Projects completed in 2014

In 2014 the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund approved funding for £2000.00 towards the cost of providing a long term sustainable air ambulance capability in Scotland.  Since they started the SCAA have been called to Duns 3 times. 

Below is a report of there progress todate.

Update

• SCAA has completed 15.5 months of successful operations since launching on 22^nd May 2013, where it has saved many lives and improved patients’ quality of life by moving them to hospitals rapidly.
• Helimed 76 has been called upon 400 times and there has also been 22 road responses by the paramedics to local emergencies using the Rapid Response Vehicle.
• Since its launch SCAA has contributed to more emergency calls being met by air ambulances, patients being reached quicker and transport times to hospital by helicopter being reduced.
• At the start of the second year the public’s reaction to SCAA is more positive than ever.
• The number of volunteers is ever-increasing and now stands at over 50 and is rising.
• Individuals, groups and organisations fundraising for SCAA is also on the increase.
• SCAA has been nominated as ‘charity of the year’ by significantly more companies than last year.
• Aircraft tasking continues to follow seasonal norms and has shown an increase during school holidays and with more tourists in Scotland.
• A significant partnership with Clydesdale Bank was announced at SCAA’s 1st Anniversary Event on 19^th May 2014.
• An initiative was launched with NFU Scotland – ‘Saving Time’ - to help farmers pin point their location if they need to make a 999 call and there is further interest from landowners, forestry and gamekeepers.
• SCAA’s social media coverage is proving to be very popular and is also increasing.

Background

• SCAA’s Vision is to provide a long-term sustainable and scalable air ambulance capability to complement statutory resources across Scotland.  
• SCAA’s Charitable Purpose is the emergency relief of serious sickness and injury and the protection of human life across Scotland by the provision of a sustainable air ambulance capability based in East Central Scotland, in order to save life, preserve life, increase survival rates and assist the speed of recovery in time critical medical emergencies.
• SCAA is a Scottish Registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee.
• SCAA was approved by the Scottish Government in November 2012 following a recommendation from the Scottish Ambulance Service Board and a Business Case being developed by a Joint Reference Group comprising NHS Scotland, SAS, police, trauma consultant, NHS Tayside and SCAA.
• SCAA launched on 22^nd May 2013 with a Bolkow 105 twin-engine helicopter air ambulance based at Perth Airport.
• SCAA operates across Scotland alongside the SAS helicopters based at Glasgow and Inverness and is integrated with SAS tasking, reporting, clinical and aviation procedures
• The aircraft, pilots, engineers, spares and back-up aircraft are provided by Bond Air Services.  The paramedics are provided by SAS and meet the same standard as their other air paramedics in Scotland.  SCAA raises charitable funds to meet all of the costs, including paramedic services, which amount to £1.5M per year.
• Funding has been forthcoming from trusts and foundations, corporates, groups and organisations and members of the public.  There is no Government funding.

Employment

• Two pilots and five paramedics are employed to provide a crew of a pilot and two paramedics 10 hour a day, seven days a week.
• The crew are regularly the only medical resource available at the scene of an emergency, but often work together with ambulance crews, trauma teams, first responders, GPs and the emergency services.
• SCAA has responded to incidents in all Scottish Health Board mainland areas.
• The largest proportion (66%) of missions has been to provide care to trauma cases.
• Just over half of our patients have been flown to Ninewells, Dundee.  Others have been flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Belford Hospital, Crosshouse Hospital Kilmarnock, Dumfries Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Forth Valley Royal, Lorne & Isles Hospital, Perth Royal Infirmary, Raigmore Hospital Inverness, Royal Alexandria Hospital, Southern General Hospital, Golden Jubilee Hospital, Western Infirmary and Borders Hospital.
• The crew have responded to every mission within the KPI of being airborne within 5 minutes of receiving the call.

Outcomes

• Lives have been saved and patients’ quality of life improved by transporting patients to hospitals rapidly by helicopter.
• The use of a helicopter often eliminates the need for a secondary transfer from a rural hospital by road as the helicopter has the flexibility and speed to fly directly and quickly to a specialist unit.  This also avoids these cases from stretching rural hospitals beyond their capability.
• Transport by helicopter reduces the time taken to get patients to hospital markedly over road transport in rural areas: 3 hours by road has been reduced to 25 minutes by air in some cases.
• The integrated charity/statutory air ambulance model is a good example of the Government and the Third Sector working in partnership in Scotland to add value and capacity to existing services.  It is unique to Scotland and is innovative: it is seen by many as a model of best practice.
• The relationship between SAS and SCAA is working well.
• The service has been well received across all aspects of the health service which we work alongside.  There has been a similar response from the emergency services.

Berwickshire Recreation Education Sports Trust is a registered charity

Scottish Charity Number SCO26564

Duns Swimming Pool is a small, community pool in Duns, a rural town in Berwickshire. It has a 25m pool, sauna and dryside facilities. It was refurbished in 2010 and has since benefited from the support of the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund.

BREST, the trust which runs the pool is a charity which operates on a shoestring budget.  Swimming pools are very expensive to run in both energy and maintenance and without the help of organisations such as Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund it would be almost impossible to maintain the high standard of the facilities in Duns.

In the last few years the fund has assisted BREST to purchase teaching equipment for First Aid at Work, Lifeguard Training and Swimming Lessons, air conditioning for the Guy Roberts room, acoustic panels for the same room, changing room cubicle curtains, changing room fan and other smaller items. In particular the air conditioning and acoustic panels have made a huge improvement to the environment in the Guy Roberts Room. This is now used by even more groups which benefits the community and
generates additional income for BREST to use in the provision of more activities.

The other items are also much appreciated as BREST has very restricted funds available for additional equipment and improvments but without which the service offered to the community would suffer.