Virtual reality takes air ambulance training to the next level

The charity has been using virtual reality headsets to train crew since 2022, with courses focusing on aircraft emergencies. Thanks to generous funding from the Peter Sowerby Foundation, crew can now also practice complex surgical procedures in an immersive environment.

The latest virtual reality lessons replicate three procedures described as ‘high acuity, low occurrence’ - or HALO. Firstly intubation, when a tube is placed into the trachea to maintain an open airway, as well as thoracostomy, a surgical hole in the chest wall that allows air or blood to drain, and thoracotomy. Thoracotomies are one of the most major surgical interventions Thames Valley Air Ambulance crews carry out and involve making an incision in the chest wall to gain access to the lungs and heart. These three interventions all need to be executed correctly on the first attempt, under pressure.

Thames Valley Air Ambulance is is among the first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service to use virtual reality in this way and the charity is working on ways to share this training with the wider sector.

Mark Hodkinson, Consultant Paramedic at Thames Valley Air Ambulance, said: “These new virtual reality lessons will form part of our training toolkit, alongside other scenario-based learning involving manikins, bystanders, and real world-style distractions and complications. They’ll form part of a blended approach to learning. With virtual reality, plus theory, alongside practice, we’ll be offering our critical care paramedics and doctors the full suite of training.

“Nothing can ever fully replicate that moment a scalpel is in your hand at the scene of an emergency and a person’s life depends on the accuracy of your actions. But, with these new immersive lessons added to the range of other realistic training we offer, our crew will be as prepared as it’s possible to be.”

To read more about Thames Valley Air Ambulances’ use of virtual reality, visit www.tvairambulance.org.uk/virtual-reality

To find out more about how you can support your local air ambulance charity, visit www.tvairambulance.org.uk/support-us