Air ambulance plan welcomed

Ambulance NZ has welcomed ACC's release today of a draft national air ambulance strategy for public consultation.

The strategy, released on behalf of an inter-agency steering group, outlines a proposed model for the provision of air ambulance services in New Zealand.

It looks at the long-term future for air ambulances in New Zealand.

Ambulance NZ chief executive David Waters said that the strategy was a discussion document, designed to generate feedback.

"It is important to recognise that there is no need for panic," he said.

"Although this strategy principally describes a single model, and the air ambulance sector has expressed reservations in regard to the practicality of providing it, it is anticipated that through this consultation process a range of alternate models or variations to the one described will be developed."

Mr Waters said readers of the strategy should not draw conclusions if their existing service was not specifically referred to in the draft as it was a "discussion option only".

The document contained more questions than answers, highlighted complex areas that needed further refinement and would generate debate within the sector, he said.

"It is essential to the process that all parties carefully consider the content of this consultation document and provide detailed comment that ensures their particular expertise or interest in pre-hospital care is tabled for consideration," he said.

Stakeholders have until February 25, 2005 to provide feedback.

Key themes of the strategy include that faster is not always better, with the balance of clinical opinion being that it is better to wait slightly longer for better quality clinical care.

Another theme was the need to preserve the capability of local rescue helicopters and pilots with local knowledge to respond to the occasional call for urgent rescue.

The strategy makes a total of 19 recommendations.

Proposals include:

* an enhanced standard of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) coverage, particularly in respect of clinical crewing by advanced paramedics and closer integration with major district health board emergency departments and intensive care unit retrieval teams;

* the preservation of local community rescue helicopters in areas more peripheral to the likely HEMS coverage;

* HEMS air ambulances should be located in seven centres -- Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Hastings, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin; and

* due to population, location and support infrastructure, rescue services need to be maintained at New Plymouth, New Plymouth, Greymouth, Gisborne, Queenstown and Invercargill.

The strategy was developed in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Ambulance New Zealand, together with the Air Rescue/Air Ambulance Division of the Aviation Industry Association.

- NZPA