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  • Someone please close this thread
    Everyone who's ever loved you was wrong.

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    • Good news today on Galway Airport for the SAR services, the NTA is giving the Airport 100k towards park and ride, Galway City and County Councils are giving 50k each to the Airport, this funding will keep the Airport operational

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      • For the short term Brian. The management would want to come up with more realistic revenue streams than were presented to the council meeting recently. A lot of pie in the sky stuff there including the mooted political canvassing for the relocation of the EAS from Athlone to Galway ie. from a central location to a peripheral one.

        The park and ride is a waste of money. It will be lightly used at best.

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        • Some pictures from a recent exercise.
          Skibbereen Crews and West Cork Rapid Response training with Medevac 112. Whilst based in Athlone, Medevac 112 can be in West Cork in 50min. This may seem too long, but remember in many cases of entrapment it can take this long to free the patient, stabilise them e.g. RSI, and package them for transport. Once [...]

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          • A flying success

            The HSE emergency air ambulance service has responded to 96 lifesaving calls in its first six months of operation and another 50 since the start of this year.

            The pilot service, operated by the Air Corps in support of the HSE's National Ambulance Service, was launched last June with a helicopter and crew based at Custume Barracks in Athlone. Since the launch, the crews of Medevac 112 have responded to over 150 calls including 50 so far this year.
            The HSE emergency air ambulance service has responded to 96 lifesaving calls in its first six months of operation and another 50 since the start of this year.

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            • Air ambulance service has ’saved lives’ in Limerick

              A DEDICATED air ambulance has “undoubtedly saved lives” that might otherwise have been lost since the HSE reached agreement with the Air Corps on providing the service 10 months ago, according to the medical director of the National Ambulance Service.

              Dr Cathal O’Donnell said he was hopeful that the Minister for Health James Reilly would approve the continuation of a one-year pilot programme that has seen the Air Corps helicopter handle 200 emergencies to date.

              The Emergency Aeromedical Service responded to a medical emergency in Cappamore on Easter Sunday, landing on the local soccer pitch before airlifting a suspected heart attack victim to hospital.

              Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) is one of the main themes of a day-long conference aimed at medical professionals set to take place at Limerick Racecourse on April 27.

              Dr O’Donnell is co-chair of the Resus 2013 conference and will speak, along with the Air Corps’ Lt Col Sean Clancy, on the establishment of the pilot programme.

              “We have a good session planned with international experts who are medical directors of air ambulances from around the world who are coming in,” said Dr O’Donnell.

              The Air Corps helicopter, Dr O’Donnell said, was “a dedicated resource that we task for the 10 hours a day it is flying”.

              “We can send it out in the same way we can an ambulance on the road. It is based in Athlone and covers the whole country but is mainly working in the west where we have some of the main issues around access and distance. We do a fair bit in North Tipperary, in Clare, in west Limerick, Galway and Mayo and it’s a daylight operation 10 hours a day.”

              The service had “moved beyond” an early mishap when the pilot was forced into a hard landing after hitting overhead wires near Borrisoleigh in County Tipperary last June, Dr O’Donnell said.

              But that incident underlined the risks to crew and why the service has to operate in good light.

              “This week we will have hit our 200th completed mission and it has been particularly busy over the last couple of months as daylight has lengthened and weather has improved. Undoubtedly it has saved lives and off the top of my head I can think of three or four patients who would be have been dead without it - no question,” said Dr O’Donnell, who previously worked at an emergency consultant at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.

              Dr O’Donnell is one of a voluntary group who have been putting on the conference in the Limerick area every year since 2005. Supported by the HSE, the medical school at UL and the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, the event is aimed at paramedics, nurses, GPs, voluntary ambulance crews, hospital consultants, military medical corps and others and attracts around 300 people a year.

              Apart from air ambulance services, this year’s programme includes addresses on how to improve outcomes in cardiac arrest from Prof Bryan McNally, of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, and Dr Richard Lyon, University of Edinburgh.

              Martin Flaherty, formerly deputy CEO of London Ambulance Service will speak on how ambulance services were delivered during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Other sessions are to include developing international guidelines on resuscitation and the delivery of emergency care at large events such as music festivals and in the wilderness.

