Critically ill patients from the Isle of Wight could be transferred to hospital via military aircraft during the coronavirus pandemic.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) is one of the first air ambulance services in the country to collaborate with the Royal Air Force (RAF).
The charity’s Critical Care Teams are working alongside military personnel to prepare themselves should they need to provide support to patients on the Isle of Wight and other more remote areas.
Paramedics and doctors are on hand to fly on-board military helicopters, providing urgent critical care to patients as they are transferred to major trauma centres across the country, including the new NHS Nightingale hospital at London’s ExCel Centre. On Tuesday (7), the charity undertook the first time-critical transfer of a patient from Jersey to University Hospital Southampton in a RAF Chinook.Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance CEO Alex Lochrane said:
"It is absolutely our duty to do everything that we can to ensure that patients on the Isle of Wight, and other more remote areas, get the necessary critical care during the current pandemic.
"This is a hugely impressive and vitally important collaboration with the RAF and I am immensely proud of our Critical Care clinicians and the Care Group Management team within University Hospital Southampton who have responded with flexibility and total selflessness to the rapidly evolving health crisis, displaying their usual professionalism, dedication and teamwork’.
During a joint training exercise at the Charity’s Airbase in Thruxton last week, the teams simulated loading critically ill, ventilated patients onto RAF Chinook, Puma and RN Merlin aircraft and then providing constant support and care to them inside the military aircraft.Three RAF Chinook helicopters, which can carry up to two ventilated patients each, are currently on standby at RAF Odiham in Hampshire.
Dr Simon Hughes, a senior Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine Consultant with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, for over 10 years, who led the joint training session commented:
"A Chinook helicopter not only has the advantage of range and speed, but it also offers more space than the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, allowing us to continue care for patients who could potentially be Covid-19 positive, whilst maintaining a safe distance from the military aircrew."
In the meantime, the Charity continues to respond to critically ill patients across the region with both the air ambulance and emergency response vehicles remaining operational seven days a week, day and night.
Full personal protective equipment (PPE) has been made available to the charity’s teams of doctors and Specialist Critical Care Paramedics in order to ensure that risks of infection are minimised when they attend the scene of an incident.
You can donate to HIOWAA here.
Investigation Underway Following House Fire In Brighstone
Reaction To Donna Jones Police And Crime Commissioner Re-Election
New Dementia Hub To Open In Cowes Next Week
Armed Forces Covenant Members Supporting Armed Forces Day
Miriam Margolyes, Aggers And Tuffers And Plastic Mermaids To Headline Wight Proms 2024
Isle Of Wight Shoppers Helping To Tackle Rising Levels Of Hygiene Poverty
Two Isle Of Wight Businesses Win At Annual Muddy Stiletto Awards
Sandown Carnival Launches 2024 Season
Dover Park Primary School Celebrates Continued Success With Glowing Ofsted Report
Rescue Services Join RNLI’s 200th Celebration Event At Cowes
Isle Of Wight Council To Move To Committee System In 2025
Highway Improvement At Church Litten Next Week
Isle Of Wight Beaches Praised In Clean Water League Table
Man Arrested After Being Caught During Act Of Self-Gratification In Newport
May Day Bank Holiday Recycling And Waste Collection Information
Isle Of Wight Ambulance Service Star Louise Awarded King’s Ambulance Medal
Stranded RIB Towed To Safety By Cowes Lifeboat
Major Highway Works Taking Place Across Isle Of Wight This Month
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary Rescue To Bring First Bears To Isle Of Wight For 30 Years
