Emergency aircraft alert system put in place

A SYSTEM set up since the Meadhbh McGivern case means the HSE’s National Ambulance Service (NAS) now gets updates twice a day on the availability of emergency aircraft and gets instant alerts if any of those aircraft become unavailable.

The system means the Air Corps and Coast Guard report to the service at 9am and 5pm seven days a week with details of what helicopters and planes are free for use if a transplant emergency arises and where they are based.

The NAS is also now the single, central co-ordinating point through which all requests for Air Corps or Coast Guard assistance with patient transport must be made. There are further recommendations that it establish a dedicated National Aeromedical Co-ordination Centre for this purpose.