Thanks from VS44
Join Date: Oct 1999
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I wish more pilots with potentially serious problems would declare a PAN as soon as possible.
It enables us to get extra bodies in place, especially at ScACC where we sometimes single-man the sectors.
If it is resolved, the emergency can be cancelled, but if it gets worse then we are all prepared.
Just my personal opinion.
It enables us to get extra bodies in place, especially at ScACC where we sometimes single-man the sectors.
If it is resolved, the emergency can be cancelled, but if it gets worse then we are all prepared.
Just my personal opinion.
Join Date: Sep 2006
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How can anyone (medically trained or not), advise that it is preferable to continue on at 30 odd thousand feet to an airport hundreds of miles away rather than a nearby diversion with nearby hospitals etc..
Join Date: May 2000
Location: London
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Unfortunatly at Heathrow to get an Ambulance to meet the aircraft you have to declare a medical emergency.
There are many situations that are not life threatening but where Medlink or whoever an Airline use advise that an Ambulance should meet the aircraft.
This means that a flight has to declare a PAN where it is not really needed just to get the Ambulance. It is a stupid situation but I guess as usual with most things it is down to money as the Amulances come from places like Hillingdon Hospital and are not based on the airport so they need a medical emergency to be declared so they come.
There should really be some other way of getting an ambulance for non urgent situations at Heathrow without having to declare a medical emergency with ATC.
There are many situations that are not life threatening but where Medlink or whoever an Airline use advise that an Ambulance should meet the aircraft.
This means that a flight has to declare a PAN where it is not really needed just to get the Ambulance. It is a stupid situation but I guess as usual with most things it is down to money as the Amulances come from places like Hillingdon Hospital and are not based on the airport so they need a medical emergency to be declared so they come.
There should really be some other way of getting an ambulance for non urgent situations at Heathrow without having to declare a medical emergency with ATC.
Join Date: Jan 2001
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747-436,
As someone who is on the other end of "company",
That isn't technically correct. There is an ambulance based at LHR, medic 5 however there is only 1 and if that is already on a call then an external ambulance will be dispatched. The ambulance service will also prioritise the calls too based on the info we have given them. Also it is not uncommon for the nearest ambulance that is free to have to come from Hammersmith !!!, so barking at the poor Dispatcher/on Company when you arrive and the ambulance isn't there, it isn't actually the dispatcher's (or company's) fault.
A call to company or an acars message to request an ambulance is enough to get one arranged for you without having to go through ATC. The nuciance at LHR however is that it is an all or nothing situaton, you get the all singing all dancing Ambulance respose or nowt. However there are now a few paramedics on bikes that can come out to asses the situation before wasting the time of the ambulance if they happen to be in the right terminal at the right time.
For info, the details we are required to pass onto the Ambulance service are :-
Details of problem
Any medication taken
Is person concious and breathing
Aprroximate age
Sex
Also an updated eta if you have declared a pan and are coming direct.
Also for our info on company, we require pax name (seat number too but they may have moved seats so full name is preferable) and nationality as if your international, we have to tell Customs and Immigration. Also if it a disease or food poisoning we may have to advise Port Health too.
At my lot, we have a check-list of about 20 differant people we need to advise, from the ambulance service to loaders, to duty managers, to engineering to make sure everyone gives that flight priority with their staff allocations. If even the bloke who puts the chocks in is late, it can mean a delay getting the paramedics onboard asap.
It is frustrating from our point of view when we are requested to call an ambulance for things like sprained ankles when there is little the ambulance service can do anyway, and you know it is wasting their time. Sign of the cover one's posterior times we live in though I guess !!.
Hope that helped give an idea of what goes on at the other end of the radio after you make that call.
As someone who is on the other end of "company",
That isn't technically correct. There is an ambulance based at LHR, medic 5 however there is only 1 and if that is already on a call then an external ambulance will be dispatched. The ambulance service will also prioritise the calls too based on the info we have given them. Also it is not uncommon for the nearest ambulance that is free to have to come from Hammersmith !!!, so barking at the poor Dispatcher/on Company when you arrive and the ambulance isn't there, it isn't actually the dispatcher's (or company's) fault.
A call to company or an acars message to request an ambulance is enough to get one arranged for you without having to go through ATC. The nuciance at LHR however is that it is an all or nothing situaton, you get the all singing all dancing Ambulance respose or nowt. However there are now a few paramedics on bikes that can come out to asses the situation before wasting the time of the ambulance if they happen to be in the right terminal at the right time.
For info, the details we are required to pass onto the Ambulance service are :-
Details of problem
Any medication taken
Is person concious and breathing
Aprroximate age
Sex
Also an updated eta if you have declared a pan and are coming direct.
Also for our info on company, we require pax name (seat number too but they may have moved seats so full name is preferable) and nationality as if your international, we have to tell Customs and Immigration. Also if it a disease or food poisoning we may have to advise Port Health too.
At my lot, we have a check-list of about 20 differant people we need to advise, from the ambulance service to loaders, to duty managers, to engineering to make sure everyone gives that flight priority with their staff allocations. If even the bloke who puts the chocks in is late, it can mean a delay getting the paramedics onboard asap.
It is frustrating from our point of view when we are requested to call an ambulance for things like sprained ankles when there is little the ambulance service can do anyway, and you know it is wasting their time. Sign of the cover one's posterior times we live in though I guess !!.
Hope that helped give an idea of what goes on at the other end of the radio after you make that call.
Begbie, There could be 101 reasons to continue the flight. There are varying levels of injury/illness which are best decided by qualified medical personnel. The recent BA2166 Tampa to Gatwick is a good example. several cabin crew injured, thankfully not life threatening. Surely it was best to make them comfortable and continue the flight to get them home, at all times under the guidance of suitably qualified personnel? http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...n+crew+injured
