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.

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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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