Posted by: tim in Bude Hotel on Jan 03, 2010
A familiar sight in the skies above Bude is our own distinctive red and yellow helicopter, the Cornwall Air Ambulance.
First introduced as an integral part of Cornwall’s ambulance service in April 1987, the Air Ambulance is charitably funded by the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust and it is the fantastic support given by the people of Cornwall and local businesses that keeps the Air Ambulance flying.
The County of Cornwall has a widely scattered population with remote communities and many narrow lanes, often making the use of conventional ambulances more difficult. Our beaches, cliff tops, moorland and the sea attract many people who participate in water sports and extreme sports which also increase the incidence and severity of accidents. Bude is an hour's drive from the nearest major hospital so having the Air Ambulance on call is a great benefit to the town. And although no-one from the Camelot Hotel has ever required the Air Ambulance's services it's a comfort to now it's only a few minutes away.
From its base at Newquay Airport, Cornwall’s Air Ambulance can reach any part of the county within 20 minutes, and the Isles of Scilly in 28 minutes. This purpose-built aircraft flies at 140mph, and on average arrives on scene within 12 minutes of a 999 call so although it is expensive, its use can significantly reduce the time taken to convey seriously ill and injured people to hospital. In very many cases over the last 23 years, this has simply been the difference between life and death.
In its 21st year, the helicopter attended its 20,000th 999 emergency call, and statistics for recent years show that the service is attending around 1000 incidents each year. This is one of the busiest helicopters in the UK, and is tasked several times every day, giving Cornwall a hardworking value for money service.
Space inside the Cornwall Air Ambulance is limited but it is fully equipped like a road ambulance. Equipment carried on board includes a range of monitors, which give the paramedics and the emergency teams in the hospitals important information about the patient.
There are many other carefully stowed bags and containers, each containing equipment, dressings and drugs used to save lives and manage the patient’s condition at the scene, and during the journey into hospital.