The provision of medical repatriation services—the safe transport of seriously ill or injured patients from overseas to their home country or a suitable medical facility—is a complex and highly specialized field. This directory provides an overview of key providers operating within the UK and internationally, offering a range of services from commercial air ambulance charters to bespoke ground transport solutions. Understanding the capabilities of these organizations is critical for healthcare professionals, insurance companies, and families seeking to navigate the challenges of international medical transport. This analysis focuses on the listed companies and their offerings, highlighting key distinctions and potential considerations. It’s important to note that service availability and pricing can vary significantly, necessitating thorough due diligence.
Key Themes and Service Offerings
Several common themes emerge from the providers’ offerings. Firstly, a significant emphasis is placed on ICU-level care, with many organizations boasting L3-ICU capable aircraft and dedicated medical teams. This reflects the extreme fragility of patients requiring this level of support during transport. Secondly, the ability to handle ‘complex cases’—including patients with infectious diseases, contaminated environments, and those requiring specialized equipment—is a frequent selling point. Finally, ‘bed-to-bed’ services—managing the entire process from hospital admission to final destination—are highly valued, streamlining the logistical nightmare inherent in international medical transport.
Company Profiles and Specializations
| Company | Telephone | Services |
|---|---|---|
| UK Government Publication | 000 Medical Repatriation Ltd | Worldwide. Cost effective Air Ambulance. Commercial repatriation, Specialist repatriation road ambulances. |
| 112 Ambulance Repatriation | 01782 776110 | Worldwide. Chartered aircraft, air ambulances, road ambulances, management of patients with all illness and disabilities, 4×4 ambulances and specialist paramedics for all journeys. |
| 1 Air Assist | +44 (0)330 133 5723 | Worldwide. Assisting with all injuries and illness, mental health patients, care home residents, larger patient, palliative care, dealing with both seated and stretcher patients on commercial flights. |
| 1 Call Medical Assist | +44 (0)30 0302 1371 | Worldwide. Mental health crisis, care home residents, larger patient, palliative care, infectious disease, seated and stretcher commercial flights, specialist equipment and drugs, advanced life support and oxygen, security escorts, certified nurses, doctors and paramedics. |
| 247 Aviation Air Ambulance Service | +44 (0)28 9344 5956 | Worldwide. CAMTS-accredited air ambulance and commercial medical escort service (seated/stretcher). NHS consultants & ICU teams available 24/7 for adult and paediatric bed-to-bed transfers, including trauma, cardio-respiratory, psychiatry, obstetrics and palliative care. Bed-finding and admission service. Integrated ground transport. Complete logistical support from hospital to final destination. |
| A B Medical Services (UK) Ltd | +44(0)3443100150 | Worldwide excluding war zones. Worldwide medical repatriation and Commercial airline medical escort services. CQC registered UK and European ambulance services. All injuries and illnesses. Healthcare Professional led offering tailored services. |
| AD Medical Air Assist | +44 (0)333 015 0226 | Worldwide excluding war zones. Global aeromedical repatriations and medical case management to enable safe bed-to-bed repatriation. Advanced life support, commercial stretcher cases, portable oxygen concentrators, commercial medical escort services. Our Medical Escorts carry specialist flight medical kits and ALS drugs and equipment. Access to fully equipped ICU Air Ambulances. |
| Advance Medical Transport Services Ltd | +44 (0)1634 561 458 | Europe. Cardiac, bariatric, oxygen, entonox, all frontline medication and equipment for paramedic-required journeys. |
| Aeromed Transfer and Teach | +44 (0)20 3633 8483 | Worldwide. Stretcher and seated repatriation by commercial airline, specialist in-flight medical equipment and escorts. |
| Air Ambulance Medical Services (Heathrow) Ltd | +44 (0)1784 637 048 | Worldwide. With over 40 years of experience in aviation medicine and multilingual staff, we specialize in global repatriations and air ambulance charters. Our services feature complete medical teams and ITU facilities. We offer door-to-door transfers, road ambulances across Europe and medical escorts for airlines under liability-waiver programs, ensuring comprehensive care throughout the journey. |
| Air Land & Sea Repatriation Service | +333 2102 999 | Worldwide. Specially fitted ground and air ambulances with full critical care medical fit. |
