Ground ambulances and airport coordination during a transfer

The flight is the most visible part of an air ambulance transfer, but the patient often spends as long on the road and at the airport as in the air. Those legs are where poor coordination shows: an ambulance that arrives late, a patient waiting at a terminal, a receiving team that does not know the flight has landed.

The sending end

The ground ambulance at the sending end should be equipped for the patient’s needs as agreed by the transfer medical team, and it should arrive at the hospital with enough time for a proper ward handover. The medical team usually travels with the patient from the bedside, so care is continuous from ward to aircraft.

Before leaving the ward, the team checks that the medical documents, medicines and the patient’s belongings are ready. The documents checklist covers what is needed.

At the airport

Airports have their own procedures for patients on stretchers and for medical flights. Depending on the airport and the type of flight, the ambulance may be allowed to drive to the aircraft, or the patient may need to pass through a designated area. These arrangements are made in advance with the airport and the operator, and they are one reason a confirmed departure time matters.

For international flights, immigration and customs formalities apply to the patient, the medical team and any accompanying family member.

The receiving end

The receiving ambulance should be at the destination airport before the aircraft lands. The coordinator confirms the landing time with the operator and keeps the receiving hospital informed, so that the admitting team is ready when the patient arrives.

Timing and updates

Families usually want to know three things on the day: when the patient has left the ward, when the aircraft has landed, and when the patient has arrived at the receiving hospital. Agree in advance who will call you at each point. Our guide to transfer day covers this.

Road transfer instead of a flight

For shorter distances, a road transfer in a suitably equipped ambulance may be more practical than a flight, because it avoids two handovers at the airport. The doctors and the transfer medical team will advise. See how an air ambulance transfer works for the full chain of decisions.