A new storage area for our critical care kit has been built at our Cumbrian base which will positively impact our team’s turnaround time after returning from incidents.
Our base in Langwathby, Penrith consists of a small Portakabin unit, which means space is limited, and most areas have multi uses.
For example, a bedroom used by our doctors and paramedics who are working a night shift, also doubles up as an office area in the daytime.
The original storage area for drugs and medical equipment was situated inside a small room in the Portakabin, which is a short walk away from the aircraft.
However, due to the organic growth of GNAAS, including plans to go 24/7, we’ve re-evaluated the requirements of our Langwathby airbase and looked at everything from the ergonomics on how we restock the helicopter and rapid response cars to our critical care team’s mental health and wellbeing.
This led to the purchase of a second-hand container, which has been transformed into a new storage area, and is housed inside the hangar, meaning it is located much closer to the helipad.
The new location will enable our team to restock faster, and shorten the turnaround time after attending each incident, which could potentially lead to our team being able to respond to more patients.
To help create the new storage area, Friends of Plane Saver Lottery awarded £3,000 to GNAAS, which has been put towards the electrical work, so the team can charge the various medical devices they use, including a life support ventilator, ultrasound sonography and a Bluetooth patient monitoring system.
The container has also been kitted out with shelving and worktops as well as a wet room for the critical care team’s uniforms, and a tumble dryer for drying blankets and pillowcases.
In addition to this, PMS Fabrications kindly donated an external staircase to access the top of the container as well as a barrier which has been placed around the edges, to create a small gymnasium area, in a space that would otherwise be unused.
The team regularly attend incidents in mountainous areas, which require a high level of physical fitness, and exercise is also a great way to boost their mental health, so it was important to create an area that supported their health and wellbeing.
The stairway and all of its parts has an asset value of approximately £15,300, which is the equivalent cost of more than three missions, meaning the money saved could potentially be used to save a life.
Julie Jameson, facilities manager, said: “We are very grateful to the Friends of Plane Saver Lottery and PMS Fabrications for their donations. Thanks to their support we’ve now been able to create a new and improved storage area for our critical care kit, and also a small gym for our team to use in between call-outs. This will then allow us to change the current storage room into a much-needed patient visitor area. It is through their support that allows us to continue to help people and save lives across the North of England.”
Lee Salmon, head of operations west, said: “The upgrade of the facility all helps us as a team minimise any delays or errors when organising the multiple layers of equipment in the helicopter. Compliance and infection prevention and control is huge in medicine and we now have a facility that can help us achieve the highest of standards. The people of the region will be truly grateful for the improvements as it’s they that will benefit.”
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