Minister rejects call for larger helicopters
Susan Sullivan, health minister for Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, has rejected calls from the Association of Allied Health Professionals (AAHP) for the province’s medical helicopters to be replaced by a larger, more capable model. Concerns had been raised by the AAHP over the size and capability of the Bell 206 helicopters used by the provincial government’s air ambulance programme.
Susan Sullivan (pictured), health minister for Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, has rejected calls from the Association of Allied Health Professionals (AAHP) for the province’s medical helicopters to be replaced by a larger, more capable model. Concerns had been raised by the AAHP over the size and capability of the Bell 206 helicopters used by the provincial government’s air ambulance programme.
The AAHP said it was voicing concerns on behalf of its members who operate the Medical Flight Programme. Sharon King, executive director, stated: “An assessment was conducted by Eastern Health’s Quality and Risk Management Department in June 2011. The assessment concluded a number of deficiencies that required attention to clear the universal Bell 206 helicopter to be safe for patient transport.” She continued: “We are fortunate that the physicians responsible for ordering these flights by helicopter have supported the medical flight specialists in their concerns and have refused to order transport on these helicopters since that time.”
The Department of Health has ordered that a Bell 407 is retrofitted to address the safety problems, but King commented: “This will cost approximately $250,000, and the Bell [407] is only a few inches larger than the Bell 206. We think there may be another option.” She added that the end of the current helicopter contract in March 2012 would be an ideal opportunity for the government to procure a helicopter ‘more suited to medical flights’.
Issues with the Bell 206 raised by the AAHP include the fact that the cabin space is too small for all the necessary equipment; the patient’s feet/stretcher extends from the fuselage into the cockpit; at times, medical equipment that cannot be secured must be placed on the patient; the helicopter can only transport a patient 250 pounds or less; and certain medical procedures cannot be safely be performed while in the air due to a lack of space. Additionally, the AAHP noted that both the Bell 206 and 407 are single-engine/single-pilot helicopters, and suggested that considerations should be given to a helicopter ‘similar to those used in search and rescue and offshore’, with de-icing capabilities, that would be permitted by Transport Canada to fly over water and at night.
In response, Sullivan stated that there were no plans to acquire such helicopters, and that the newly refitted Bell 407s will have more space for both patients and medical crew members.
Annually, around 35 medical flights are completed by five helicopters contracted by the provincial government, along with 1,200 fixed-wing transports.