New operator for Irish air ambulance

Gulf Med will take over from Irish Community Air Ambulance (ICAA), the charity that established the service. This is despite an unsuccessful joint bid by the charity, in partnership with Sloane Helicopters, to continue managing operations.

The changeover will mark the first time that the service will be fully state-funded – having previously been community-funded since its launch in 2019. Gulf Med will take over ICAA’s facilities at Rathcoole Air Base, and it is believed that they will operate under a €1 million annual contract, for an initial period of two years.

ICAA to rebrand, shift focus

In response to the loss of its air ambulance operations, ICAA announced that it will change its name to Critical, and will focus on ‘expanding our network of Volunteer Emergency Medical Responders across the country’ in partnership with the National Ambulance Service.

In a statement, the charity said: “We extend our gratitude to everyone who supported the HEMS Air Ambulance over the past three years. Our team of experienced Volunteer Emergency Medicine Doctors and Medical Responders are already on the ground in counties Mayo, Donegal and Dublin, and will soon be expanding to Kildare, Dublin, Wicklow and Waterford.”

“We are proud of our record of responding to over 1,800 incidents in the past three years and our commitment to giving people the best chance of survival in an emergency,” they added.

Jonathan Falconer spoke CHC Ireland about their own work on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard in July 2022’s edition of AirMed&Rescue.