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Wiltshire air ambulance will stay – for the moment
AMBULANCE bosses said this week there were no plans to scrap the Wiltshire Air Ambulance but admitted that the service was under review.
Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) say that air ambulance cover would continue to be provided for Wiltshire but could not say how that would be done raising fears that the current Air Ambulance shared with Wiltshire Police helicopter would be axed.
The Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Police helicopter is able to fly at night due to the specialist equipment it has onboard but a stand alone (or dedicated) air ambulance would not be able to fly at night due to Civil Aviation Authority rules.
A dedicated air ambulance would cost in the region of £1 million a year to run compared to the £350,000 that it costs to keep the Wiltshire Air Ambulance flying.
The Wiltshire Air Ambulance is funded entirely by donations from the public and costs GWAS nothing.
A new air ambulance based in Filton is due to be launched in July, principally to cover the Avon area. It will operate during daylight hours only and during the night care will be provided by a doctor and paramedic in a car.
A separate charity has been set up to raise money to pay for the Filton based helicopter and Karl Henderson, director of finance at GWAS, said the funds in the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, currently over £1million, were not being used towards it.
He said the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal was a restricted fund and would be used to providing air ambulance cover in Wiltshire
Ozzie Rawstorne, clinical director at GWAS and who is leading a review of air ambulance cover in Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire, said a new air ambulance covering Wiltshire could be manned with paramedics or a doctor and a paramedic.
The existing Wiltshire Air Ambulance has a paramedic and police observer on board.
GWAS want to carry on sharing the Wiltshire Police helicopter for another year when the lease is due for renewal this December although the Gazette understands the police want to extend it for five years.
Mr Rawstorne said the one year extension would give them time to undertake the review after which options would be presented for public consultation.
Tony FitzSimons, chairman of GWAS, said GWAS wanted to improve air ambulance cover.
He said: "There will be a dedicated air ambulance capability for Wiltshire. At the end of the review we will make a proposition which in our judgement will be the best value for money in terms of clinical provision but we will lay out the options in a consultation process for people to express a view. Are the people of Wiltshire prepared for it to cost more to provide a better clinical care capacity?
"There are restrictions with the police helicopter, it can only carry one paramedic. A shared approach with the police is not the only way to provide air ambulance cover."
Wiltshire Police declined to comment.
4:01pm Thursday 15th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: mav, devizes on 5:45pm Thu 15 May 08
Are the management of the Wiltshire Ambulance Service incompetent. Whenever a doctor is required at a scene of an incident ( which is on the rare occassion ), we have basics doctors through out Wiltshire who respond very quickly in cars fitted with blue lights and sirens. Why pay an extra 1.2 million pounds a year to have a doctor on board. Probably because the ambulance service do not pay for it !! The public pay for it
Are the management of the Wiltshire Ambulance Service incompetent. Whenever a doctor is required at a scene of an incident ( which is on the rare occassion ), we have basics doctors through out Wiltshire who respond very quickly in cars fitted with blue lights and sirens. Why pay an extra 1.2 million pounds a year to have a doctor on board. Probably because the ambulance service do not pay for it !! The public pay for it
Posted by: George, Devizes on 9:05am Sat 17 May 08
I sincerely hope Mr Ozzie Rawstorne visits and speak to the crews of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, unlike his management Colleagues in GWAS. Go on Ozzie at least show some leadership and listen to the weight of opinion against GWAS on this issue. And by the way there are no restriction with the police, ambulance tasks will always get the priority, you would know that if you had spoken to the crews on the air ambulance.
I sincerely hope Mr Ozzie Rawstorne visits and speak to the crews of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, unlike his management Colleagues in GWAS. Go on Ozzie at least show some leadership and listen to the weight of opinion against GWAS on this issue. And by the way there are no restriction with the police, ambulance tasks will always get the priority, you would know that if you had spoken to the crews on the air ambulance.
Posted by: George, Devizes on 9:05am Sat 17 May 08
I sincerely hope Mr Ozzie Rawstorne visits and speak to the crews of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, unlike his management Colleagues in GWAS. Go on Ozzie at least show some leadership and listen to the weight of opinion against GWAS on this issue. And by the way there are no restriction with the police, ambulance tasks will always get the priority, you would know that if you had spoken to the crews on the air ambulance.
I sincerely hope Mr Ozzie Rawstorne visits and speak to the crews of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, unlike his management Colleagues in GWAS. Go on Ozzie at least show some leadership and listen to the weight of opinion against GWAS on this issue. And by the way there are no restriction with the police, ambulance tasks will always get the priority, you would know that if you had spoken to the crews on the air ambulance.
Posted by: lynchwest, Devizes on 10:53am Sat 17 May 08
So Mr FitzSimons, we the public will have a say in what sort of Air Ambulance cover we want for Wiltshire? Or will it be the usual 'consultation process' whereby the public is invited to express its views but in reality you, along with the rest of the Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) Board have already made your mind up and will go against public opinion? As George and Mav (above) have stated it would be nice if the senior managers of GWAS would actully get off their backsides and visit the unit and talk to the crews. Having spoken to Colleagues at the Air Ambulance, none of them have ever heard of you Mr FitzSimons let alone seen you at the unit, indeed Im not aware of you having visited many Ambulance Stations in Wiltshire. That really shows support for the employees of GWAS when its Chairman, and indeed Chief Executive (Mr Lynch), have never been to ALL the parts of the organisation for which they are accountable for. Interesting word that, accountable, hopefully you will listen to the public of Wiltshire for it is they that YOU are accountable to and it is they that are funding this aircraft for the benefit of the people of Wiltshire, not for the benefit of your organisation!!
