When the Daily Express agreed to fund HEMS at the London Hospital, the Departments of Health agreed to fund the relevant staff - not only the flight doctors, but radiologists, surgeons and anesthetists, to provide a trauma centre.
It is sad that 30 years later this rather sensible idea has been forgotten. Agreed, the words 'centre of excellence' are drivel, but if we have a serviceable HEMS it is about time we look further down the patient pathway in today's NHS - no point bringing in critically ill patients by air to put them on a trolley in the corridor....I suspect ministers wouldnt get the same publicity from putting the money where it could do some use, but the charities could be more beneficial by looking downstream rather than buying more bells and whistles