Just thinking about TC's prod for all ASUs to go "HEMS approval", in my recent experience, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of "will we / won't we" exercises about requests for CASEVACS. People are getting their knickers in a twist about whether what they are being asked to do is a CASEVAC or not (and therefore whether a non-HEMS approved Unit can legally do the job).
I have thought for a while that the answer may be to go for the HEMS approval, just in case. The way that the PAOM is written is dictating to each police force how it may use its own helicopter. When this is for reasons to do with flight safety, that's fine and appropriate. When it is more to do with policy of the use of an expensive publuc asset, get the CAA out of the loop and get a HEMS approval, so you can make your own decisions.
The CASEVAC definition is so complicated and deals with matters the crew cannot possibly know about, and you have so little real information when you have to make your decision, you often don't know whether the job was a CASEVAC, until after you have done it, and maybe not even then!
[For the benefit of those who aren't familiar with the UK PAOM, whether or not a casualty transport is classified as a CASEVAC (or not) revolves around whether you will save the patient's life, by doing the flight].
2 quick questions to those who may know:
Can you do HEMS wihtout a paramedic on the crew (i.e. by taking one from a land amblance when you carry a casualty)?
Are there significant cost implications e.g. insurance?? Presumably most units are already covered for CASEVACs?