So Mr FitzSimons, we the public will have a say in what sort of Air Ambulance cover we want for Wiltshire? Or will it be the usual 'consultation process' whereby the public is invited to express its views but in reality you, along with the rest of the Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) Board have already made your mind up and will go against public opinion? As George and Mav (above) have stated it would be nice if the senior managers of GWAS would actully get off their backsides and visit the unit and talk to the crews. Having spoken to Colleagues at the Air Ambulance, none of them have ever heard of you Mr FitzSimons let alone seen you at the unit, indeed Im not aware of you having visited many Ambulance Stations in Wiltshire. That really shows support for the employees of GWAS when its Chairman, and indeed Chief Executive (Mr Lynch), have never been to ALL the parts of the organisation for which they are accountable for. Interesting word that, accountable, hopefully you will listen to the public of Wiltshire for it is they that YOU are accountable to and it is they that are funding this aircraft for the benefit of the people of Wiltshire, not for the benefit of your organisation!!
Posted by: Pete, Wiltshire on 12:14pm Sat 17 May 08
Mr Chairman, yet again a high member of the Ambulance service who doesn’t seem to have a clue what’s happening on the shop floor or are you just doing the job for the money and not interested in patient care??
You state that “our judgement will be the best value for money” Have we not got this already? As I’m led to understand the Air Ambulance flies for 19 hours a day (Only one of two in the country) and costs only £350’000 (instead on 1.3 million) for this service. This is obviously good value for money. Will it not be the people of Wiltshire’s decision to decide about this charity service as they donate to money to keep it flying.
I understand that Wiltshire is fortunate to have a service called BASICS, these are Doctor who volunteer their services for free to the Ambulance service and attend serious accident. Has this facility been forgotten about?
It seems to me that the decision has already been made and this is only lip service, Let hope not. Wiltshire it’s now time for us to stand up for our Air Ambulance.
Mr Chairman, yet again a high member of the Ambulance service who doesn’t seem to have a clue what’s happening on the shop floor or are you just doing the job for the money and not interested in patient care??
You state that “our judgement will be the best value for money” Have we not got this already? As I’m led to understand the Air Ambulance flies for 19 hours a day (Only one of two in the country) and costs only £350’000 (instead on 1.3 million) for this service. This is obviously good value for money. Will it not be the people of Wiltshire’s decision to decide about this charity service as they donate to money to keep it flying.
I understand that Wiltshire is fortunate to have a service called BASICS, these are Doctor who volunteer their services for free to the Ambulance service and attend serious accident. Has this facility been forgotten about?
It seems to me that the decision has already been made and this is only lip service, Let hope not. Wiltshire it’s now time for us to stand up for our Air Ambulance.
Posted by: keystone kops, Wiltshire on 7:03pm Sun 18 May 08
The Air Ambulance belongs to the people of Wiltshire NOT the Ambulance Service. So they are conducting a review of the Air Ambulances and who is conducting it, someone connected to GWAS or totally independant!! How is it that the board are GWAS it should be totally independant and I am sure there are a lot of people who could set up a new board and take over the running of the appeal for the benefit of the people of Wiltshire. It has worked for the past 18yrs and I am sure if left as is will continue to be supported and florish with an excellent co-operation between the Police and Ambulance. Please don't destroy that excellent working relationship it would be complete lunacy.
The Air Ambulance belongs to the people of Wiltshire NOT the Ambulance Service. So they are conducting a review of the Air Ambulances and who is conducting it, someone connected to GWAS or totally independant!! How is it that the board are GWAS it should be totally independant and I am sure there are a lot of people who could set up a new board and take over the running of the appeal for the benefit of the people of Wiltshire. It has worked for the past 18yrs and I am sure if left as is will continue to be supported and florish with an excellent co-operation between the Police and Ambulance. Please don't destroy that excellent working relationship it would be complete lunacy.
Posted by: lynchwest, Devizes on 11:34pm Tue 20 May 08
Keystone kops, Ive been reading many comments on the arious stories about the Air Ambulance and the same old question comes to mind 'Why is it that Jo Public can talk common sense but not GWAS management?' As Ive said before 'Independence' is the key word here and whilst you have GWAS Board members on the Charity there will be a conflict of interest!!
Keystone kops, Ive been reading many comments on the arious stories about the Air Ambulance and the same old question comes to mind 'Why is it that Jo Public can talk common sense but not GWAS management?' As Ive said before 'Independence' is the key word here and whilst you have GWAS Board members on the Charity there will be a conflict of interest!!
Posted by: George, Devizes on 7:57am Wed 21 May 08
GWAS have indicated that the proposed service would use the police helicopter to do any air ambulance work at night. ughhhh! isnt that what we have NOW, and for alot cheeper then what GWAS is proposing.
Silly people!
GWAS have indicated that the proposed service would use the police helicopter to do any air ambulance work at night. ughhhh! isnt that what we have NOW, and for alot cheeper then what GWAS is proposing.
Silly people!
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