London’s Air ready to sav
I
n early 2016, a second helicopter becomes operational for
London’s Air Ambulance. We spoke to Medical Director, Dr Gareth Davies, and Chief Pilot, Captain Neil Jeffers, about the service, the impact of the second helicopter and how security teams can provide support during an air ambulance mission.
A familiar sight over the capital’s skyline, London’s Air Ambulance treats on average five critically injured people daily. “We go to locations within the City and the rest of London to treat people, many within businesses. Missions range from electrocutions, falls from height, serious road
16 © CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – WINT E R 2015/16
traffic collisions, industrial accidents and assaults,” says Dr Gareth Davies, Medical Director of London’s Air Ambulance and Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Barts Health NHS Trust.
The speed of a helicopter means the London’s Air Ambulance advanced team can be by a patient’s side up to eight times faster than a response car and they aim to be available to fly every daylight hour possible. To achieve this, a second helicopter is crucial.
Gareth explains, “Helicopters require considerable maintenance; inevitably this means that many days of the year we simply don’t have access to one. With a second helicopter, we can continue our vital work without delay. It gives us the resilience to operate in all hours of daylight.” The newly acquired MD902 Explorer, together with extended daylight flying hours in the summer
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months, will enable them to reach an estimated 400 additional patients by air each year.
The service, based at The Royal London Hospital, has been operational since 1989. It has pioneered medical innovations that have impacted trauma care throughout the world. This includes carrying a doctor on board at all times and performing advanced medical interventions, normally only found in the hospital Emergency Department, such as open heart surgery (thoracotomy), with world leading pre-hospital survival rates of 18%.
With this national and international reputation for excellence, many doctors are keen to work on London’s Air Ambulance, Gareth reveals. “We attract a lot of applicants for posts; senior doctors from all over the world are keen for the unique experience and training we provide. This means we get to
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