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Enhanced flying medics A&E services for North Wales (16 August 2017)

Date: 16/08/2017
Duncan Lewis, Clinical Negligence Solicitors, Enhanced flying medics A&E services for North Wales

The Welsh government has announced that Wales’ flying medics service – which works in partnership with the Wales Air Ambulance Charity – is strengthening its service cover, with the introduction of consultants and critical care practitioners on board the charity’s helicopter in North Wales.

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Vaughan Gething launched the enhanced service on Monday at Caernarfon Airport.

In 2015, a unique Third Sector-Public Sector partnership was created between the WAA, Welsh Government and NHS Wales, which resulted in the creation of the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru) – known as the “Welsh Flying Medics”.

The service provides pioneering pre-hospital critical and emergency medical care across Wales – effectively taking the emergency room to the patients, said the Welsh Assembly.

Through the service, Welsh government-funded NHS consultants and critical care practitioners are able to deliver innovative emergency treatments usually not available outside the hospital environment.

The WAA raises £6.5 million every year from charitable donations to keep the helicopters flying.

Before the “Welsh Flying Medics” service was introduced, all WAA helicopters were staffed by paramedics – the introduction of consultants and critical care practitioners means that the service is now able to conduct blood transfusions, administer anaesthetics, offer strong painkillers, and conduct a range of medical procedures, all at the scene of an incident.

Over the last two years, the “Flying Medics” have become operational on the WAA helicopters based in Dafen and in Welshpool. The next phase has seen the service start working from the charity’s base in Caernarfon – the charity has also unveiled a newer, more advanced aircraft for North Wales.

In addition, the service also has access to a fleet of Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs) – and an RRV will be based in Caernarfon, along with the advanced helicopter. The medical equipment has been designed to be interchangeable between the charity’s helicopters and the RRVs.

As well as the original partners, this development is being supported by BCUHB and the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The Welsh government says that an independent evaluation by the Farr Institute at Swansea University has already started to reveal how the “Welsh Flying Medics” service is having a positive impact on critical care in Wales –
and results indicate that, by taking the emergency room to the patient, the service has shortened the time it takes for a patient who is critically ill to receive consultant-led treatment.

The service has relieved some pressure on frontline NHS emergency services – and has improved the time it takes for certain patients to be taken for a CT scan or emergency surgery.

Welsh Assembly Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said:

“I welcome this initiative that will enhance the existing service from Caernarfon and bring it in line with the rest of the EMRTS cover enjoyed elsewhere – it will bring access to critical care and emergency medicine much closer for people living in North Wales and ensure that they can get the best care more quickly.”

Wales Air Ambulance Charity Chief Executive, Angela Hughes, added:

“The innovative equipment and treatments that we have introduced have attracted international attention – with many Helimed services across the world looking to adopt the Welsh model.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to the people of Wales for raising the £6.5 million each year needed to keep the four helicopters flying. We are serving Wales and saving lives.”


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