Plans unveiled for Munster flying doctor service

Plans to launch Ireland’s first doctor-led helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) by next spring have been unveiled.

John Kearney, the pioneer behind the ground-based Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) initiative established in West Cork in 2009, said the new Irish Community Air Ambulance (ICAA) service is the next step in improving response times and emergency medical care for acutely ill and injured people across Munster.

The proposed service, which will be based at Cork Airport, will serve a population of some one million people across the province and will mirror successful HEMS models which serve geographically challenging terrain and remote communities across Britain and elsewhere.