Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) has seen its second busiest year ever in 2020, despite lockdowns.

The air ambulance responded to 1,577 callouts across the year, with the pandemic not having proved a barrier to the number of incidents it was called to attend.

The charity’s deputy chief executive said she was “beyond proud” of their work, and paid tribute to the staff who ensured that emergency responses were always available.

HIOWAA’s number of callouts in 2020 is second only to 2019, when there were 2,262 callouts across the year. However, it eclipsed other years, such as 2018, when there were only 1,429 callouts, despite there being more people staying indoors.

The charity’s busiest month was in January, when there were 189 callouts, and its least busy was in April, shortly after the introduction of the first national lockdown. Of the incidents they were called to, 27 per cent were to cardiac arrests, while road traffic collisions accounted for 21 per cent.

In addition to callouts to emergencies, HIOWAA also supported the NHS during the pandemic, with specialist paramedics working at University Hospital Southampton in A&E to relieve pressure on the medical frontline.

The charity’s helicopters also assisted by transporting patients in intensive care units to other areas of the country where there was less pressure. For instance, this includes carrying Covid patients from the Isle of Wight to mainland hospitals.

HIOWAA deputy CEO, Sherie Williams Ellen, said: “These figures demonstrate the fundamental need for our life-saving service. To surpass the number of call-outs we received in 2018, while much of the nation spent long periods of time indoors, is simply staggering.

“Throughout the pandemic our doctors, specialist paramedics and pilots have continued to provide the most seriously ill and injured people in our region with the most advanced critical care available.”

She added: “I am beyond proud of the way in which our charity has responded to the health crisis and the subsequent demands placed upon the team. Every step of the way, however, we have been backed up by our incredibly generous donors. Without them, none of what we do would be possible.”