TVAA report record missions in 2022
Thames Valley Air Ambulance (TVAA) reported over 3,000 callouts in 2022 – the charity’s busiest year since records began
The UK organization, which serves the Thames Valley and surrounding regions, counted 1,161 incidents in Berkshire, 1,086 in Buckinghamshire, 818 in Oxfordshire, and 93 in the surrounding area.
Cardiac arrest was the highest cause of call-outs for the year, accounting for over a third (1,069 missions), followed by general medical emergencies at 21 per cent (663), accidental injury at 16 per cent (519), as well as road traffic missions, which accounted for 14 per cent (430).
Demand peaked in December 2022, when TVAA crews were called to attend 305 emergencies. The second highest month was November, with 276 incidents, followed by June with 275.
TVAA was also awarded an Air Operator Certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority in 2022, enabling it to bring its air operations in-house for the first time, and operate flights without the assistance of third parties.
Adam Panter, Chief Operating Officer said: “2022 was incredibly busy for our crews for a number of reasons including the impact of our communities returning to full and active lives. In addition to this, we are working hard to identify the cases which would benefit most from our crews’ expertise earlier and therefore dispatching our critical care teams to more of them.”