              Those interested in registering for Resus 2013 on Saturday, April 27 can contact Jennifer Fitzgerald on 061 234756, email info@resus.ie or visit the website.

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              • No decision made on future of HSE’s air ambulance service

                Pilot project nearing end of 12-month trial period

                No decision has yet been made on the future of the HSE’s air ambulance service which is nearing the end of its 12-month trial.

                The pilot Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS), operated by the Air Corps in support of the National Ambulance Service (NAS), was launched on June 4th last.

                An Augusta Westland AW139 helicopter (Medevac 112), along with its Air Corps and HSE crews, is based at Custume Barracks in Athlone.

                The trial service was established following agreement between the Ministers for Health and Defence through a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

                The pilot was established to determine the level and type of dedicated EAS service, if any, might be needed to support the ambulance service.

                It allows ambulance paramedics who respond to emergency calls to request air ambulance support if they think it’s required. All such requests are handled at the National Aeromedical Co-ordination Centre based at Tullamore in Co Offaly.

                The crews of Medevac 112 have completed more than 260 missions since the scheme was launched.

                The Irish Coast Guard has carried out in excess of 40 missions on behalf of the EAS because it was better placed to respond in terms of location and flying times.

                A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “The MoU requires a full evaluation of the pilot to be initiated three months before the end of the trial period.

                “This review is nearing completion and a report will be submitted to the Minister for Health shortly.”

                Cardiac-related incidents, including heart attacks, accounted for 43 per cent of all calls while 17 per cent involved medical issues such as strokes, seizures and diabetes. Industrial and agricultural accidents and other trauma incidents made up 19 per cent of all calls to date while 8 per cent were to serious road traffic collisions.

                Comment


                • There's no doubt they are busy but I've seen quite a few missions flown by medevac 112 that were less than ten miles from CG SAR bases. Seems a strange decision by NACC when a resource is much closer. It's all about the patient at the end of the day.

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                  • MB the point of the pilot scheme was to evaluate if there is a requirement for a dedicated air ambulance service ( let's not have a pedantic HEMS, EAS , Air Ambo terminology debate ) , the nearly twelve months of the operation of Medevac 112 has demonstrated there is a need for a dedicated air ambulance service in addition to a dedicated SAR service. The proximity of CG bases is irrelevant , they are primarily SAR bases , that's what the taxpayer is paying the CG/CHC for, a SAR service. I would be seriously pxxxed off in trouble at sea or in the hills if a CG asset was not available because it was off doing a job that is not its primary role. Medevac 112 is a dedicated Air Ambo......let the HSE now decide who should provide this service into the future on a dedicated basis.

                    The persistent argument that the CG Helis should do this work does a great disservice to the CG crews as it implies they have not enough business and appear to be desperate for work( not helped by the attitude of CG people on here) , something which the stats disprove. In fairness are S 92s and S 61s the right craft for the job ( could they land in the places or the heli pads that a smaller chopper could) . Ireland needs a proper dedicated air ambulance service in addition to a dedicated SAR service , lets not do the usual paddy the pig on it and get the CG to leverage a service that was designated and dedicated for a separate and very necessary service to do something it was not really envisaged as a major role.

                    The HSE should get two 135s or similar sized craft ( from whoever), plonk them in Cork and Athlone and provide the dedicated service , leave the CG Helis to do SAR work. MB it is all about the patient , but its also about the seafarer and hill walker too.

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                    • In fairness JBM I dont think the CG personnel are 'desperate' for work, they have a role and a contract for 4 bases for 10 years. That said these bases should be utilised fully to give the Irish taxpayer even better value for money and it certainly isnt value for money to have a capable asset sitting on the ground while paying for a second asset to do a job it could be doing.
                      The problem with using the current task loading for a dedicated AA aircraft shown by the Athlone aircraft to show future needs is that it is was operated during a time where there was only 1 other CG base capable of HEMS operations. Soon there will be 4 bases all capable of HEMS throughout the country. What should now take place is a sensible mapping of the tasks undertaken by the EAS during the trail period across all five bases in terms of patient care, a very easy process with the correct software. If this shows that there is a need for a dedicated AA great, if not then so be it. Theres no point spending money on dedicated assets if the need doesn't exist especially if that dedicated asset isnt necessarily the best asset for a patient outcome.

