Primary Aircraft
Platform · Clinical payload · Operational range
Your aircraft determines your clinical capability, operational range, and cost base. Every subsequent decision is constrained by what this platform can carry and how far it can fly.
Aircraft Type
Airbus H135
UK HEMS workhorse. Twin-engine, light twin. Carries full critical care team. Operates from unprepared sites.
£5.2M
620km range
250kg clinical payload
IFR capable
AgustaWestland AW169
Medium twin. Higher capacity. Carries two patients simultaneously. Preferred for remote major trauma.
£9.8M
870km range
400kg clinical payload
Dual-patient
Pilatus PC-12 (Fixed Wing)
RFDS-proven long-range fixed wing. Needs runway or strip. Full ICU capability en route. Best cost-per-km.
£7.4M
3,300km range
700kg clinical payload
Runway required
Airbus H145
Five-blade, low noise profile. EAAA and GNAAS choice. Excellent hospital roof access. Night vision compatible.
£8.1M
800km range
350kg clinical payload
Night operations
Fleet Configuration
Additional aircraft increase coverage and resilience but significantly increase capital and operating costs. A single aircraft service goes offline during maintenance.
Primary aircraftOperational base · 24/7 crewed
1
Reserve aircraftMaintenance cover · not permanently crewed
0
Clinical Capability
Medical team · Equipment · Specialist capacity
Clinical configuration determines the severity of cases you can attend and the speed at which you can stabilise patients. Each upgrade adds weight, complexity, and ongoing cost.
Medical Team Configuration
Critical Care Paramedic + Paramedic
Standard HEMS configuration. Capable of pre-hospital anaesthesia, blood transfusion, surgical airway.
+£0.3M/yr
Level 4 capability
Emergency Physician + Paramedic
Doctor-led. Highest pre-hospital capability. Thoracotomy, RSI, complex trauma. Required for paediatric specialist runs.
+£0.7M/yr
Level 5 capability
Paediatric-qualified
Critical Care Nurse + Paramedic
Hybrid model. Strong for cardiac, stroke, and neonatal transfers. Scottish model. Requires hospital backup protocol.
+£0.45M/yr
Level 4+ capability
Dual Emergency Physician
Maximum clinical capability. Major trauma, complex obstetric, ECMO retrieval. Rare — London HEMS model.
+£1.2M/yr
Level 5+ capability
Highest staffing cost
Specialist Equipment
Each item adds to payload weight and maintenance cost. Exceeding aircraft payload compromises clinical space and patient access.
RSI & Airway Management Kit
2.8kg · £80k/yr · Rapid sequence intubation — standard HEMS
Pre-hospital Blood Products (REBOA)
14kg · £150k/yr · Whole blood, FFP, platelets — significant trauma mortality reduction
ECMO Retrieval Capability
85kg · £400k/yr · Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation — specialist retrieval only
Neonatal Incubator Transport System
22kg · £120k/yr · Inter-hospital neonatal transfer — requires specialist crew certification
Rescue Winch System
55kg · £250k/yr · Mountain, cliff, water rescue — requires winch operator crew member
Night Vision Goggles & NVG Programme
8kg · £180k/yr crew training · Extends operational hours — requires specific aircraft compatibility
Base Location
Response radius · Hospital proximity · Site acquisition
Base location is your single most consequential decision. It determines average response time across your coverage area, proximity to major trauma centres, and acquisition cost. You cannot change it once operations begin.
Base Configuration
Hospital Rooftop HEMS Pad
Co-located with major trauma centre. Fastest handover. Most expensive site. Limited expansion.
£0.8M site
Fastest handover
MTC co-location
Dedicated Airfield Base
Custom HEMS facility. Maintenance on-site. Training space. Optimal for fixed-wing. Higher acquisition cost.
£2.1M site
Avg response
Maintenance on-site
Rural Airstrip Partnership
Lowest cost. Community-embedded. Extended response to urban incidents. Dependent on strip maintenance.
£0.4M site
+20% response
Strip dependency
Dual-Base Model
Two forward bases across the region. Optimal coverage geometry. Significantly higher overhead.
£2.6M sites
Fastest coverage
Dual overhead
Operational Hours
Operating hours affect crew requirements, cost, and the proportion of incidents you can attend. Most serious road trauma occurs between 18:00 and 02:00.
Day Operations
Dawn to dusk. Lower cost. Misses peak trauma hours.
~12hrs/day
Misses 40% trauma
Extended Day
06:00–22:00. Captures most road trauma. NVG not required.
~16hrs/day
+£350k/yr
24 / 7
Full operational availability. Requires NVG programme and night crew.
24hrs/day
+£900k/yr
NVG required
Ground Operations
Critical care road vehicles extend your reach into areas where the aircraft cannot land. They also provide asset resilience when the aircraft is tasked.
