MEDICAL emergency service Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) has seen a rise in the number of incidents it responds to - experiencing its ‘busiest month’ of the year so far in May.

HIOWAA has released a breakdown of the 158 incidents it attended last month, including 51 cardiac arrests, 24 road traffic incidents, 24 falls from height and 23 medical emergencies, such as strokes.

It said that 91 of its missions were attended in its aircraft – the most flights in a single month this year - and 67 in our emergency response vehicles

Director of Income and Engagement, Keith Wilson, said: “May was our busiest month since August 2020. We saw a rise in call-outs to the majority of our incident types, from: cardiac arrests, road traffic collisions, poisonings/overdose, assaults and falls from height. Each of those 158 missions were only possible thanks to the constant dedication from the local community. And we are incredibly thankful and grateful for the support that impacts hundreds of lives in our region every month.”

Each mission HIOWAA attends costs on average £3,320 and so far this year it has attended 640 emergency call-outs - an average of four missions per day.

A service spokesperson said: “We are only able to be there for those in need thanks to your generous donations. Your support allows us to give our patients the best chance of survival when the worst happens.”

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