UK Air Ambulances

Supporting these charities is Air Ambulances UK (AAUK), the national body representing and championing the United Kingdom’s 21 independent air ambulance services, providing funding support, advocacy, and coordination across the sector. Historically, the organization's roots trace back to the establishment of the National Association of Air Ambulance Services (NAAAS) in 1999, eventually evolving through several iterations—including the Association of Air Ambulances—before becoming Air Ambulances UK in 2019. Its primary goal is to ensure the best possible chance of survival for patients requiring urgent pre-hospital care by providing vital national funding, increasing public awareness, and advocating for key policy issues like improved helipad accessibility and safe access to NHS patient data. Operating as a collective voice for the sector, AAUK facilitates the exchange of knowledge and professional excellence among its members, who together complete more than 48,000 missions annually and rely almost entirely on charitable donations rather than statutory government funding.