The Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS), provides patients with life threatening conditions in remote and rural areas of Scotland, with rapid access to the skills of a consultant in emergency or intensive care medicine.  The consultants are ready to respond to requests for help, by helicopter or plane, within minutes.

In August 2011 the team retrieved their 1000th critically ill patient.  During this mission two ventilated patients from separate incidents were retrieved from Orkney by fixed wing aircraft to intensive care in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

On 10th November 2011 EMRS won the 'Technology for Healthy Outcomes' award for the innovative iPhone app developed by Dr. Dave McKean. The app allows the EMRS team access to logistic information whilst involved in the retrieval of critically ill patients from remote and rural areas of Scotland.