Murray MacGregor – Thursday 1st February 2024 – 9.55am.
A patient who suffered significant injuries after a single vehicle crash ended up in a major trauma centre much sooner than they might have thanks to the efforts of an off duty hospital consultant and a group of volunteers.
The man, was involved in a crash on the A480 at Bunns Lane, Moorhampton, near Weobley in Herefordshire at around 5.15pm last night (Wednesday).
The car he was in collided with a tree head on causing significant damage. By chance an off duty hospital consultant came across the incident soon after it had happened and was able to identify the serious nature of the man’s injuries and alerted the ambulance service.
The early insight definitely helped the patient get the specialist care that he needed sooner than he might have had it.
We already had an ambulance and paramedic officer en-route but then also dispatched a BASICS emergency doctor from MARS (Mercia Accident Rescue Service) and an enhanced care team from Midlands Air Ambulance as well.
Because it was dark, the air crew from the Midlands Air Ambulance at Strensham responded by car to the scene. However, when it was established that the patient would need to go to a major trauma centre, Midlands Air Ambulance activated one of it’s CELLS schemes so that a helicopter could be sent as well.
Community Emergency Lit Landing Sites (CELLS) were set up in 2015 by the charity and enables trained local volunteers to use portable light units to allow the helicopter to land at night in remote locations, in this case at Aylestone Hill Park in Hereford, just 10miles away.
Travelling by air meant that the patient got to the specialist trauma teams at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in around half the time it would have taken to travel by road, even using blue lights and sirens.
West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman
You can find out more about CELLS sites on the Midlands air ambulance website.
Midlands air ambulance