                      I think its high time we got away form the SAR only mentality. The aircraft are there, capable and paid for by all of the taxpayers of Ireland, not just the maritime community. Let them work away on whatever the country requires them to do.

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                      • Living near Galway Hospital its unreal the number of times that 112 has been in, I know a few guys in UHG and they tell me that a lot of lives have been saved by this service, landing in remote areas of Mayo and Connamara, getting patients to hospital in 20/25 minutes from these areas has been the live saver as against a journey time in an ambulance that could take up to three hours depending on the location.

                        Well done to the crews of 112 and the HSE staff that work with them its a fantastic service and long may it continue. Tadpole dont forget the taxpayer pays for this service also so nothing wrong with having all types of asssets available to the public when and whenever they are required.

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                        • Brian,
                          I am not saying that there isnt a requirement or that the service hasnt saved lives but rather that deciding future service proposals based on asset availability at the time of the trial rather than asset availability within the short term future is fundamentally flawed. For example from your own post:

                          lives have been saved by this service, landing in remote areas of Mayo and Connamara, getting patients to hospital in 20/25 minutes from these areas has been the live saver as against a journey time in an ambulance
                          *Bold added by me*
                          In a few weeks time what aircraft do you feel could respond quicker to a call in the majority of cases in these 2 regions, an Athlone based aircraft or a combination of Shannon / Sligo based S92s? Just because it was more expedient for the patient when there was no Sligo HEMS asset is far for saying it will when there is a Sligo HEMS asset.

                          Tadpole dont forget the taxpayer pays for this service also so nothing wrong with having all types of assets available to the public when and whenever they are required.
                          Currently I agree 100% but the face of helicopter aeromedical services is changing dramatically within the next 6 months or so. 12 months ago Ireland had no HEMS capability, then came the 139 and the Shannon S92. By the end of the year there will be 4 24/7/365 HEMS capable aircraft in a country of about 4.5 million people (Most of whom live in cities). I dare say the ratio of HEMS aircraft to population is well up there with the rest of Europe.
                          By all means if it is deemed that another 5th asset is required then all assets should be used to full capability but its hard to see how 260 missions over an entire country can be turned into a requirement for one midlands only asset when Shannon, Sligo, Waterford and Dublin are all HEMS capable unless you refuse to use the SAR / HEMS aircraft in which case patient care isnt really the motivation. After all it would only be an average increase per SAR base of 65 missions per year, not exactly a burden.

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                          • Tadpole thanks for the reply, I personally hope that the Air Corps service is kept on, I also meant to add in the other post that the Coastguard have also saved a lot of lives since they started in the medevac role with the HSE, the guys from both services are brilliant at what they do as are all of our rescue and military services, as the fellow says "I don't care what colour the helicopter is that comes"
                            Last edited by Brian McGrath; 29 May 2013, 18:21.

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                            • Brian, I fully agree that the trial has shown there is most defiantly a service needed to provide AA to the citizens of this country. Like Tadpole said, with the arrival of the S92's we are moving into a level of service never seen before in Ireland. The aircraft are fitted for SAR and HEMS. The HSE were heavily involved in the specifications of the medical equipment from the outset. That tells me they plan to use the aircraft as part of any aeromedical service. I stand over what I said earlier, there are patients quite close to SAR bases, with aircraft ready to respond that have to wait for extended times while aircraft respond from Athlone. It's all well and good saying the patient was flown to hospital in 20 mins but what about the 40 min flight time to get to them. I'm not pro one service provider over the next. All I care is that patients get the resources they need, like you say the color of the a/c is irrelevant.
                              Let's just say we get the 2 x 135's you mention, they operate daylight only, who's going to respond after last light? We need a fully integrated service is needed, end of story.

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                              • "Since its launch last June, the Air Corps's Emergency Aero Medical Service has carried out 285 missions, airlifting patients with heart attacks, strokes and serious road traffic injuries.

                                However its trial period has now come to an end.

                                The Department of Defence says it will make a decision on the future of the service within the next twelve weeks."

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