Critical Care Response VehiclesRapid response cars · crewed by clinical team
0
Funding Architecture
Revenue streams · Sustainability · Dependency risk
UK air ambulance services are almost entirely charity-funded. NHS commissioning covers some costs but rarely more than 30%. Your funding model determines your resilience — and your constraints.
Primary Funding Source
Public Charitable Fundraising
Lottery, events, community giving, legacies. Stable over time but requires significant fundraising infrastructure.
~55% of target
High public trust
Fundraising overhead
NHS Commissioning Contract
Guaranteed income. Subject to NHS procurement cycles. Constrains clinical scope to commissioned pathways.
Guaranteed income
~35% of target
Clinical constraints
Foundation & Trust Grants
Large initial grants. Typically 3–5 year terms. Requires evidence of impact. Less predictable renewal.
High per-grant value
Renewal uncertainty
3–5yr terms
Corporate Partnership Portfolio
Branding, employee fundraising, anchor corporate donors. Faster to build initially, less stable long-term.
Fast initial income
Corporate dependency
Relationship overhead
Supplementary Revenue
Most sustainable services blend multiple streams. Each adds administrative complexity but reduces single-source dependency.
Membership Lottery Scheme
+12% of budget · £150k setup · Yorkshire Air Ambulance model — 420,000+ members
Inter-Hospital Transfer Income
+8% of budget · £50k setup · NHS-reimbursed specialist transfers — predictable volume
Clinical Training & Simulation Income
+6% of budget · £80k setup · External CPD, simulation days, pre-hospital fellowships
Academic Research Partnership Grants
+9% of budget · £100k setup · NIHR, UKRI, trauma research — requires clinical academic team
Fundraising Infrastructure
Every fundraising FTE costs approximately £55k per year including on-costs but typically generates £180–280k in charitable income when operational.
Coverage Region
Geography · Population · Incident profile
Select the primary regions your service will cover. Each has a distinct incident profile, population density, and terrain challenge. You must select at least two regions. Your aircraft range and base location determine whether your coverage is viable.
UK Coverage Regions
Yorkshire
5.5M pop · Rural/urban mix
North West
7.4M pop · High urban density
North East
2.6M pop · Coastal/remote
Central Scotland
3.8M pop · Highland access
East Midlands
4.9M pop · Major A-roads
East Anglia
2.7M pop · Flat, dispersed
South West
5.7M pop · Peninsular, coastal
Wales
3.2M pop · Mountain/rural
Northern Ireland
1.9M pop · Cross-border complexity
Your Coverage Area
Select at least two regions to define your coverage…
Service Priorities
Defining your primary mission shapes your clinical configuration, partnerships, and performance targets.
Major Trauma Response
Road traffic, industrial accident, falls from height. Time-critical surgical intervention.
Primary HEMS mission
Cardiac & Stroke
Time-to-cath-lab and time-to-thrombectomy are the critical metrics. Urban deployment.
Specialist pathway
Remote Retrieval
Mountain rescue, offshore, rural isolation. Winch and NVG capability essential.
Specialist kit required
Inter-Hospital Transfer
Specialist centre access for rural hospitals. Neonatal, neurosurgical, burns transfer.
NHS income stream
Commission Brief
Phase II funding presentation · Service specification
Service Overview
| Service | — |
| Team | — |
| Aircraft | — |
| Fleet | — |
| Clinical team | — |
| Base model | — |
| Operating hours | — |
| Ground assets | — |
| Coverage regions | — |
| Primary mission | — |
| Specialist equipment | — |
Financial Position
| Capital required | — |
| Annual operating cost | — |
| Projected annual income | — |
| Funding gap | — |
| Primary funding source | — |
| Funding stability rating | — |
Operational Performance
| Payload status | — |
| Est. response time | — |
| Clinical coverage score | — |
| Resilience rating | — |
Phase II Transfer
Transfer Code for Funding Panel
Generate your code before the funding presentation. The panel chair enters it to load your service specification into the assessment scorecard.
Live Dashboard
Operational viability
⬡
Financial Position
Full financial projections revealed in the Commission Brief tab.
Build your service — then verify the numbers.
Build your service — then verify the numbers.
⚠ Clinical payload exceeds aircraft capacity
⚠ 24/7 operations require NVG programme
⚠ Select at least two coverage regions
⚠ Significant funding gap — model not sustainable
⚠ Single aircraft — no maintenance cover
⚠ No ground asset — reduced reach in no-land zones
✓ Clinical configuration appropriate for primary mission
✓ Funding model covers operating costs
Clinical Payload
0 / 0 kg
EmptyMax payload
Capital Required
£0M
£0£25M+
Funding Coverage
0%
0%100%+
Est. Response Time
—
Fastest25min+
£0M
Annual OpEx
£0M
Capital
Income · Gap · Sustainability
Unlocked in Commission Brief tab
Equipment Loaded
None selected
Coverage Regions
None selected