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Blog

29 November 2021

What do I do after a skiing injury abroad?

As winter approaches and more people head to the slopes, skiing injuries are unfortunately all too common, and can cause a great deal of stress and worry. If you, or someone you care about, has been affected by a skiing accident, we are here to help with our range of bespoke air ambulance services.

We know that this can be a confusing time, and you might be wondering what to do next, so we have put together a step-by-step guide to what to do if you are affected by a skiing accident.

1. Organise immediate medical attention

When there’s been a skiing accident abroad, your first thoughts will probably be about how to get to a hospital back home, but in the meantime you will need to organise medical attention abroad.

Making arrangements could be more challenging in snowy, mountainous locations, but well-established ski resorts will have procedures in place to handle accidents of this kind. If you are a European citizen and were skiing in Europe, you will be able to access state-provided healthcare if you can provide a valid European Health Insurance Card.

2. Report the accident

Following a skiing accident, you should ensure that any relevant parties are fully informed – for example, the ski resort operators and the hotel which the patient was staying at. Reporting the accident and its cause is particularly important for a skiing accident, as you can help to ensure that any dangers are investigated to prevent future accidents for other people.

3. Contact insurance providers and IAS Medical

To determine your next steps, you will need to contact the patient’s insurance company as soon as possible. At this point, we also recommend that you get in touch with us, so you can make sure you’ve got arrangements in place if the insurers let you down.

Unfortunately, insurance companies will often choose the most cost-effective option for patient care, which could see repatriation delayed significantly. To cut corners, your insurers might organise a flight on a commercial airline rather than a specialist air ambulance, which might not be the best option for the patient.

By getting in touch with us from the outset, you can ensure that arrangements for an air ambulance can be made quickly if you do decide to take this option.

4. Arrange medical repatriation

In the case of a serious accident, you may need to organise specialist medical repatriation to transport the patient to a hospital at home. At IAS Medical, we provide a comprehensive service whereby patients receive expert medical care throughout their journey, from their hospital bed abroad to a hospital in their destination country.

We have years of experience of providing repatriation from ski destinations such as Austria, France and Italy. The cost of an air ambulance will depend on a wide range of factors, including your location. Example prices are as follows:

If you need to organise medical repatriation for yourself or someone else after a skiing injury, please phone us on 0800 7999 900 and our team will help and support you through the process.

We understand how difficult this situation can be, and we will work quickly to find the best resolution for the patient. You will receive a quote for your service, determined by the circumstances of the injury and the patient. We are ready to take your call and answer any questions you may have 24 hours a day, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

How is this calculated?

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Overview

If you need to arrange medical transport, the last thing you should be worrying about is money, so here at IAS Medical we offer all-inclusive prices to help you understand exactly what to expect. The cost of an air ambulance will depend on your individual circumstances, with prices depending on the following factors:

  • The patient’s location and the distance they need to travel
  • The type of aircraft needed
  • The number of medical staff required
  • The airport landing fees
  • The journey required by ground ambulance

The cost of medical crew

The overall cost of booking an air ambulance depends on various factors, including the number of medical staff required and the expertise needed to support the patient’s medical needs.

As an indication of how this affects the overall cost of an air ambulance, the cost of recruiting medical experts is as follows:

  • Flight Surgeons: £700 per day
  • Doctors: £700 per day
  • Nurses: £350 per day
  • Paramedics: £350 per day

The cost of our aircraft

Prices will depend on the type of aircraft you need to book, according to the clinical needs of the patient, the size of aircraft required and the equipment needed on board. Prices will also vary depending on how many people would like to accompany the patient on their journey, although this may not be possible depending on the patient’s medical condition.

For non-serious cases, there is often a choice of aircraft, in which case we will use the most cost-effective aircraft available.

The cost of airport landing fees

All airports charge landing and aircraft handling fees, which will impact on the overall cost of your medical transport. There may also be extension fees to keep the airport open, as well as aircraft de-icing fees.

We provide air ambulances from major airports right across the world, so we can get as close as possible to the patient’s hospital ward. We then use an RAF airport for flights into London, which helps to keep air ambulance costs as manageable as possible.

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