The cost and effectiveness of the London Helicopter Emergency Medical Service

The US Department of Transport concluded that the use of the helicopter as an emergency ambulance could provide only limited benefits and was likely to be too costly (US Department of Transportation 1972). However, the diffusion of this technology has taken place with little conclusive evidence concerning its effectiveness and costeffectiveness (Nicholl et al. 1994a, 1995; Snooks et al. 1996).