The story so far...
Previously, patients who needed immediate hospital care were brought to Noble’s Hospital and if they required further treatment off-Island, were subsequently transferred by fixed wing air ambulance.
Despite a good and reliable air ambulance service for secondary transfers, there existed no access to a pre-hospital Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) able to provide the full spectrum of advanced critical care procedures.
Initially a six-month trial period of this service began in March 2022 which offered a primary HEMS retrieval from the scene of an incident, including stabilisation and transfer to a major trauma centre within the UK, and also secondary transfers from the emergency department of Nobles Hospital to the relevant UK mainland hospital.
GNAAS has carried out numerous interventions on the island which would not have been possible with only a standard road paramedic crew.
A spokesperson for GNAAS said: “We are very proud to be able to provide our pre-hospital service to the Island and make a positive difference in people’s lives.