Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance marks 10 years of providing emergency blood transfusions

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) is marking 10 years of delivering pre-hospital emergency blood transfusions, recognising and thanking those who have played a vital role in making the service possible.

Severe bleeding is one of the most urgent and life-threatening challenges following major trauma or acute medical conditions. When minutes matter, starting a transfusion at the scene can be the difference between a patient reaching hospital with a chance of survival or not reaching hospital at all.

A major step forward in pre-hospital critical care

When DSAA introduced the carriage of blood components in 2016, it represented a major step forward in pre-hospital critical care. Developed in collaboration with Dorset County Hospital, NHS Blood and Transplant, Devon Freewheelers, the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the Henry Surtees Foundation, the initiative enabled doctors and specialist practitioners to begin replacing lost blood at the roadside, in rural locations and in patients’ homes well before they arrived at hospital.

Ten years on, 473 patients have been given a chance of survival through a blood transfusion provided by the DSAA team.

At a special event held at our airbase today, DSAA brought together key partners, the clinicians who helped pioneer the initiative, and team members involved in its delivery and development to reflect on its impact over the past decade. Among those in attendance was Louise Biggs and her family, whose first-hand experience of needing a pre-hospital blood transfusion immediately prior to giving birth in January was shared.

Devon Freewheelers

Representatives from Dorset County Hospital, past and present

Louise and her son with DSAA's crew

Speaking about the milestone, Dr Phil Hyde, DSAA’s Medical Director said:

Dr Phil Hyde, Medical Director

“To have this life-saving resource available to us is a gift from society. It gives our clinicians the ability and confidence to sustain patients with catastrophic bleeding long enough to get them to hospital for the ongoing emergency treatment they need.

Before we carried blood components, many of us remember holding the hands of patients who sadly died on the way to hospital. Within just seven days of launching in 2016, we delivered our first transfusion, demonstrating both the immediate need and the impact of this capability. Today, we are holding hands and seeing patients survive, going on to meet them, their families and even their children. This is truly life-changing, both for our patients and for the clinicians delivering their care.

A blood transfusion is a significant intervention, it’s literary a ‘liquid transplant’ from another person. It is complex and detailed work to safely enable blood transfusion outside of hospital and it requires an amazing network of colleagues across many agencies and charities to achieve it. We are so grateful to every member of this regional collaboration for enabling life chances for the people of Dorset and Somerset.”

Thank you 

As DSAA marks this milestone, we extend heartfelt thanks to the partners, supporters and team members who have made the service possible over the past decade, and who continue to ensure that patients across Dorset and Somerset can receive this life-saving care when it matters most.

From the generosity of blood donors, the preparation and safe handling of blood components at Dorset County Hospital, to the dedicated volunteer drivers at Devon Freewheelers who deliver and rotate supplies around the clock, each plays a vital role in ensuring this care is available when needed.

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