Training day for SCAA crew

November’s mission log for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance has been dominated by medical emergencies primarily cardiac arrests and strokes.

Throughout the month, 61.8% of all calls received at SCAA’s Perth Airport base have seen the crew mobilise to this type of rapid-response emergency both within Perthshire and beyond.

A further 33.3% of all call outs were to trauma emergencies. These included several falls and road traffic accidents.

The final 4.9% of the month’s taskings were emergency transfers where patients from islands or outlying areas have to be rapidly transported to advanced hospital care.

* * * SCAA played host to an out-of- hospital Cardiac Arrest Training Day yesterday involving East Central Scottish Ambulance Service staff and SCAA crew.

Cardiac arrest remains one of the country’s biggest killers with the equivalent of a doubledecker bus load of people dying in Scotland each week.

Throughout yesterday, around 20 people worked through a variety of scenarios involving airway management, cardiac arrest in different out- of-hospital environments and enhanced techniques and working practices to improve patient outcomes.

SCAA lead paramedic John Pritchard said the quarterly training and study days held at their Perth Airport base – covering everything from trauma injuries to medical illness - proved essential in sharing best practice and updating skills and techniques.

* * * A classic 1959 tractor has helped boost SCAA’s funds when it came up for sale at the recent quarterly Morris Leslie Vehicle Auction. The tractor was donated by the Winfield Group with all proceeds going to SCAA. The charity fundraising tractor went into top gear and raised £1,700.

* * * It’s been a week of celebrations as people across Perthshire hand in collections made at their big day in lieu of presents.

A woman from Kirkmichael kindly asked her 50th birthday party guests to donate to SCAA rather than bring her presents – raising £465.88. And a couple from Aberfeldy who held a joint celebration for their 50th raised £935 in similar fashion.

A ruby wedding anniversary celebration raised £415 for SCAA thanks to the generosity of a Perth couple who urged family and friends to support the charity rather than buy presents for them.

Thanks also to a Rait woman who took a stall at Errol car boot sale and donated the proceeds – amounting to £134.45 – to SCAA.

Those attending a recent meeting of the Tuesday Club at Killin heard a volunteer speaker from SCAA and then collected £54.50 for the air ambulance.

Several locally placed collection cans spilling out their valuable takings at SCAA this week include those from: Air Service Training department at Perth College (£84.30); Brig Farm Shop, Bridge of Earn (£28.83); the Co-op, Bridge of Earn (£10.34); Country Store, Kinloch Rannoch (£20.64); the Green Welly Stop, Tyndrum (£212.52) and the Morris Leslie Group (£17.70).

* * * Look out for SCAA’s volunteers at McDiarmid Park tomorrow (Saturday) when a collection will be made for the air ambulance charity before the St Johnstone/ Inverness Caledonian match.