Helinut guess you ve probably got some inside info but my understanding was that it was only the hospital trusts that charged for the treatment of another authority's patient.
It may have changed but when I spoke to the London HEMS crew last year they said they never billed anyone and the cross border operation was treated the same as a request for a normal ambulance...
Not personally convinced by the 'papers' which show little benefit to patients.. If it takes me 30 mins to carry a patient back to the road and then 15 mins to the A & E dept and only a total of 15 mins by air how can that not benefit the patient? My cynical side says the 'papers' were probably commisioned by those who would be funding the unit and like all statisics can be made to show what you want to show!
And how do countries like the US and Australia justify the large numbers of ASU/HEMS?
I do remember there was some older memebers of staff in Sussex who saw the ASU as pointless... same guys who didn't see the need for oxygen or spinal care - "..cos we never bothered with that in the old days.."
PW