03.02.2015
Existing sites are to be improved, with additional sites already being identified to support a new flying doctors’ service that will begin in April.
£180,000 will be spent to expand the number of sites able to accommodate 24-hour landings. At present, only three sites can support night landings – two in north Wales and one in Swansea.
Plans are in place to bring the number of 24-hour landing sites up to 10, with further areas being surveyed to act as road vehicle rendezvous points.
The landing sites will rely on hospital response teams and rural volunteers to deploy temporary landing equipment when alerted to an approaching aircraft.
The new service, called the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service Cymru (EMRTS Cymru), will provide access to doctor-led care within 30 minutes for 95% of the population of Wales.
Speaking after the scheme was announced, Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said that EMRTS Cymru will "transform our ability to provide the very best care to the most critically-ill patients in Wales".
More Sites For Wales Air Ambulance Developed To Expand Service Availability
Wales Air Ambulance is to begin expanding its service at new and existing landing sites to provide 24-hour coverage, it was revealed today.Existing sites are to be improved, with additional sites already being identified to support a new flying doctors’ service that will begin in April.
£180,000 will be spent to expand the number of sites able to accommodate 24-hour landings. At present, only three sites can support night landings – two in north Wales and one in Swansea.
Plans are in place to bring the number of 24-hour landing sites up to 10, with further areas being surveyed to act as road vehicle rendezvous points.
The landing sites will rely on hospital response teams and rural volunteers to deploy temporary landing equipment when alerted to an approaching aircraft.
The new service, called the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service Cymru (EMRTS Cymru), will provide access to doctor-led care within 30 minutes for 95% of the population of Wales.
Speaking after the scheme was announced, Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said that EMRTS Cymru will "transform our ability to provide the very best care to the most critically-ill patients in Wales".
Expert Opinion
The expansion and improvement of Wales’ air ambulance service is extremely welcome news, as the emergency service provides a vital service for those seriously injured in Wales and the surrounding areas. Having worked with many seriously injured clients we understand how important the work of air ambulances services is, as the crucial expertise they provide for the patient during the vital first few minutes after trauma, can make a huge difference to the outcome. <br/> <br/>“The additional landing sites and improvements to the current bases will lead to improvements in the access to crucial trauma care for those involved in accidents and hopefully ensure more people reach hospital as soon as possible, where additional care can be provided.”
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