Manx Care extends Great North Air Ambulance Service contract

GNAAS has responded 22 times since the partnership began

Manx Care has extended its contract with the Great North Air Ambulance for another year.

The services first began working together in March 2022 as part of an initial trial to develop a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service for the Isle of Man.

Since the partnership began, the Great North Air Ambulance has responded by helicopter 22 times, with 12 patients being transferred, most to specialist hospitals in the UK.

The introduction of a HEMS service and an enhanced emergency air bridge allows patients who are seriously ill or who have suffered a major trauma to be taken directly from their community on the Isle of Man to a centre of excellence in the UK for emergency medical treatment. 

Will Bellamy, Head of Isle of Man Ambulance Service, said: “In the last 12 months that we have been working with GNAAS, we have developed a very strong and supportive working relationship with the team and very much appreciate their input into the provision of pre-hospital emergency care to some of the most seriously ill patients we have had to attend here on the Island. My team in IMAS has really benefitted from the opportunity of coaching and mentoring from the exceptional GNAAS clinicians, which is proving beneficial to the communities they serve in the Isle of Man.”

David Stockton, Chief Executive of Great North Air Ambulance, added: “The people of the Isle of Man have welcomed GNAAS with open arms since we began operating on the Island, and we are really grateful for the support we have had to date. It’s been fantastic to work with IMAS to look at how we can enhance the delivery of exceptional pre-hospital care to people in life-threatening medical situations and help patients get faster access to specialist treatment. We are currently working with Manx Care to look at further opportunities to work together and provide additional support to people living on the Island, for example during motorsport activities, and very much look forward to developing our relationship further across the next 12 months.” 

The HEMS service provided by GNAAS will continue to operate alongside the existing fixed-wing air ambulance service provided by Manx Care, which transfers patients to hospitals in the UK for further treatment once they have been stabilised at Noble’s Hospital.