News / Change to outer isles patient transport
DIRECTFLIGHT has signed an agreement with the Scottish Ambulance Service to allow the provider of Shetland’s inter-island air service to carry non-emergency patients from the outer isles to either Tingwall or Sumburgh.
The change in the provision is likely to affect between six and ten patients a year and will free up the Jigsaw helicopter for more urgent missions, the ambulance service said on Monday.
The new arrangements will apply for patients not in a life threatening condition but nevertheless in need of hospital treatment.
Garry Fraser of the SAS said the change would not affect emergency cases.
“We believe that the agreement with Directflight will deliver a more flexible local service for those patients who are not emergency or serious cases but still have to be transferred to Tingwall or Sumburgh.
“It is not appropriate for seriously ill or emergency cases to be transferred in this way and the current helicopter operations, which include the Jigsaw aircraft, will continue for those patients. The King Air fixed wing aircraft will continue to transfer patients for care in Aberdeen.”
Directflight’s commercial director Julie Simper added: “The new agreement means that the experience of our team in Shetland can now be called upon by the Scottish Ambulance Service when it is operationally practical and medically appropriate to do so.”
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