 The service is to be operated by helicopter from Inverness |
Doctors and politicians in Orkney have condemned proposals which could lead to the loss of the air ambulance service based on the islands. Under Scottish Ambulance Service plans, Orkney will be served by a helicopter based on the mainland from April 2006.
This will replace Loganair's Islander aircraft in Kirkwall.
Gama Aviation has been named as the preferred bidder to run the service. It plans to use a helicopter based in Inverness to cover the islands.
The service for Orkney is part of a Scotland-wide contract for the provision of air ambulance services worth �40m which will be awarded by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
In addition to carrying specially trained paramedics, the aircraft would be specially fitted out for medical transport and operate solely as an air ambulance.
It is estimated that flight times would be 15 minutes faster than the service currently in operation
Local pilots
Orkney Islands Council is concerned about the "lifeline" service operating from the mainland, particularly during winter.
Stephen Hagan, council convener, said: "Our main concern is the fact that there is not going to be an aircraft based in Kirkwall.
"Our response from residents here is that they would like to see one based there. In poor weather conditions, situations local pilots have much more experience of flying in, we would be concerned that pilots based in Inverness just don't have that experience.
"We're not sure whether these helicopters have the capability of flying in such poor conditions as the islanders."
His concerns were echoed by GP Kevin Woodbridge, from North Ronaldsay.
He said: "It is so much further to Inverness than it is from Kirkwall and I don't think that helicopters can go at three times the speed of what we currently have."
Standards 'exceeded
However Adrian Lucas, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said the service would be just as reliable.
He added: "The preferred bid has exceeded the standards set by the project team after a rigorous evaluation and tender process that included all key stakeholder groups within the NHS and local authorities and patient groups.
"Our air ambulance service fulfils a vital role across all of Scotland and it was essential to update the existing fleet in order to maintain high service standards and continue to exceed stringent clinical standards for aircraft in a modern NHS.
"Patients in Scotland will benefit from a faster, more efficient, comfortable and clinically safe service across the whole country."
'Knock-on' warning
Loganair currently operates a number of inter-island services as well as being a major provider of air ambulance cover in Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.
It warned that if it lost the ambulance contract, the economics of its whole inter-island air service across the Northern Isles could be affected.
The ambulance service is to conduct a further three-month consultation on the proposals and a contract will be awarded to the successful bidder in January 2005.
Contract proposal
Gama Aviation's Scotland-wide bid for the new contract involves two new Beech 200C Super King aircraft based in Aberdeen and Glasgow.
There are also two upgraded Eurocopter EC135T2 helicopters based in Glasgow and Inverness which have been providing an air ambulance service since 2000.
In addition, the company says the ability to use a medically-equipped search and rescue Eurocopter AS332L2 on the Shetland Islands will increase response times.
The aircraft will all be able to fly in bad weather and will benefit from medical interiors designed to improve infection control standards.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Patients in Scotland will benefit from a faster, more efficient, comfortable and clinically safe service across the whole country 
