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Old 5th Feb 2010, 14:07
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Helinut
 
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Almost like the headline was designed to confuse.

The London helicopter that is part of the London HEMS is NOT going 24 hours. It remains day only. However, for some time the same "HEMS" organisation has provided a car rapid response service for London. This uses the same emergency doctors and paramedics that normally work in the helicopter (when it is working). Indeed, there is a small part of central London in which the London HEMS will always respond by car. That is because there are no suitable landing sites and/or the area is so close to the Royal London Hospital (where the hele is based when on-shift) that a car will usually be quicker.

All that has happened is that this fast response car service is now to operate 24/7. Given the horrible things that happen after dark in London that sounds like very good news.

The other part of the story (if I understand it correctly) is that henceforth the paramedics will be paid for by LAS. This implies that previously the HEMS charity paid for them. If that is true then it will come as a welcome reduction in costs for a charity that is short of a few pennies. The UK NHS did declare some while ago that it would provide paramedics for all HEMS for free - perhaps this is just fulfilling that commitment for London.

I believe if you look at the charity website there is oblique reference to some funding of the London HEMS by the NHS. I have been told that the "London NHS" has been persuaded to provide some funds for the London HEMS, on the grounds that the London HEMS saves the London NHS money. This is because the initial care provided by the London HEMS improves outcomes and shortens the average stay in hospital. As far as I know, this is the only HEMS in England and Wales which benefits in this way. The whole thing is driven by the emergency trauma "centre of excellence" that is the Royal London.

Those in contact with UK news may have seen that there has been recent adverse comment about the emergency trauma setup in the UK and its poor performance. There is a move afoot to drop local A&Es (as recipients of serious trauma) and go to specialist regional trauma centres. The Royal London system works well in London: it may be more difficult to make it work so well in other parts of the UK. How HEMS fit into this is interesting: it would seem to be a natural part of such a setup, rather than an afterthought. It might also call for regular inter-hospital transfer and night time use of heles (not in the HEMS role).

Last edited by Helinut; 5th Feb 2010 at 14:22. Reason: Add comment about part NHS funding
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