The Wales Air Ambulance has set a target of a separate helicopter to be based in North Wales as a dedicated service. With the North Wales Police currently providing this service with a paramedic on board this helicopter would this be a step forward or backward???
North Wales is only one of three areas which offer a join Police and Air Ambulance service and I was wondering about the benefits and problems that this can cause.
The following is the story borrowed from
icWales
With the way it is presented I would have thought it would be better to concentrate on gaining the funds to continue to provide the Swansea aircraft for 7 days a week and leave the North Wales area with the Police........
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Air ambulance looks for help in raising enough cash to run two helicopters Jul 22 2002
Joanne Atkinson, The Western Mail
THE Wales Air Ambulance service has set a new target - to fund two helicopters to save lives across Wales.
But unless a business sponsor is found to replace the Automobile Association, who pulled out earlier this year, the service could be grounded altogether.
The vital service, which currently runs one helicopter out of Swansea Airport, received a £70,000 one-off payment in February to fund the paramedics' salaries, but relies on public donations to keep flying.
The first fund-raising target of £600,000 was met recently to allow the air ambulance to increase their flying days from five to seven days a week from July 1, and the next aim of the service is to fund a second helicopter in North Wales.
Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust spokesperson Alison Watkins said, "It costs £750,000 a year to run an air ambulance, so we have set a new target of £1.5m to enable us to set up a North Wales base in Rhuddlan in addition to our Swansea operation.
"At present a paramedic is present on the North Wales police helicopter, but an air ambulance would offer a dedicated service in that area."
But she stressed that the air ambulance service needed extra help to keep flying at all.
"The targets are high, and we are desperately looking for new business sponsors," she said.
"We are hopeful that the public will keep supporting us to allow us to maintain the seven-day level of service, especially over the summer months."
The cash from the National Assembly will fund the crews' salaries until April 2003. In Scotland, £5m a year is provided by the Scottish government to fund its five air ambulances, but in England the services are funded via public donations.
"The air ambulance has completed 560 missions since its launch on March 1, 2001," said Ms Watkins.
"The air ambulance is crucial in getting to patients quickly in the first "golden hour" after injury, especially during the summer months when the roads are so busy."