Airlec launches nurse escort repatriation service

The service, called Airlec Nurse Flight service, will be accessible to patients following a ‘thorough assessment of [their] condition and transport requirements through Airlec’s Medical Director’. All Nurse Flights must also be approved by the client’s medical team before departure.

The nurse will also be under the ‘permanent supervision’ of an on-call Airlec doctor reachable via SATCOM for the duration of the flight.

Nurses operating the service will be allowed administer:

• Chronic treatments – administering a patient’s usual medications for a chronic condition such as anti-hypertensive therapy or insulin
• Acute treatments – administer medications related to the acute condition which have already been given during patient’s hospital stay, such as antibiotics or pain killers.

Nurses can also evaluate the medical system using the ABCDE method and pain scales, and can also perform electrocardiograms and blood glucose checks.

Airlec stated that the service was created in response to consultations with clients, as well as a growing demand for repatriations from clients who did not require a typical emergency medical transfer. They said: “We are very confident that this will further cater to our clients’ needs and allow for more patients to be transported home from their holiday in a safe and cost-effective manner.”

Airlec featured in AirMed&Rescue’s June 2018 issue as the focus of our regular Provider Profile feature, in which in which James Paul Wallis spoke to Dr Yann Rouaud, Airlec’s Group Medical Director.