Tag: air ambulance

Scottish Ambulance Service launch Air Ambulance Public Meetings

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) is holding three virtual meetings this month for the public to provide feedback on its Air Ambulance Service prior to its re-procurement.

The meetings will take place via Zoom on 22, 26 and 29 September at 7pm- 8pm and will build on questionnaire feedback from the first phase of the Air Ambulance re-procurement consultation and engagement programme which ran earlier this year.

The Air Ambulance Service, which is funded in its entirety by the Scottish Government, transfers patients living in remote, rural and island communities to and from hospital. It also provides air ambulance support to the ScotSTAR retrieval teams and responds to 999 calls in a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) role.

Currently, the service is delivered through a managed contract of two helicopters; one based in Glasgow and one in Inverness and two fixed wing aircraft; one at Aberdeen Airport and one at Glasgow Airport. In addition to the four government funded aircraft, the service is supplemented by two helicopters provided by Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.

A national multi-disciplinary team of paramedics, nurses, advanced practitioners, and doctors, work together to provide a flexible and responsive service that offers timely, safe and effective care for patients.

Paul Bassett, Chief Operating Officer at the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “These online meetings are a key part of our consultation and engagement work and their output will inform the re-procurement of our Air Ambulance Service prior to its renewal.

“It’s vital we collate as many views as possible, so I’d encourage people to join the meetings and share their opinions with us.”

To register your interest for an online meeting and to receive joining instructions, please contact sas.airamb@nhs.scot with your preferred date.

For those who cannot attend these sessions, please also contact the above email address and a consultation form will be sent to you week commencing 19 September.

Police issue lazer danger warning

Police Scotland has issued a warning to people not to shine LASER lights at aircraft following a number of recent incidents in the Edinburgh area.

In the last six to eight weeks, there have been four incidents reported to police where LASER lights have been shone into aircraft attempting to land in Edinburgh area.

In one incident last month, the pilot of an air ambulance transferring a seriously-ill patient to hospital in Edinburgh had to abandon the landing after a LASER light was shone into the cockpit for 30 seconds.

After trying to land a second time, and being targeted again, the pilot had no option but to divert his helicopter to Edinburgh Airport. Enquiries into this incident are continuing.

Inspector Graeme Rankin, of Police Scotland’s Aviation Safety Unit, said: “This was an incredibly reckless and dangerous act which could have resulted in the injury of a pilot who was trying to fly a helicopter with a sick patient on board.

“Not only is this clearly illegal, with the possibility of a custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine, it is exceptionally dangerous. Pilots can become temporarily blind at the most critical part of the flight while they are taking off and landing an aircraft which could have several hundred people on board.

“The consequences do not bear thinking about and we are determined to stop people from carrying out such obviously dangerous acts.

“We will do everything possible to track down, arrest and bring before the courts anyone who does this, but we are asking for the public’s help. If you see anyone shining a LASER light at an aircraft, you should call 999 immediately and report it to the police.”

Anyone who has any information about these, or any other incidents of a similar nature, is asked to call Police Scotland on 101 or report it anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Where there’s a Will there’s a way for Air Ambulance charity

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) has teamed up with a national law firm to offer a free Will service to its supporters. The charity relies 100% on donations and has been called out over 1,700 times since 2013. Continue reading Where there’s a Will there’s a way for Air Ambulance charity