June 10, 2021 5.10 pm This story is over 33 months old

Air ambulance responds to 14 Lincolnshire coast emergencies in a week

Crucial work by the life-saving charity
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance's Critical Care Car in Mablethorpe. | Photo: LNAA

The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance responded to 14 emergencies during its first week using its Critical Care Car (CCC) dedicated to the Lincolnshire coast.

Doctors and paramedics on board the CCC have been called to a person in cardiac arrest, a woman who had been trampled by a horse and a crash involving five patients since launching the service on the east coast on June 1.

The crew were also called to a building site after a man had fallen from a ladder and landed on a piece of machinery. He was treated at the scene before being taken to the nearest hospital.

The charity will also expand its life-saving service when a second helicopter takes over from the Critical Care Car on June 21. This will allow the clinicians to reach patients on the east coast as quickly as possible.

The new white helicopter will be based at Strubby Airfield near Mablethorpe, while the iconic yellow one will remain on call from the charity’s headquarters in Lincoln. The helicopter will remain on call every day until August 31.

An air ambulance landing on the beach in Cleethorpes for a job on Thursday, May 27, 2021. | Photo: LNAA

Doctor Paul Hancock said: “Since launching this service last week, we’ve seen patients with a range of traumatic injuries. Being physically based on the east coast helps us to save time getting to these patients.

“There are also occasions where we may not have been able attend some of these emergencies previously, as our helicopter in Lincoln may have been called to incidents elsewhere.

“Our crews are able to bring an emergency department to the patient by providing specialist care. We’re able to give blood transfusions, pain relief and provide emergency anesthetics, helping to stabalise the most poorly patients at a time where every minute counts.

“Having a service dedicated to the Lincolnshire coast means that we can reach patients who are situated in coastal towns, where it can take over an hour to reach the nearest Major Trauma Centre by land.

“Our second helicopter will enhance our service as we’re able to reach our patients quickly to deliver potentially life-saving care, while saving vital time when getting the patient to hospital.”