Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance experiences busiest year on record in 2024

It was the most call-outs in a calendar year for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance service, and a 40 per cent year-on-year increase after 1,842 call-outs in 2023. Portsmouth and Southsea had the second most call-outs with 258 across the year with the service most frequently attending incidents in Southampton (659).

For the first time in its history it responded to more patients by road rather than by helicopter with 53 per cent of incidents attended by its emergency response vehicles. This change was driven by the demand for its Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) response teams which had more than 800 call-outs in 2024, compared to 239 in 2023.

Specialist paramedic lead, Mark Durell, said: "The past year has been remarkable for our service. The incredible growth for our CCP response highlights the increasing demand for our expertise and the trust ambulance crews place in us to deliver advanced care to patients across Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

“The rise in requests for attendance for our helicopter and road-based teams means we’re reaching more patients than ever before, ensuring that lifesaving interventions are available when they’re needed most."

The charity’s CEO, Richard Corbett, has voiced his “immense pride” in crew members and volunteers as it looks to raise £3.6 million to relocate to a new headquarters. He said: “Every year demand for our service surges. While it can paint a desperate picture for all of those patients involved, the more patients we can get to the more chance they have of making it home to their friends and family.

“I am immensely proud of the response from our crew members, charity team and army of volunteers who continuously rise to the challenge. Not forgetting the enormous role everyone who has supported us plays—your generosity saves lives.”

After Southampton and Portsmouth/Southsea, the most frequent callouts were from Basingstoke (131), Fareham (121), Gosport (116) and Eastleigh (100).

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance are currently based across two sites, with its helicopters based at Thruxton Airfield near Andover, and its head office based in Southampton. It is currently running a fundraising appeal called Operation Airbase as it seeks to relocate both its head office and airbase to a site near Southampton Airport.

Further information on Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and Operation Airbase can be found on hiowaa.org.

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