No matter how many wonderful drones we have pootling about in the transatlantic tracks and other busy air environments around our shores, in the words of one of those in the senior ranks of the MH370 search, "there is still no substitute for the Mark 1 Human Eyeball when looking for something in the ocean.....".
Even if we do have a fleet of drones, if something does require a search, there are no seats on a drone to fit a set of eyeballs, human, mark 1......
So with a drone, patrol yes, search maybe, rescue doubtful in the extreme.
One can only surmise that the MOD beancounters have reckoned that it's not economic to rescue aircrew. Must be marginally cheaper to train new crew, but then again, considering the lead time for new airframes, not surprising.