New air ambulance due to tour the county

July 4, 2015 at 7:48 am

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur at the launch of the new H145 air ambulances.

Folk in Orkney will have the chance to see the new Scottish Ambulance Service H145 air ambulance helicopter today, Saturday, July 4.

The helicopter comes into service later this month, but is visiting the islands that it serves to give people the chance to talk to paramedics and pilots about the benefits of the new aircraft.

Two new Airbus H145 aircraft will replace the current EC135 helicopters which have been in service since 2006.

According to the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), the new aircraft are larger, and faster, with a greater range, which reduces the need to stop en route and refuel on longer missions.

They will, said the SAS, enhance the quality of clinical care, with more room for teams to deliver complex treatment, as well as medical fittings and equipment that have been specifically designed to meet the needs identified by the clinicians who work on the aircraft.

The new H145s will be the first air ambulances in Scotland to operate with night vision equipment, which will allow greater access to remote and rural communities.

The helicopters will work alongside the two King Air 200c fixed-wing aircraft, which have been refitted and upgraded to create more room for patient care along with new patient-loading systems and satellite communications for improved consultation with referring hospitals during flight.

The H145 helicopters will be based in Glasgow and Inverness, and the King Air 200c aircraft operate from Glasgow and Aberdeen.

The air ambulance will be visiting the following locations today: