TC - thanks for the advice, I'll give due credit where it is deserved. I'm sure homonculus knows his stuff in the medical world, but that's not really the issue here now, is it?
Jayteeto - the trauma network will throw the cat among the pigeons in the air ambulance world. Personally, I suspect it very strongly supports the doctor paramedic model over paramedic/paramedic - absolutely not dissing the role of the paramedic, but having the doctor on board means that some procedures can occur at the scene which will improve patient outcomes, especially bearing in mind the longer transits that will inevitably be involved.
In the operation that I know of, the doctors on the aircraft have a direct input on where patients are best served. If that means flying straight past the local Major Trauma Centre, so be it. Of course the A&E heads squawk but it had one positive effect: they put in a helipad with direct access to the A&E rather than justifying why a road transit from the local golf course was 'OK'.