversary since its first flight back in 2007. And, in that same year, we also responded to our 15,000th call for help.
Thanks to your kindness and support, we’ll continue to be there for you and anyone who need us.
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Additional resources
In September we launched a secondary daytime crew to cover the Hampshire region from 8am – 6pm.
The Critical Care Paramedic car carries at least one Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care on board every shift. These specialist paramedics are highly trained and able to provide enhanced treatment in support of our ambulance service clinicians.
Since its first mission in September to the end of December, our Critical Care Paramedic car responded to 181 call-outs.
Dash in the Dark comes to the Isle of Wight
Following the success of our night-time 5km in Southampton, more than 300 people lit up our first Dash in the Dark on the Isle of Wight.
More than £16,000 was raised – enough to fund five emergency missions.
Sign up for Dash in the Dark 2023: Southampton or Isle of Wight.
