New research suggests that air ambulance teams may significantly improve the chances of survival for critically injured patients. By analyzing ten years of data from a helicopter emergency medical service in South East England, researchers found that survival rates were consistently higher than statistical models had predicted.

According to the study, which covered the years 2013 to 2022, these specialized teams saved approximately five additional lives for every 100 severely injured patients they treated. The benefits were most noticeable for patients with major trauma who had a moderate chance of surviving, as well as those who were put under general anesthesia by medics at the scene before reaching the hospital.

The researchers concluded that their findings justify the high costs of maintaining these services. However, they also noted that more comparative studies are needed to confirm these results across different regions.