Crab,
For once I totally agree, especially with your last paragraph. In the summer we regularly see the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance going over the top of our hangar on its way to Portland Bill or some other exotic location on Portland. This is having left its base presumably, while we sit on the ground less than 3minutes flying time from the Bill. That is not what I would call good patient care!
But having said all that, we were used to take a cardiac patient from our base, having been delivered by land ambulance while the paramedic was still working on him, direct to Dorchester just before Christmas. That is the exception to the rule however.