Charity | Posted on May 8th, 2026 | return to news

Air Ambulance marks 10 years of blood transfusions

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has delivered pre-hospital emergency blood transfusions for the past 10 years.

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For the past 10 years, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) has delivered pre-hospital emergency blood transfusions, which have given 473 patients the chance of survival.

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.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the service, 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, who shared their first-hand experience of needing a pre-hospital blood transfusion immediately prior to giving birth in January.

Dr Phil Hyde, DSAA’s medical director, said: “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 literally 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.”