People being given drones as Christmas gifts are being reminded of the responsibilities that come with owning and using such an item.
The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is urging people to take care when using them, particularly near aircraft including their three emergency helicopters.
Figures from the UK Civic Aviation Authority says that by the end of the decade there could be as many as 76,000 drones operating in the UK.
As well as the safety concerns, the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity said it had also seen a rise in people using drones to film the scene of incidents their medics attend.
Ian Jones, clinical operations director for the charity, said it was important that safety and privacy were respected.
“We are keen for people to enjoy their drones as they can be great fun, but we also want to raise awareness of some of the dangers to our organisation and others.
“A patient requiring the advanced clinical skills that we provide will most likely be experiencing the worst day of their lives – flying a drone that could disrupt our ability to rapidly reach or treat those in critical need can have an adverse effect on their situation.
“As a lifesaving charity, we understand that many will take an interest in our pre-hospital emergency service, but we please ask that those using drones consider our mission first before flying their drone close to an incident.”
Ian Jones, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity