Seaclose Park on the Isle of Wight has been used as a stage to practice ‘longstanding’ helicopter landing site procedures to transfer patients should the need arise.
This is a part of a military contribution to support the Isle of Wight NHS Trust during the Covid-19 crisis.
Close to the Seaclose planning office on the Isle of Wight, the landing site was secured by a local coastguard team.
From then, a crew from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s Ambulance Service worked with military personnel to practice the transfer of a patient via Chinook to the mainland.
For this particular training exercise, no actual patients were involved with the Chinook being said to have been on the ground for ’10 minutes’.
Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust said:
“Seaclose has for a long time been a part of our plans for patient transfer, and the Ambulance Service is trained and experienced in working alongside helicopter crews.
“We wanted to take the opportunity to test these processes in the light of the current pandemic, although of course, I hope we will not be called upon to use them.
“With our current close working with military colleagues this exercise has been a useful and reassuring indication that the procedures we have in place are effective and safe, even when working with the Chinook, which is a much bigger aircraft than we normally use.”
Alison Smith, managing director of NHS Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“Now more than ever I am feeling proud to work for the NHS, and immensely proud of my colleagues.
“In these exceptional times we have all had to change the way we work and carry out our day-to-day duties.
“And these exceptional times have been matched with extraordinary kindness and generosity from our island community.
“The CCG, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, Isle of Wight Council, and other island organisations continue to work together to deliver safe services and build up plans to manage any increase in demands.
“This includes both building extra capacity in the hospital and the community, and also transferring patients.
“Today’s exercise with the military was important to help us to be as prepared as we can be. We tested our ability to take patients safely and swiftly over to the mainland should we need to.
“Remember the NHS is still here for you for any other ailments or injuries you face. Please visit 111.nhs.uk, call your GP practice or call NHS 111, in the first instance to get advice. For a life-threatening emergency such as severe loss of blood, consciousness, a heart attack or stroke, then please call 999.”
