At the recent public meeting at the Falcon Club in Egremont, there were some questions asked that we could not answer because our ambulance service representative was called away at the last minute. NHS representatives promised to confirm the answers to those questions so that they could be published online. Below are the questions and answers:
What plans are there for the air ambulance to fly at night?
There are currently no plans for night flying at present.
Could the dedicated ambulance vehicle (DAV) cover stroke cases as well as those for maternity and paediatrics?
Nothing is finalised as regards any of the options for maternity, paediatrics or hyper-acute stroke services. However, if option 2 for hyper-acute stroke services was chosen, hyper-acute stroke transfers would take place via an emergency paramedic ambulance, not a DAV, and would be a high priority. However, under this option we would expect the vast majority of patients to go straight to Carlisle from the community via ambulance; it would only be those who arrived under their own steam or were unrecognised by the ambulance who would be transferred.
Is the DAV driver going to be dropping people off home after hospital when not transferring between sites?
If the DAV is implemented, it will not undertake returns such as this. It may, if available, undertake local level inbound transfers to the midwife-led unit if not already tasked.