The air ambulance service provides a vital lifeline to the people of Scotland, particularly those in remote, rural and island communities. It is designed to provide a rapid and reliable service for those communities to allow ease of access to mainland health care facilities.
Unlike the rest of the UK, where air ambulance services are funded by charitable donations, in Scotland the service is fully funded by NHS Scotland.
All of our aircraft operate with paramedics on board and fly around 4,000 missions every year. The Air Ambulance Service works closely with the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS), staffed by consultants, nurses and paramedics, providing advice and retrieval services. The Service also works in partnership with the Search and Rescue aircraft of the Ministry of Defence and HM Coastguard.
Our aircraft
Emergency Medical Retrieval Service
Watch a video of the Air Ambulance
Air Ambulance re-procurement