Doctors take to the skies in first charity air ambulance

IRELAND’S first charity air ambulance has touched down at Kerry Airport.

The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service will enter full-time daylight hours service next month after its maiden flight from Wales to Kerry yesterday.

The air ambulance is expected to respond to up to 500 calls per year, and bring the population of a 25,000sq km area critical medical care within 20 minutes.

The service will cost €2million annually, and is to be funded through charitable donations and community contributions.

Irish Community Rapid Response chief executive John Kearney said lives will be saved and families will be spared grief thanks to the service, and he called for strong public support in order to maintain and develop it.

The helicopter will be based in Cork, but will be available for missions nationwide.

It will be tasked through the National Ambulance Service 999/112 call system and is supported by the HSE and Department of Health.

During the next month, the air ambulance will be touring the communities it will serve to help raise awareness and support fundraising.

Incidents to which the air ambulance is expected to respond include the airlift of seriously ill patients from remote and rural medical hubs or accident scenes to specialist hospital care, and injuries sustained in road traffic accidents, agricultural and industrial areas, falls, and impact injuries.

Concerns about air ambulances have previously been aired in Northern Ireland when it emerged that there would not be a doctor on board when it was launched in 2016.