Plans For Air Ambulance Service Move Forward

Plans for an air ambulance service in Northern Ireland are moving forward, the Health Minister has confirmed.

Minister Simon Hamilton made the announcement during a visit to Craigavon Area Hospital today, 21 March.

He announced the key findings of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) consultation including the management and funding models, home base location, target patient groups and collaboration with other services.

Dr Janet Acheson, the partner of the late Dr John Hinds who himself met with the Minister in June 2015 to discuss a way forward for the realisation of a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service also attended.

The Minister said: "John Hinds and I shared the same vision of a world class pre-hospital emergency service and it is fitting that today we are here in his hospital base on what would have been his birthday, with his partner, Dr Janet Acheson, his family and many of his work colleagues announce that we are making his dream a reality.

"We will now develop a service specification for a daylight hours Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, which is physician led but also supported by paramedics. It will provide a primary response role initially for major trauma incidents and develop into a secondary response role helping, for example, heart attack and stroke patients, at an appropriate time in the future. This will be implemented by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service as the Trust with lead responsibility for delivering the service, who will work closely with the five other Health and Social Care Trusts.

"We will shortly begin the process of procurement and recruitment and sorting out staff rotas, and begin investing in enabling capital works on the helipad at the Major Trauma Centre at the Royal Victoria Hospital."

(CD/LM)