Wilts Air Ambulance

[Cpt_Pugwash]

Apologies if this is old news for this forum, but it seems the new Great Western Ambulance Trust have plans for the joint PAS operation in Wiltshire...

Press reports at thisiswiltshire (http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1108798.0.air_ambulance_split_confirmed.php) and gazetteandherald (http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1072866.0.air_ambulance_under_threat.php?act=log in)

Such a shame after all the effort put into making this such a successful operation.:(

[Helinut]

There seems to be a similar decision going on in Sussex too. The sensible and efficient use of a joint POLICE/HEMS helicopter in a small area is going to be replaced by a separate HEMS that will cover Sussex and Surrey. It must be more expensive to run separate operations. Then you have the current inability of standalone HEMS to do night HEMS (in practice). I am not directly involved myself, but the bush telegraph says that the Ambulance people want to go back to using the police hele for night time!

I am afraid it is all about empire-building and people wanting their own toys. Particularly true when the Ambulance NHS Trusts involved don't actually pay for the helicopter, but get a charitable trust set up and get the public to pay for it.

[Bearintheair]

Just "putting a paramedic on board at night" is not as easy as it appears to the charity.

On a joint role aircraft the paramedics are trained in general operations to a much higher level than the normal air ambulance paramedic. They are the second observer for the police tasking that occupies most of the aircraft's flight time. Not all air ambulance paramedics have the ability to be observers, just as not all police officers have that ability. In order to achieve this a small team of paramedics supply the crews as opposed to the much larger pool of paramedics used on some air ambulances.

In order to carry a paramedic at night there are two options:

1. They could replace the second police observer but, with working only night shifts, continuity of training and observer skills would be difficult to achieve. The small team required to maintain the skills would be on permanent nights !

2. A standard air ambulance paramedic could be carried in addition to the normal crew but this would cause all sorts of payload and operational problems, particularly once the patient is on board as well.
Food for thought !!!!

[DennisK]

Lots going on in the Air Ambulance field just now.

See April 'Loop' for a report on one of the leading operators and area changes coming up in the UK.

Sussex/Surrey have a new 900 series MD coming. Dunsfold base.

DRK

[206 jock]

Indeed! I'm intimately involved in the campaign to get an air Ambulance to cover Hertfordshire, in conjunction with the Essex AA trust.

The Government's move towards Super A&E's in a couple of years will give the Air Ambulance service an even more pivotal role in seriously injured patient care - funny for a service that is funded entirely by charitable donation!

Still, it wouldn't be the first time that these bunch of clowns we call a government have claimed credit for something that's naff all to do with them.

[heli1]

There was also a piece in Helidata a few weeks back quoting the PR lady for the Bristol NHS Trust as calling the Wilts fund raisers "a bunch of wingers".,Seems the Trust wants to take the money raised in Wilts to fund their own aspirations in Bristol,which is not going down too well with the locals.
The Evening post in Bristol also ran a couple of pieces,including one suggesting it was time NHS started funding the service themselves instead of relying on charity and then dictating the terms.

[jackjack08]

Air Ambulance .....
Lots going on in the Air Ambulance field just now.

See April 'Loop' for a report on one of the leading operators and area changes coming up in the UK.




I'm interested in the report you refer to but where can i find it ?

Thanks

[Bravo73]

See April 'Loop' for a report on one of the leading operators and area changes coming up in the UK.

I'm interested in the report you refer to but where can i find it ?

jackjack08,

You'll be able to read it in Loop magazine in, er, April. Check your calendar but we're only just in March! :p ;)


Here's a link to the web version (http://www.loop.aero/) if you're not in the UK.

[DennisK]

Hallo Jack-Jack,

Send me a pm and I'll let you have the details in advance of the April Loop article.

Dennis K

[nodrama]

There are rumours of possible changes down in Devon also. Anyone heard of a possible merger between Devon and Cornwall police and Devon Air Ambulance?