This annual Aerospace Medicine Group lecture will be presented by Dr Geoff Tothill, Chief Medical Officer at the International Medical Group.

The transportation of patients by air has a history that is almost as long as aviation itself, early pioneers no doubt attracted to both the promise of better outcomes for their patients and the romance of flight. Since then, the techniques that we use and the services available have become more sophisticated, developing in parallel with technical advances in both medicine and aviation.

Indeed, many patients, both civilian and military, are now transferred by air as part of their treatment pathway. The decision-making surrounding transfer, as important as the technical skills demonstrated during the transfer itself, have themselves evolved, responding to social, economic and political imperatives as well as taking advantage of the increasing availability of sophisticated medical support systems aboard aircraft.

Dr Tothill will explore the current state of aeromedical retrieval and some of the influences, past and present, that have shaped our current practice in what will be a celebration of the work that is done around the world, every day, to keep patients safe in the air.