| Airmedic International | +44 (0) 333 772 3035 | Worldwide. Leading the way in global medical repatriation utilising commercial flights or through the provision of a full private air ambulance service. We continuously strive for excellence, setting exceptionally high standards in the quality of care and service we provide for all our patients. We are available 24/7 365 days a year. |
| Alliance Ambulance Service | +44 (0)333 577 9993 | Europe. Bariatric, palliative and patient transport; A&E ambulances, care home transfers; infectious disease management; seated and stretcher services, advanced life support, oxygen therapy and bespoke repatriation solutions. |
| Alphamed Scotland | +44 (0)131 460 3555 | Worldwide. Worldwide physician-led medical repatriation and airline medical escort services and medical stretcher capability. Adult, paediatric and neonatal intensive care, high dependency and critical care capability. All specialist equipment and medicines required for the journey. Qualified doctors, nurses and paramedics. Assisting with all injuries and illness including mental health, learning disabilities, trauma, infectious diseases, palliative care, dementia and frailty. |
| Amvale Scotland & Amvale Medical Transport | +800 695 1111 | Europe. ALS Emergency Ambulances crewed by fully qualified and insured paramedics and emergency medical technicians and a BLS service. |
| Avitrius Aviation | +7442 406 891 | The Americas, Europe. Middle East, Africa. Private charter aircraft for medical repatriation, 24/7 customer service, risk reports, pandemic services, emergency response and group evacuation. |
| Beverley Ambulance Service | +7950 000 679 | Worldwide. Bariatric for overweight patients. |
| BM Ambulance Service | +1233 273 999 | Worldwide. Bariatric, dementia, stroke, mental health. |
| Capital Air Ambulance | +117 235 7999 | Worldwide. Full adult, paediatric and neonatal ICU capability, commercial repatriations worldwide with specialist equipment and escorts, UK bed admissions, ground ambulances and designated air ambulance aircraft. |
| Catapult Services Ltd | +113 450 5335 / +20 3384 7876 | Worldwide, excluding war zones. Medical repatriation services offered by a fully governed Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated provider, including critical/intensive care, high dependency, long-distance blue light transfers with qualified clinicians. Paramedic led state-of-the-art advanced life support equipped ambulances, with Schillers for electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, Oxygen, Entonox, suction and the full range of drugs. |
| CLCA AeroMed | +1444 645 056 | Worldwide. UK based specialists in the medical transporting of sick and injured patients. |
| Codeblue Medical | +203 835 8486 | Europe. International road based and escorted commercial air repatriations with bariatric and critical care capabilities. Staffed by paramedics, nurses and doctors. Also available to assist aeromedical organisations with road ambulance provisions from UK and Irish ports and airports. |
| East Anglia Medical Care | +1597 503 903 | Worldwide. Secure mental health transport, worldwide medical repatriation, available 24/7 365 days a year. |
| Echo Fire and Medical Ltd | +330 111 0062 | Worldwide. One of the UK’s largest fleets providing specialist long distance ground repatriation transport across the UK and mainland Europe. HDU/ITU transport, emergency response, critical care transport, paediatric and neonatal transfer, secure mental health transport and international commercial flight escorts. CQC registered and NHS approved. |
| Elite Medical and Ambulance Service Ltd | +1323 846 399 | Worldwide. Pressure-relieving mattress for ground repatriation, full range of medicines, advanced life support and oxygen, 4×4 vehicles. |
| Elroy Airmed Ltd | +117 471 5891 | Worldwide. Consultant doctor-led retrieval, experienced in difficult-to-access areas and able to embed security teams. Transfer of patients aged 3 and over, including ventilated patients on full organ support. ECMO transfers on request with UK consultants. Expertise in higher acuity and complex cases including long-range commercial stretchers and air ambulance. |
| EMS Ambulance Service | +1582 292 826 | Worldwide. Involved in the UK leg of overseas repatriations, ambulances are forward-facing stretchers, fully-equipped advanced life support land ambulance transport across Northern England and Scotland. |
| Flightnurse | +774 050 9195 | Worldwide, excluding war zones. Advanced life support, stretcher cases, portable oxygen concentrators. |
| Gama Aviation | +203 886 2376 | Worldwide. Full intensive care capabilities for all ages, securing NHS beds. Bed-to-bed service. |
| Global Travel Companions | +203 886 2376 | Worldwide. Non-medical repatriation for inpatients or patients discharged from hospital who no longer require medical escort. Assistance with travel logistics, reassurance and supervision. |
