Paramedic calling for drones to deliver defibs in rural areas
Trevor Wain is campaigning for medical kit to be flown ahead of ambulances.
A Lincolnshire paramedic is calling for the use of drones to deliver life-saving kit in rural areas.
Trevor Wain, from Bourne, works for the East Midlands Ambulance service, and believes drones could have a huge impact.
He wants to see the likes of defibrillators, haemorrhage kits and EpiPen's sent to emergencies ahead of ambulances.
"By having the equipment there in the first place, you save time, which is going to save lives," said Trevor Wain.
"In a cardiac arrest situation, every minute that someone's down, their chance of survival drops by 10%.
"In a massive, rural location, time is of the essence," he added.
"As and when the emergencies come in, we would dispatch a drone which will carry a defib and then possibly any other equipment that might be required."
"So if it's going to the scene of a car crash, for example, we would also dispatch major haemorrhage kits.
Trevor's proposal would see a medical professional talk to the public through the drone and explain how to use the kit.
"Unfortunately, during cardiac arrests, members of the public aren't always confident," said Trevor.
"We're hoping by having a clinician on the end watching and being able to communicate what's required, that's going to give people the confidence to be able to use that equipment efficiently before the ambulance service gets there."
Trevor has put his plan to East Midlands Ambulance Service and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Currently, the law states drones can only be flown within the operators line of site.
However, the CAA are running trials for Project Lifeline, which is looking into the use of drones to deliver emergency equipment.
"At the moment, drone flight is restricted to Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) in the UK," said Trevor.
"But even within those limits, this project can provide real, immediate support - helping with on-scene footage, rapid delivery of kit nearby, or training and awareness."
"Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operation, where drones can fly further, independently, is on the horizon."
"This project is designed to grow alongside those permissions, ready to deliver wherever needed as the regulations change."