HEMS service to debut at NW200
Ahead of its official launch in June, Northern Ireland's new air ambulance will make its debut at the North West 200 this weekend.
The HEMS helipcopter and crew will be available to repsond to incidents at the road race.
The helicopter, which will be crewed by the HEMS Clinical and Operational leads, will be available to the Motorcycle Union of Ireland for the duration of practice on Thursday and for racing at the course on Thursday and Saturday.
For many it will be their first sight of the helicopter and its crew and the public will have opportunities to engage with them at the event. Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI) will also have members of their team available to discuss the work of the charity and provide an opportunity for everyone to support their work.
The campaign for the helicopter service was begun by the late Dr John Hinds - who was himself killed while providing medical care during a motorcycle event.
The Medical Director of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, Dr David McManus, who is also the Chief Medical Officer at the event, will be responsible for tasking the aircraft and crew to incidents, should the need arise.
“I very much welcome the availability of the helicopter which is provided by Air Ambulance NI and which will be crewed by doctors and NIAS paramedics, some of whom are members of the Motorcycle Union of Ireland (MCUI) medical team. This will greatly assist the medical services and our colleagues in the voluntary ambulance services, at NW200, in the response and care they provide following an incident.
"I look forward to June when the HEMS service will be officially launched following the completion of training programmes for the clinical staff. HEMS will then be fully operational to complement the existing land based services provided by NIAS in response to incidents of significant trauma across NI.”
Ian Crowe, AANI trustee added;
“The NW200 is a very exciting event for motor cycling fans and it is also crucial that it is supported by an Air Ambulance staffed with highly skilled medical staff for the first time. The coverage this event and others offer the Charity is essential to make the public aware that this much needed service is just around the corner as it is their generous support which has made this service possible.”