Who is a medical escort for?
A medical escort suits a patient who can sit upright in an airline seat for the length of the flight but should not travel alone. That might be someone recovering from surgery or a fracture, a patient whose heart or breathing problem is now stable, an older person who has become confused in hospital, or someone who needs medication or oxygen during the trip. Many families choose an escort because the patient is too unwell to manage airports, transits and a long flight on their own.
Nurse or doctor: which does the patient need?
Most stable patients travel with a registered nurse or flight nurse. A doctor is recommended when decisions may need to be made in the air, for example after a recent heart attack, or when the patient's condition is less predictable. Our medical team decides from the reports and a conversation with the treating doctor.
What does the escort do on the day?
The escort collects the patient from the ward, checks they are fit to travel and takes charge of medications and documents. They arrange wheelchairs and priority boarding, help with eating, toileting and moving around, monitor the patient in flight and manage any problem that comes up. At the destination they hand over to family, a GP or a receiving hospital, with a written summary of the journey.
How is a medical escort arranged?
We need the medical report, the patient's passport details and the dates they could be discharged. The airline's medical clearance form, often called a MEDIF, is completed with the treating doctor. We book the seats, often with extra space so the patient can rest, and arrange in-flight oxygen if it is needed. Ground transport to the departure airport and from the arrival airport is included when the patient needs it.
Can the patient take oxygen or a wheelchair?
In most cases, yes. Airlines allow approved portable oxygen concentrators, and some can supply oxygen on board with notice. Wheelchairs travel as checked baggage, and the airport provides an aisle chair to reach the seat. Medications go in the escort's hand luggage with a doctor's letter, so they are on hand during the flight and can be shown at security. We confirm each item with the airline before the day, because the rules differ between carriers.
Is an escort cheaper than an air ambulance?
Usually by a wide margin, because the patient travels on a scheduled flight. We only recommend it when it is clinically safe. If the reports show the patient needs to lie flat, or needs more care than an airline cabin allows, we will suggest a stretcher or an air ambulance instead and explain why.