Air Ambulance appeal for help to keep flying

The lifesaving service responded to calls for help 223 times in this area since it was founded three years ago (it has been called out on 1,881 occasions provincewide, an average of twice a day).

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, Air Ambulance NI has continued to be busy responding to trauma incidents and delivering critical pre-hospital care seven days a week.

Thanking the public for their support the service provided an update of some of recent developments

Paramedic Glenn O’Rorke, Operational Lead for HEMS said, “Despite a tough year, the service has continued to grow achieving key milestones along the way. In January 2020 we began carrying blood on board and on average the crew now administer blood to patients before they reach hospital twice per month. This is a major clinical development and can make a life-changing difference to patients.

“February 2020 saw the opening of the helipad at the Royal Victoria Hospital. The direct landing site reduces patient travelling time by approximately 25 minutes. Once the patient is ready to be transferred from the air ambulance, he/she can be in the Emergency Department in just over two minutes. Our patients continue to be at the centre of all that we do but it isn’t just the medical crew who save lives, it’s also the people who support our service and keep our helicopter flying.”