Barra Air Ambulance Concerns Highlighted -- Again and Again!

1 December, 2009 - 11:32 — admin

Barra Air Ambulance Concerns Highlighted -- Again and Again!

On average the Air Ambulance takes 6.5hours to reach Barra from callout, was the statistic given at the well attended meeting on Tuesday which heard Barra’s concerns about the current operation of the Air Ambulance Service. Local GPs, Dr David Bickle and Dr Kara Ewing said, that from their records, 6.5 hours was the average which means that patients are taking over 8 hours to get to a mainland hospital from Barra. GP Dr Kara Ewing stressed her concerns over the lengthy wait for the helicopter in an urgent medical emergency. Ongoing problems with regard to the current helicopter service were stressed at a public consultation meeting in Castlebay on Tuesday night. The service is being reviewed as the current contract with Gamma Air ends in 2013.
 
Barra Councillor Donald Manford later said: “There have been concerns over the helicopter service since its inception. This was known from the outset by islanders but consistently denied by the Air ambulance Service. Given the express concerns of the public and GPs these issues required to be addressed now. We cannot wait until 2013.”
 
Air ambulance managers promised to look at the current contract in light of islanders’ worries. But the Ambulance Service stress the island’s preferred choice of a plane risks lives as it does not allow a 24/7 service as it cannot land on Barra’s beach runway when the tide is in while the helicopter can land directly at the hospital any time. Local view is that, while the Air Ambulance Helicopter has to refuel enroute, the Islander which previously delivered the service, was capable of being in the air for over 5 hours and could wait until the tide receded far enough for the Islander to land, Tide can go out a long way in 6.5 hours!