Where, previously, the HEMS crew would collect the blood product whilst on shift – sometimes having to postpone the collection to tend to an urgent case – the team can now rely on the drivers to pick up the blood from John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and deliver it to the HEMS crew.

The blood is collected in special cool bags containing two packs of O-negative blood and two packs of fresh frozen plasma. Patients that need the emergency blood transfusion are then administered the blood alongside the plasma, which carries clotting factors that help to prevent further blood loss.

Amanda McLean, Chief Executive of Thames Valley Air Ambulance, commended the development: “It saves our crew valuable time, allowing them to focus on responding to and treating patients," she said.

This is certainly not the first instance of HEMS crews improving their access to life-saving blood supplies, with many now carrying blood on board their aircraft and others also enlisting blood-transporting ground teams. Whatever the method, blood availability to air ambulances is essential for increasing a patient’s chances of survival, and there’s no doubt this latest development will bring Thames Valley Air Ambulance much success in its future operations.