Cornwall Air Ambulance
Encyclopedia
The Cornwall Air Ambulance is a dedicated helicopter emergency service
for the English
county of Cornwall
. The helicopter
flies approximately 1000 missions per annum, having flown over 20,000 missions. When introduced on 1 April 1987, Cornwall's Air ambulance
became the first dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service operational in the United Kingdom. The helicopter provides a swift response time and access to isolated locations, such as beaches, cliff-tops and moorland areas which are inaccessible by road. The Cornwall Air Ambulance is maintained by the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust.
The helicopter is based at a hangar at Newquay Cornwall Airport (EGHQ), near Newquay
, which enables servicing and maintenance to be carried out overnight, a task which proved impossible at the original open-air base at Treliske Hospital. The move to the new base has also given the Air Ambulance a more centrally located base, leading to even quicker response times in many parts of the county. It can be airborne in two minutes of a 999 call and flies at 140 mph (62.6 m/s) enabling fast paramedic support to the patient. It can cover the entire county in less than 20 minutes and reach the Isles of Scilly
in 28 minutes. On average it takes 12 minutes from the time of the call to the scene of the incident.
Patients are taken to either Derriford Hospital
or the Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske)
.
The Cornwall Air Ambulance carries a crew of three, the pilot and two paramedics. To enable seven-day flying, the service presently uses three pilots who are shared with Bond Air Services' Trinity House operation which, like the Air Ambulance, is based at RAF St. Mawgan. The aircrew are selected from existing ambulance service personnel and specially trained for their work on the helicopter.There was originally a pool of twenty aircrew who worked on the Air Ambulance on a rotation basis. In the intervening periods between being on the helicopter the crew would revert to their normal jobs on the road ambulances in the County. In 2006 the system was changed, now there are just 6 full time Aircrew to improve continuity.
The first helicopter was a Eurocopter BO 105D which was later replaced with the more advanced Eurocopter EC 135T
. The EC 135 is used extensively in an air ambulance capacity throughout the world. It has four rotor blades to ensure a smooth flight which can prove particularly beneficial for patients suffering head or spinal injuries. Twin turbine engines give it a cruising speed of 160 mph (71.5 m/s), and skid landing gear allows it to cope with all types of terrain. Its compact dimensions allow it to land in confined spaces, yet it has room to carry two stretcher patients. It contains all equipment found on any front-line ambulance plus other special items.
is located at Exeter
and is manned twenty four hours a day, everyday, throughout the year. It is here that the decisions are made regarding ambulance mobilisation for the four counties of Cornwall
, Devon
, Somerset
and Dorset
, in response to 999 calls. The decision is made by the Cornwall Controller as to whether the patient should go by land ambulance, or be flown to hospital on the Air Ambulance.
, by whom they are employed.
The Cornwall Air Ambulance is a charitable organization
solely maintained by donations as it receives no form of official funding. The resident population and visitors to Cornwall finance the Air Ambulance by donations, various fund-raising events, purchase of weekly Air Ambulance lottery tickets and legacies.
All donations received are administered by the First Air Ambulance Service Trust (FAAST), a registered charity established in November 1987 for this purpose.
Newman's initial thought was for an Air Ambulance to be funded by the NHS, but this wasn't realistic due to the unpredictable and enormous costs of the venture eroding allocated budgets. There were complex issues of funding and command and control. For funding, Newman looked at the way charities are supported entirely by public donation, also the route of pursuing commercial sponsorship. Command and control would be entirely with the ambulance service, and the helicopter, a MBB105, was supplied by Bond Helicopters free of charge for the first three months and fuel was provided by Air BP.
The First Air Ambulance added a new dimension to Cornwall's health care service. Newman was the only pilot for the early months of the service and completed the first 400 missions, flying a five day week. The first patient air-lifted was a student with a severe spinal injury from the beach at Porthcurno
.
Emergency service
Emergency services are organizations which ensure public safety and health by addressing different emergencies. Some agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies whilst others deal with ad hoc emergencies as part of their normal responsibilities...
for the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. The helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
flies approximately 1000 missions per annum, having flown over 20,000 missions. When introduced on 1 April 1987, Cornwall's Air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
became the first dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service operational in the United Kingdom. The helicopter provides a swift response time and access to isolated locations, such as beaches, cliff-tops and moorland areas which are inaccessible by road. The Cornwall Air Ambulance is maintained by the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust.
