It’s chocks away as the Shropshire Star takes to the skies to launch a £70,000 appeal to fund the county’s first ever Flying Doctor for the County Air Ambulance based at RAF Cosford.
This major mission will see us raising funds to equip, train and cover the first year’s employment costs for this critically needed, experienced medic - and we’re counting on your help.
Our high-flying campaign will be one of the biggest medical advances for patients since the launch of the service in 1991. It will bring in a new era of clinical care and is another “first” for the Shropshire-based service following the introduction of the EC 135 helicopter in 2001 - the country’s first ever fully equipped air ambulance.
Together we will equip the new Flying Doctor with a substantial range of drugs, emergency surgical kits, monitors and other equipment - more a mini A & E department - enabling emergency treatment to begin at the scene immediately.
Being a pre-hospital doctor of Registrar level or above, our Flying Doctor will be experienced in critical care and advanced patient assessment skills that will prove invaluable in lifesaving situations in the county.
And there will be greater freedom to transport the patient direct to the specialist care centre best equipped to treat their injury.
Speed is essential, with the state of the art helicopter taking the hospital to the patient in double quick time. Airborne within two minutes of receiving an emergency call, the average response time is 11 minutes to anywhere in Shropshire.
With the inclusion of a permanent crew doctor, the air ambulance will become an airborne intensive care unit transporting critically ill or injured patients to the appropriate specialist trauma centre within the “Golden Hour”.
And it’s that rapid response and degree of clinical expertise that can have such a dramatic outcome for the patient. Not only will it save lives, but will see patients spending less time in hospital with reduced intensive care time and possible long-term disability.
The County Air Ambulance is a registered charity which needs to raise in excess of £3 million a year to keep its three helicopters airborne. It receives no state aid or lottery funding.
We want to see our Flying Doctor airborne early summer and, by pledging your support, we will.
By Toby Neal
Share this article:
What are these?