Not really - in the case I'm talking about they are sending out a car/helicopter (depending on practicality/timings) to arrive on scene within <20 mins, with a specialist registrar/consultant level doctor with extensive A&E experience, and a paramedic, who can provide a much more comprehensive trauma response than the best equipped ambulance service cover. Taking A&E to the patient, with the ability to perform selected roadside operations, administer anaesthetics, induce comas, take the patient quickly to the most suitable trauma/major-trauma hospital, bypass the A&E doctor when reaching the hospital (having made these diagnosis themselves). Which for the selected trauma parients to whom Control deem time-critical/severe enough is a good service, paid for by charitable donation.
SAR:
Let me get this right. You're telling me that a helicopter can respond <20 mins. It can also carry a pilot (possibly 2), crewperson, paramedic and doctor/consultant.
You're telling me that team can perform roadside operations in the open air come rain or shine, day or night. They can then convey the survivor to hospital and bypass the receiving trauma team, pop them on a trolley and whisk them down to the CAT scanner circumventing the A and E team????
What films do you watch?
In reality it is far far far away from this perfect scenario.
There are NO stats indicating a night time demand for HEMS/AA to the extent that a helicopter is the best response vehicle. Stats can be 'massaged' to suggest the helo might 'improve' things so they meet
PR targets but that is about all.
Homonculus is quite right, the cost is a quantum leap on traditional night time responses and entirely uncalled for. BUT......the forces of Marketing, H and S, public ignorance, helicopter service provider lobbying will prevail and the UK will see a proliferation of night support.....the public will willingly contribute too as they see it as a straight forward extension of day ops (which it isn't). Until they are properly educated in this area, their soft underbelly will continue to be exploited to the max.
[It's strange isn't it - if the government decreed there to be a "rescue and recovery" tax of say £40/yr, the public would kickoff. Shake a tin, hold a raffle, organise a charity run and people will willingly chip in a lot more than this over the year].