Bigger, faster air ambulances for Scotland
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has announced that it is set to operate larger, faster helicopters as a new contract has been awarded to the incumbent air operators, Gama Aviation and Bond Aviation Services. The contract will commence in April 2013 and run for seven years with a lifetime cost of £120 million.
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has announced that it is set to operate larger, faster helicopters as a new contract has been awarded to the incumbent air operators, Gama Aviation and Bond Aviation Services. The contract will commence in April 2013 and run for seven years with a lifetime cost of £120 million. Alongside Gama’s two existing King Air 200C fixed-wing aircraft based in Aberdeen and Glasgow, Bond will operate two new EC145 T2 helicopters under a subcontract. The new aircraft will be purpose built to Scottish Ambulance Service specifications and will replace Bond’s current EC135 T2i helicopters in Inverness and Glasgow from 2014. The contract continues SAS’s relationships with Gama and Bond, which date back to 1993 and 1989 respectively, and follows a re-procurement process that began in 2009.
Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “The [SAS] air ambulance is the only publicly funded air ambulance service in the UK, and this £120 million contract will deliver a world-class, future-proof service that has been specifically designed to benefit patients throughout Scotland. It is important that patients can rely on the provision of a safe, responsive and high quality air ambulance service and these new larger and faster helicopters can do just that.”
SAS said the new helicopters will deliver improved range to reach all of mainland Scotland, The Western Isles and Orkney Isles within 60 minutes’ flying time for life-threatening emergencies. They boast increased space for clinicians to treat the patient and ensure relatives and carers can also travel in the aircraft, when appropriate.
As part of the new contract, Gama Aviation personnel will work alongside SAS staff in the service's control centre in Cardonald. This will enhance communications, speed up the decision-making process and improve the management and tasking of aircraft, said SAS, and new tracking equipment on all aircraft will result in better tasking and management.
Pauline Howie, SAS chief executive, said: “The contract is being awarded to Gama Aviation after a rigorous consultation and procurement process that started in 2009. Our team worked closely with key stakeholders, NHS clinicians, patients, carers and community groups to develop the contract specification and key performance indicators.”
Speaking for Bond, managing director Chris Greenhill said: “We are delighted to be extending our association with both Gama and the Scottish Ambulance Service. The joint experience and expertise we have in providing air ambulance services in one of the most challenging flying environments in the world is something that we are extremely proud of.”
The SAS flies around 4,000 missions per year, the majority of which are planned inter-hospital transfers.
Image courtesy of Gama Aviation