So are we saying that the problem is systemic, that the interests of safety have been overridden by commercial concerns for too long, and that the HEMS industry remains too governed by profit?
Are some HEMS programmes really established more to generate profit than to serve a real need in the community?
Do funding arrangements rely too heavily on call volumes, putting too much emphasis on operators to ‘keep the numbers up’, and on pilots to press on (perhaps into deteriorating conditions) and to avoid mission aborts?
Is there sufficient incentive for operators to train crews to the best possible standard, to acquire the most suitable aircraft, and to equip them properly?
Are the HEMS programmes adequately resourced to ensure proper engineering, and to avoid the inevitable penalties that arise when crews are over-worked, over-stretched or simply tired?