My Typical Shift by Jayteeto

7.15am or pm Get to work for a half seven start
7.25 Handover from day/night crew

7.30 Do something completely different EVERY day

7.30 Go home tired.

What can be in my 'typical' day?? Some days/nights we fly 6 hours over 10 flights, some days we don't fly at all. Most days involve at least 2 flights. Weather conditions range from a summer scorcher to a winter storm. Some days are no effort whatsoever to fly, others leave me nearly too tired to drive home. Other than flying, the aircraft needs an engine running compressor wash every morning and the pilot carries out a thorough Check A servicing. Time is spent each shift doing a small amount of checklist revision and study to keep knowledgable on aircraft systems. Lunch and tea are eaten at the unit as we have to stay on site 24/7 although meal times are flexible +/- 3 hours. We have a simple IF simulator to practice instrument flying. If I can, I always like to eat a doughnut at least once on a shift, if not a chocolate hobnob will suffice. We have a comfy restroom, with Sky TV that everyone chips in to pay for at commercial rates and usually try to watch a bit of TV during meal times. I often read the paper and do the telegraph sudoku, browse the internet, call my kids on my mobile, god forbid I got caught but I have even washed my car in the past.

You know what though?? Only one thing matters............ If we get a job, we drop everything and get airborne in 2 or 3 minutes and get on to the task. Forget trying to justify what to do with spare time, do the task that you need to do. Police helis........ Police jobs, Ambo helis....... Ambo Jobs, Sar buoys....... W******s!!, No No! I mean search for people and rescue them!! (sorry, old habit). Jack of all trades/master of none.
Forgot to add..... If the local authority is happy to use you as something else taking you off line for the main task, no problem, as long as no-one complains if you don't turn up for a grade 1 job.

There is a report, currently only in draft form, called "Framework for a High Performing Air Ambulance Service", which is bringing together the thoughts of the charities, Department of Health and NHS Ambulance Trusts. It is due to be published this summer and will hopefully bring about an end to the sometimes divisive and uncoordinated world of UK air ambulances, since we are all now, at last, agreed on the best way forward.
It will certainly revolutionise HEMS in England and Wales.

There are many interesting elements in the report, that deals with governance, crewing, tasking and interestingly for this thread, collaborations with Police and SAR, which are encouraged. The Wiltshire model has just had a welcome reprieve and Sussex Police have just entered an enhanced collaboration with their local air ambulance charity. It's all very encouraging.

Coupled with an already published report from NICEPOD called "Trauma, who cares" it will give the whole healthcare industry a bit of long awaited direction. There is nothing to fear in the report, I just look forward to it being published so that we can all get on with it.

"since we are all now, at last, agreed on the best way forward"

That sounds interesting, What would this way forward be, then?

Thanks Jayteeto - the hanging about is a killer :)

Just to avoid any misunderstanding. The Wiltshire joint Police/Air Ambulance has only been repreived for 2 years. After that the funding is likely to be switched to a dedicated air ambulance carrying enhanced equipment. Quite where that will leave the Police machine is still not decided. Wiltshire is a small force ( numerically as apposed to geographically) and will probably not survive on its own without a partner. They may well join into a consortium of other SW forces.

That this is being forced upon them, is in itself a great shame, for the Wiltshire Unit is one of our earliest and has provided a great service to the people of Wiltshire. I really do hope that somehow it will survive.

But it underlines the problem and the weakness of joint units. They simply cannot carry enough role equipment to do both jobs as efficiently as the dedicated machines can. The answer must be to retain the specialised machines but make significant savings on the supporting (none crew & none flying ) infrastructure. i.e joint operating criteria (AOC or State), maintenance contracts, bulk purchase of fuel, buildings and support staff etc etc.

In this litigenous society it may well become too dangerous to consider any form of medical conveyance in a machine that is not fitted to the highest standard. However in this field I am well outside my comfort zone & will expect to be corrected.

Tigerfish

Tigerfish
You're wrong. They do. http://i.1asphost.com/whoateallthepies/pie.jpg

Who do you believe........
 