Operations
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
, which enables servicing and maintenance to be carried out overnight, a task which proved impossible at the original open-air base at Treliske Hospital. The move to the new base has also given the Air Ambulance a more centrally located base, leading to even quicker response times in many parts of the county. It can be airborne in two minutes of a 999 call and flies at 140 mph (62.6 m/s) enabling fast paramedic support to the patient. It can cover the entire county in less than 20 minutes and reach the Isles of Scilly
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
in 28 minutes. On average it takes 12 minutes from the time of the call to the scene of the incident.
Patients are taken to either Derriford Hospital
Derriford Hospital
Derriford Hospital, is a large teaching hospital situated in Plymouth, England. The hospital serves Plymouth and nearby areas in Devon and Cornwall. It also provides tertiary Cardiothoracic surgery, Neurosurgery and Renal Transplant surgery for the whole of the South West Peninsula...
or the Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske)
Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske)
The Royal Cornwall Hospital, formerly and still known outside of local television news as Treliske Hospital, is a medium-sized teaching hospital situated in Treliske on the outskirts of Truro, Cornwall, England...
.
The aircrew
The aircraft
Eurocopter EC 135
The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...
. The EC 135 is used extensively in an air ambulance capacity throughout the world. It has four rotor blades to ensure a smooth flight which can prove particularly beneficial for patients suffering head or spinal injuries. Twin turbine engines give it a cruising speed of 160 mph (71.5 m/s), and skid landing gear allows it to cope with all types of terrain. Its compact dimensions allow it to land in confined spaces, yet it has room to carry two stretcher patients. It contains all equipment found on any front-line ambulance plus other special items.
The control decision
The control centre for the South Western Ambulance ServiceSouth Western Ambulance Service
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is the authority responsible for providing ambulance services for the National Health Service in the English counties of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset...
is located at Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and is manned twenty four hours a day, everyday, throughout the year. It is here that the decisions are made regarding ambulance mobilisation for the four counties of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, in response to 999 calls. The decision is made by the Cornwall Controller as to whether the patient should go by land ambulance, or be flown to hospital on the Air Ambulance.
Cost and financing
It was assessed that the cost of the Air Ambulance was seven times more than a land ambulance, but it could cover the same area as seventeen land vehicles. Operational costs for the Cornwall Air Ambulance are £80,000 a month . This includes the lease of the aircraft, pilots, service engineers, spares, servicing and insurances, as well as a charge of some £350 per flying hour to cover fuel and other combustibles. The cost of the two paramedics is borne by the Strategic Health AuthorityNHS Strategic Health Authority
NHS strategic health authorities are part of the structure of the National Health Service in England. Each SHA is responsible for enacting the directives and implementing fiscal policy as dictated by the Department of Health at a regional level. In turn each SHA area contains various NHS trusts...
, by whom they are employed.
The Cornwall Air Ambulance is a charitable organization
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
solely maintained by donations as it receives no form of official funding. The resident population and visitors to Cornwall finance the Air Ambulance by donations, various fund-raising events, purchase of weekly Air Ambulance lottery tickets and legacies.
All donations received are administered by the First Air Ambulance Service Trust (FAAST), a registered charity established in November 1987 for this purpose.
How it was started
The concept of an Air Ambulance in the UK began in the summer of 1986 and was developed from an idea by ex-naval helicopter pilot, Geoff Newman, who was living in Cornwall at that time. He researched ways in which public helicopter services could work as an Air Ambulance based on the successful German model, established in 1973 which by 1986, had around 20 helicopters serving the German public. He envisaged that the UK, as an advanced and aviation oriented country with Navy and RAF Search and Rescue helicopter services, could do the same.Newman's initial thought was for an Air Ambulance to be funded by the NHS, but this wasn't realistic due to the unpredictable and enormous costs of the venture eroding allocated budgets. There were complex issues of funding and command and control. For funding, Newman looked at the way charities are supported entirely by public donation, also the route of pursuing commercial sponsorship. Command and control would be entirely with the ambulance service, and the helicopter, a MBB105, was supplied by Bond Helicopters free of charge for the first three months and fuel was provided by Air BP.
The First Air Ambulance added a new dimension to Cornwall's health care service. Newman was the only pilot for the early months of the service and completed the first 400 missions, flying a five day week. The first patient air-lifted was a student with a severe spinal injury from the beach at Porthcurno
Porthcurno
Porthcurno is a small village in the parish of St. Levan located in a valley on the south coast of the county of Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is approximately to the west of the market town of Penzance and about from Land's End, the most westerly point of the English mainland...
.
External links
- Official site of the Cornwall Air Ambulance
- www.eurocopter.com - The makers of the current helicopter
- www.bondairservices.com - The company from which the helicopter is leased
- www.airambulanceassociation.co.uk - The Air Ambulance Association
- www.livingincornwall.com - Article first published
- www.thisiscornwall.co.uk - Western Morning News feature