Lifesaving gear for choppers

Thanks to you, the generous people of Montgomeryshire, Wales Air Ambulance’s fleet of helicopters have become the first in the UK to be fitted with a pioneering piece of lifesaving equipment.

Local residents have joined others across the country in digging deep to ensure the choppers are now kitted out with video laryngoscopes, which allow paramedics to clear a patient’s airway with the assistance of a microscopic camera.

The new technology will help Wales Air Ambulance staff continue their vital work making life-saving medical interventions within the ‘golden hour’ – the first 60 minutes after a trauma that are crucial to a patient’s survival.

The new equipment has been acquired thanks to two generous donations totalling £15,000, and Wales Air Ambulance clinical and operations manager Jason Williams said the new laryngoscopes will greatly help the charity’s lifesaving work.

He said: “This is life saving equipment that uses a fibre optic camera to insert a tube into an adult or child’s airway in order to assist their breathing.

“We are the first air ambulance in the UK to introduce this equipment, and are very proud to be able to offer even better lifesaving treatment to casualties across Wales.

“The video laryngoscopes will help our paramedics ensure trauma patients receive the most appropriate care within the crucial ‘golden hour’.”

Blocked or damaged airways are among the most common problems that affect trauma victims, and the video laryngoscopes give paramedics an increased chance of ensuring patients’ airways are clear, providing a clear image of any blockages or damage endured.

The Wales Air Ambulance is wholly dependent on public donations, and does not receive any support form the national lottery or the government. For more information on the Wales Air Ambulance, visit walesairambulance.com or call 0844 85 84 999.

PICTURE: Wales Air Ambulance paramedics Chris Connor and Jason Hughes with the new video laryngoscope