Mr Newton (as in the laws of physics) or Mr Pie-man????

G

:ugh::ugh:

Pieman,

If you are correct, why out of 27 units are only two so engaged, and why are both having to struggle so hard?

Please do not get me wrong. I want to see both of the units survive, they were both early exponeants of the art and have an excellent history. But the world has moved on and the dedicated units offer so much more. Surely the future lies in combined units offering well equipped dedicated machines, providing an excellent service to the ratepayer.

There can be no compromise on service delivery. It must always be the best available. What we need to resolve is the most efficient method of delivering that service. And that does not provide an excuse for cost cutting!

Tigerfish:=

Tigerfish,

As you are a 'police aviation expert' I am somewhat surprised' by your comment:

"....the world has moved on and the dedicated units offer so much more."

Would you be kind enough to elaborate as to what the "..so much more.." is that the good tax payers of Sussex and Wiltshire are so obviously missing out on from their dedicated police air operations units?

Additionally:

"There can be no compromise on service delivery."

I wholeheartedly agree and would suggest that is currently the case.

"It must always be the best available."

I wholeheartedly agree and would suggest that is currently the case.

"What we need to resolve is the most efficient method of delivering that service."

I wholeheartedly agree and would suggest that is currently the case.

And that does not provide an excuse for cost cutting!

Have a word with Ms Smith at the Home Office about 'cost cutting'

:rolleyes:

tigerfish and Cornish pasty man (Mmmm!)
Read my posts. Police/Air Ambulance wouldn't work in all areas (as I have already said!!). It does work beautifully in Sussex and Wiltshire and they could be a model for other, more rural, areas.

tbc is more up-to date than I am and you have seen his reply. Try to buck up. (That's buck up!) http://i.1asphost.com/whoateallthepies/pie.jpg

My comment " The world has moved on" was really my impression of the current equipment state of the newer Air Ambulances. They certainly appear to be much more capable than the dual role machines.
Even the latest Police machines seem to be carrying more & more specialised equipment. Weight is becoming an issue to both.

But do not misunderstand me. I am fully in support of both of our existing dual role machines. They are an ideal compromise in the settings that they operate in. It is entirely probable that neither area would be able to support a Police machine on their own so the addition of the ambulance role is highly suited.

My point was that in most of the other areas it is already too late to go down that road. The Police machines are already fully occupied and the growth of dedicated air ambulances has been phenominal. Combining in those cases is unlikely. But I still believe that there are savings to be made in the supporting infrastructure.

What we have here in the UK is really very good. Both from the Police and Aero medical side. All we are talking about is the fine detail in how to make it even better.

Talk is easy but I doubt that those who will make the decisions will even care about what we think.

Tigerfish.

Tigerfish

Have you ever thought of a career in politics!!

TBC,

Sometimes, but its too boring!

Tigerfish

I am very close with pilot that flies in Wiltshire, and there has never been any problems with which takes priority. In the case of this drugs operation mention above, thepolice would in this case that priority. Occassions like that happen very very realy. It works very well, it should be the model for the rest of the country.

KK
 

With all due respect I pray nobody pays any attention to that suggestion. The air ambulance, if used effectively, can contribute to the overall efficiency of the Ambulance Service sometimes by dealing with calls that may not be life threatening but by keeping the maximum number of resources on the table and available for that callout that will save a life.

This type of cooperative venture may be better than nothing but it really does have to be seen as a stepping stone to a single-role-single-resource system.

Is anybody seriously suggesting that the many many pre-planned and well coordinated ops required by the cops should be sacrificed for the sake of well meaning but ill-informed folk who may never have experienced the job done properly.

I've done both jobs more than once and I hope to hell my word has a touch more credibility than a guy 'that knows a pilot'.

G

KK, is English your first language? Without being too spelling-police-ish, your post doesn't make sense.

I just cannot see the Charities that support the AA being too keen to continue supporting a Police helo that should be Govt funded. Dual role works in some areas but not in all, IMHO not the way ahead.