Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance makes landmark 5,000th rapid emergency response

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance completed its 5,000^th rapid emergency response on 30 June 2023.

SCAA’s Perth-based Helimed 76 was on a training flight over Oban when a 999 call saw them divert to a medical emergency. A tourist collapsed whilst hillwalking with his wife on the west coast Isle of Luing.

The air ambulance arrived at the patient, who was on the island’s highest summit, within 10 minutes.

As there is no medical response available on the island, local firefighters made their way up the hillside to help SCAA paramedics as they administered vital prehospital treatment to the patient.

They then helped stretcher the man to the nearby helicopter and SCAA airlifted him to advanced care at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow – a 25-minute flight away by air ambulance, compared to several hours by road and ferry. After a two-day stay in hospital, he was well enough to return home.

SCAA Chief Executive David Craig said: “Firstly, and most importantly, our thoughts are with the patient, and we wish him a speedy and full recovery.

“In flying to his rescue, we reached a significant landmark for our charity – the 5,000^th callout responded to by our crews. The 5,000^th life impacted by the work of SCAA and our outstanding crews of paramedics and pilots.

“The demand on helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) teams and air ambulance support continues to grow and SCAA has responded to that increasing need for emergency prehospital care during our 10 years in service by doubling our number of aircraft, crews and rapid response vehicles and extending our operational hours.”

This mission not only marked the charity’s 5,000^th response, but also took place during the year of SCAA’s 10^th anniversary.