widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

Emergency services / Ambulance ‘lost bearings’ in communications blackspot

It caused a slight delay but ‘not to the detriment’ of the patient, meeting hears

A COMMUNICATIONS blackspot caused a Shetland ambulance to “lose its bearings” and suffer a slight delay during a call out, a meeting has heard.

But the ambulance service’s local team leader Drew Mayhew said the delay was “not to the detriment” of the patient in question.

The incident was raised at a meeting of the Shetland community safety and resilience board on Wednesday.

Board chair Allison Duncan said he had heard an ambulance had been dispatched but after falling into a communications blackspot the driver needed help from a member of the public.

Mayhew explained that there are numerous blackspots in Shetland, where there is no communications.

He said Whalsay was an area where this is a particular problem.

The team leader said that when an ambulance loses satellite navigation control staff can guide the driver.

But during the incident in question the ambulance had no access to either types of communication.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

Mayhew said in these instances staff may use an “old fashioned” map book, or speak to members of the public.

Regional head of services Andy Fuller said it was a problem “not unique to Shetland”.

He said communications equipment is provided by a national company and there are regular meetings to discuss the service.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
widget/pd_widget-6widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-53widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.