ARE ACCIDENT FLYING SQUADS REALLY CLEARED FOR "TAKE-OFF"?

The authors examine evidence of the effectiveness of hospital-based flying squads of which there were 47 in the United Kingdom in 1982. Although it would appear that there is a reasonable proportion of patients who would not have died had medical aid been immediately available, no attempt was made to assess their influence until the early 1970s. Reports are difficult to evaluate because of the small numbers of subjects and the methods of scoring accident severity are not always appropriate. Examples are given of two studies which show that predicted survival and mortality was unaffected by the use of a flying squad. It is concluded that it cannot be said with any conviction that the use of flying squads undoubtedly save lives. Such well equipped squads that have been formed in the UK receive few calls a year, partly because they are only called after an initial assessment by a specialist. The few attempts at assessment indicate that their existence is based more on empirical and emotional appeal rather than scientific evidence. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01406736
• Corporate Authors:

  Lancet Limited

  7 Adams Street
  London WC2N 6AD,   England 
• Authors:
  • Robertson, C
  • Steedman, D J
• Publication Date: 1985-8-24

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 434-436
• Serial:
  • The Lancet
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue Number: 1985
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0140-6736
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01406736

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash severity; Disasters and emergency operations; Fatalities; First aid; Hazards and emergency operations; Hospitals; Measures of effectiveness; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Mortality rates
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00462697
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 1987 12:00AM