Air Ambulance responds to record 2,593 emergencies across region in 2025
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance responded to a record 2,593 emergencies across the region in 2025.
The region’s air ambulance service treats seriously ill and injured patients, bringing the hospital to the scene of an incident. The charity's doctors, dispatchers, pilots and paramedics experienced a year-on-year increase for the fourth consecutive year, with a particular rise in calls for cardiac arrests, assaults and self-harm incidents.
In December the crew were deployed more than 200 times, for a record ninth time in the year. July was the charity’s busiest month on record (274 deployments).
Around 58% of dispatches were by helicopter with the remaining 42% by road, as the service continually responds to emergencies by car, utilising inner-city road networks and its fleet of emergency response vehicles.
Almost 10% of patients treated were put into an induced coma (pre-hospital emergency anaesthetic) – a serious procedure that helps to protect major organs from further damage.
More than 70% of incidents happened during the day (07:00 – 18:59), with around 30% occurring between 19:00 – 02:00.
The majority of incidents were to Southampton and Eastleigh, Portsmouth, Fareham, Andover, Winchester, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight.
The charity is currently relocating its airbase and headquarters from Thruxton, Andover, in the north of the county to its new headquarters near Southampton. The move will improve response times to the majority of incidents.
One of those patients was 47-year-old Holly Treloar who, in March 2025, tripped while walking with her husband on Chilcomb Down in Winchester.
Holly broke her tibia, fibula and ankle joint. Due to her remote location and the severity of the damage, Holly was given specialist medication and flown to University Hospital Southampton, where she underwent emergency surgery.
Holly said: “It's crazy. I do a lot of yoga, I'm very fit – I even practice standing on one foot while I'm brushing my teeth. And just one wrong step can do all that damage. It can all just change in the blink of an eye.
“I am just so grateful to the Air Ambulance. Not only for the speed of their arrival but for their care, humour and constant reassurance – and also for their amazing aftercare support. I just cannot fault them in any way.
“It's the sort of service you don't realise you need until you do. And then when you do, my God you’ll be glad they’re there.”
Visit www.hiowaa.org for more information.