I would like to clarify some points in the useful review of retrieval medicine provided by Shirley and Hearns.¹ Their opening sentence cites an article regarding the provision of prehospital critical care and retrieval services.² In that article, Dr Bevan and I argued that “immediate care” (previously defined as the provision of skilled medical help at the scene of an accident or medical emergency and during transportation to hospital) should be regulated in the same way as any other specialist undertaking within the National Health Service. We expressed concern that there was no system, training stream or workforce in place across the UK to ensure that the prehospital and in-transit critical care needs of patients are met in a consistent or organised manner. …