Sad day for Scottish HEMS
 

Sadly today after more than 30 years of uninterrupted service the contract between the Scottish Ambulance Service and Bond (now Babcock) will finish. Helimed 2 was the first Scottish HEMS aircraft based in Dundee for a 6 month trial in 1989. It was joined by Helimed 5 on a full contract in 1993 and led the way in UK HEMS operations providing 24/7 cover.

The paramedics have been the backbone of the service all those years. Their professionalism and skill is humbling to watch and many many lives have been saved by them. However, the skills and contributions by the Bond pilots, engineers and admin staff over the years should not be underestimated and there is no doubt that their efforts too have contributed to saving lives.

Unfortunately over the years Bond were burdened by, with only a few exceptions, incompetent Ambulance Service management and in the latter years an underhand and unscrupulous contract partner and for those reasons, I expect few to acknowledged todays events. Its a sad testament that none of the current Helimed pilots with decades of experience between them operating 24/7 in Scotland have taken the opportunity to join the new contract, having worked alongside that contract partner for several years.

To the new very inexperienced team starting tomorrow I wish you only safe flying and give you one piece of advice. New ideas and innovation are always good but don't try to reinvent the wheel and above all listen to those paramedics. They have been there, seen it and done it and many have been doing for many years. Listen and learn from them.

In my 10 years there I was proud of the small part I played. It provided the most challenging but without doubt the most rewarding flying of my career which had previously included 16 years in the military.

It was all summed up to me on one job. At a major RTC in a remote location, in the aftermath, one of the road crew paramedics said to me. "I always breath a sigh of relief when I hear you guys overhead, I know then its going to be OK"

Very proud to have been part of the mechanism that delivered those paramedics to where they were needed most and helped get the sick and injured to hospital.

Babcock (Bond) continue to provide the 2 charity helicopters in Scotland Helimed 76 and Helimed 79 and I hope to see them back with the Scottish Ambulance service in a few years
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So is this the official start of the Air Ambulance air ops by Gama ? Thought their new G-GSAS and G-ISAS had been operating for a while or were these training flights ? Also assume that G-SASN and G-SASS will depart back to Staverton ?

GAMA take over the helicopter part of the service as part of a contract extension on Monday morning. All previous flights by their helicopters have been training

As you say a sad day for all those involved in providing 30 years of wonderful service. I have been a regular visitor at the old Glasgow heliport and have photos of all of the helicopters used throughout the years. Including a very rare one when they used a Dauphin G-BLEZ, often wondered what happend that they used that ?

Thank you jivusajob for that summary and those wonderful pictures that tell their own amazing story.

People in several corners of the industry have talked recently about whether Babcock want it enough and whether they'd rather be building boats. I wonder how much that is part of this story.

I don't think that's the story at all. The Scottish Ambulance Service contracts with GAMA. GAMA sub-contracted Babcock to do the helicopter bit in the past. GAMA have now decided not to renew that sub-contract and have chosen to do it themselves by moving from their fixed wing background into the helicopter world. Babcock weren't actually bidding on the contract in the traditional sense.

Not entirely accurate either gipsymagpie. The contract was coming to an end. Like most contracts there was an extension cause. I believe GAMA without consulting Babcock offered SAS the extension under terms that were untenable for Babcock. When this became apparent GAMA offered to run the extension themselves. A bloodless coup if you will, but an underhand way of taking over the contract. The extension is only for a few years. The reprocurement process will begin soon for a new full contract. It will be interesting to see if Babcock bid on that to consolidate their position with the current two Scottish charity HEMS aircraft and of course their continued involvement in English and Welsh AAs

I'd be shocked if they didn't, along with UK SAR, despite what "people in several corners of the industry" might think. :rolleyes: := :ugh:

Babcock appear to be concentrating on the lucrative defence contracts.

https://www.mtdmfg.com/news/babcock-...act-extension/

What a very, very strange post! You do understand how an international and multi-faceted company works don't you?

Are you implying that because the Marine section of the business has won some work that the Aviation sector simply won't bother or have the capacity to bid for future work ? :ugh:

What VL said!!!

That's a bit like saying that because Airbus won a contract to supply A320s to someone's Air force they won't be interested in bidding for a contract to provide helicopters for an offshore operator.

Get real!

I'm sure that the team at Staverton have recovered from the time and effort that they expended on the Submarine contract and are ready and able to follow up on other things! :ugh:

OH

I flew the Dundee AA in 1989 to complete my line training with Phil Green before going home to Cornwall to fly on that contract...
A great team of Bond pioneers in both operations, proud to have served...