Report reveals how access to vital Children's Air Ambulance service varies in different regions or at certain times - and calls for action to end this disparity.

Capacity for the only UK emergency transfer helicopter service dedicated to paediatric and neonatal patients must be improved to run seven days a week, at more locations and in poor weather conditions, in order to support hundreds more critically ill children every year and facilitate the urgent care they need, a report published today sets out.

Every year, thousands of newborns, infants and children in the UK need an emergency transfer from their local hospital to specialist paediatric and neonatal centres. To meet this demand, the Children's Air Ambulance is capable of transferring 30% of this demand free of charge to the NHS, supporting patients suffering from a range of potentially fatal or rare medical conditions. The charity receives no Government funding for this, although in July 2015 it was granted £2m from banking fines.

With flight times on average four times faster than travelling by road, without this service many of these critically ill young patients would have to undertake lengthy land ambulance transfers and potentially navigate roadworks or traffic jams, delaying their access to urgent care. The longer a baby or child has to spend out of the hospital environment, the more risk there is to their health.

The ability to transfer by air also saves precious time for doctors and clinical staff, freeing them up to help other patients. But with only one specially equipped helicopter currently available to the Children's Air Ambulance, and flight times restricted to weekdays between 9am and 7pm, the charity is only able to meet 30% of demand.

'Flying to Save Young Lives', a new report from the Children's Air Ambulance two years after the charity was established, shows the benefits to patients and the NHS operating two better equipped larger aircraft serving both the north and south of the country. The only helicopter serving the entire country is currently based at Coventry Airport, so has to fly some distance to pick up specialist transport teams, which are based at major children's hospitals.

At present, medical professionals say it may be difficult or impossible to call in helicopter transfers for approximately 20 per cent of paediatric patients and 90 per cent of neonatal patients. The report also notes that:

  • 45% per cent of demand comes between 7pm and 9am, when the service is unable to fly
  • 29% per cent of requests come in at weekends, but the service only runs on weekdays
  • The busiest months are October to April, when children are most vulnerable to cardiac and respiratory diseases

The Children's Air Ambulance currently uses an AgustaWestland 109, which is weight-restricted, meaning that patients travel with up to three medical staff so parents cannot usually travel with their child and often have to travel sometime behind by road. The charity is calling for support to fund a new aircraft with greater night and poor-weather capability, state-of-the-art medical equipment, a reduced need for fuel stops, and the ability for a parent or guardian to accompany their sick child. The cost of this new aircraft is £2.2m per year.

The report sets out key actions to be taken by 2020 to ensure access to this emergency care is not limited by location, time or day of the week, including increasing aircraft operating hours, improving aircraft capability and improving hospital infrastructure, and better and more equitable commissioning.

Richard Clayton, Director of Operations of The Air Ambulance Service, said: 'Much of this costs the Government nothing. However ministers have been incredibly generous thus far in their support for the Children's Air Ambulance through the allocation of fines imposed on banks. We would encourage the Chancellor to signal his intentions by pledging further crucial funding.'

Dr Shelley Riphagen, Lead Consultant at Evelina London Children's Hospital, said: 'To have a second helicopter and flight team dedicated to moving critically ill children into paediatric intensive care units in the South of the country, including London, would be a great step forward in ensuring that we offer the very best, world class transfer service to these children and families.'

Lucy Saker, whose baby daughter Bella was a Children's Air Ambulance patient, commented: 'If there had not been a helicopter service like the Children's Air Ambulance to help Bella I honestly do not know what would have happened. I don't know if she would be here. It was that essential she got there quickly. I don't know if she would have survived a road journey.'