| Halo Medical Group | +1256 533 021 | Europe. Ambulance and consultancy services. |
| Hearts First Ambulance Service Ltd | +1923 894 212 | Worldwide. Bariatric/ITU/HDU/paediatric ambulance transfers, NHS and private hospital bed admissions services, medical escort repatriation services on commercial flights, specialising in long-distance road repatriations in bespoke custom-built ambulances. |
| IAS Medical | +800 7999 900 | Worldwide. Fully-equipped ambulances and staff for critical care, intensive care, high dependency, long distance and emergency blue light transfers. |
| Lambda Medical Ltd | +113 450 5335 | Worldwide. High dependency, intensive care, hostile environments, repatriation by land and air, bariatric, patients with complex needs. |
| Lia’s Wings | +330 818 9715 | Worldwide. Charity providing neonatal and paediatric repatriations using specialist staff from NHS intensive care transport teams. Partial or complete charity funding available depending on distance. Family support with direct connection to a UK specialist doctor. |
| Med ResQ | +208 706 0810 | Worldwide. Capability to support all types of commercial and air ambulance patient transfers internationally. Air ambulance missions are completed in intensive care-equipped and specially staffed aircraft. Our commercial medical escort services carry comprehensive, specialist flight medical kits and ALS drugs and equipment. |
| Medical Emergency Services | +1582 292 826 | Worldwide. Operates a fleet of private and NHS-contracted ambulances with access to fully equipped ICU-capable air ambulances. Global deployment, typically within 12 to 24 hours. Fast-tracked admission to London’s leading private hospitals can be arranged, ensuring seamless continuity of care. Efficient transfer of all patient types, including ICU, HDU, trauma, cardio-respiratory, psychiatry, obstetrics and palliative care to NHS and private hospitals or home. |
| Medical Repatriations | +7710 782 789 | Worldwide. Access to most equipment including seated/stretcher repatriation doctor/nurse escorts, oxygen in-flight equipment. |
| ReactAid CIC | +7378 972 907 | Worldwide. 24-hour emergency medical helpline. Customers have access to evacuation services by land, sea, and air (including helicopter). |
| Repatriation Medical Services Ltd | +333 2102 999 | Worldwide. Fully-equipped ambulances and staff for critical care, intensive care, high dependency, long distance and non-emergency and emergency blue light transfers. CQC Registered. Assisting with all injuries and illness including mental health, learning disabilities, trauma, infectious diseases, palliative care, dementia and frailty. |
| Sentinel Ambulance Service Ltd | +1616 414 580 | Europe. Sentinel Ambulance Service provides global medical repatriation, including ground ambulance transport, Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, Critical Care, bariatric and paediatric services. We are CQC registered and NHS approved. |
| SkyCare Repatriations | +203 886 2376 | Worldwide. Air Ambulance medical repatriation. Fixed-wing aircraft based in London with L3-ICU capability, offering worldwide repatriation with a UK medical team. Complete bed-to-bed service. Including UK bed admissions, ground ambulances and designated air ambulance aircraft. |
| Twins Medical Services | +1438 553 072 | Worldwide. Fully-equipped ambulances and staff for critical care, intensive care, high dependency, long distance and emergency blue light transfers. |
| UCS Medical | +113 450 5335 | Worldwide. Bariatric/ITU/HDU/paediatric ambulance transfers, NHS and private hospital bed admissions services, medical escort repatriation services on commercial flights, specialising in paramedic led, long-distance road repatriations in bespoke custom-built ambulances. Mental health secure transfers and other associated mental health services. |
| V Care 24 | +800 695 1111 | Worldwide. Secure mental health transport, worldwide medical repatriation, available 24/7 365 days a year. |
| William Russell Ltd | +1276 486 477 | Worldwide except the USA. Services include a 24-hour emergency medical helpline. Customers have access to evacuation services by land, sea, and air (including helicopter). |
| XL Team – Medical and Health Services | +330 111 0062 | Worldwide. Fully-equipped ambulances and staff for critical care, intensive care, high dependency, long distance and non-emergency and emergency blue light transfers. CQC Registered. Assisting with all injuries and illness including mental health, learning disabilities, trauma, infectious diseases, palliative care, dementia and frailty. |
This directory provides a starting point for investigations and further research. Due to the complexities involved in international medical transport, engaging directly with these providers is strongly recommended to fully understand their capabilities and services.