Watch: Saving lives with the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance

A seriously injured patient is transported to hospital by air after a car hits a tree.

It was one of 2,400 missions flown by Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance in the past year, and the service says demand is continuing to rise.

BBC correspondent Jen Smith was invited to spend time with the crew and was onboard as a patient was given a blood transfusion while on route from Wimborne in Dorset to hospital in Southampton.

The patient is making a good recovery.

Charles Hackett, CEO of the service, said: "You have to have a helicopter to get this team to the right place at the right time with the right kit and the next stage is to get that patient, not to a hospital, but to the right hospital."

The charity service, which is in its 23rd year, is looking to expand to provide 24-hour cover.

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