Whilst I fully empathise with local communities and those on the machines, it is I regret to say a disgrace that after 14 years so much money has been spent, from whatever source, on a new medical innovation with no true peer reviewed audit or evidence of efficacy.
It is hard to think of any other area in medicine where this could apply let alone does apply.
In the early days we had considerable resistance from the ambulance authorities who seemed worried that the evidence would be delivered, forcing them into additional expenditure. As time went on services became more ambulance as opposed to physician orientated which also suppressed research.
We have demonstrated interhospital ITU transfers by helicopter save lives and I believe the same could be done with primary transfers. The result might be more efficient tasking especially in less rural areas, but my post is supposed to be a reflection of an opportunity lost, which increases the risk in the future to at least some services, not a dig at HEMS itself