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Wales Air Ambulance is a registered charity and relies entirely on donations to continue to function. Wales has a large rural population and lots of remote countryside. This makes service by road ambulance very difficult - sometimes impossible - and very time consuming. In an emergency, every minute counts! The helicopter, based at Swansea airport, can be airborne within 3 minutes of a call and can then travel up to 140 mph, taking the most immediate route to the patient.
By rapidly reaching a patient with two paramedics, who can begin treating the patient en route to the hospital, the chances of survival and even a full recovery are greatly increased. Medical personnel know the crucial importance of treating a victim of traumatic injury within "the Golden Hour". The first hour immediately following a traumatic injury is so called because if the patient receives medical attention within that time period, he is much more likely to survive the injury and recover from it. When a patient goes without medical attention within this first hour, the risks of non-recovery and even death rise exponentially.
The air ambulance also provides swift transfer of patients to specialised
treatment centres, as well as inter-hospital transfers. In addition, patients
with neck, head and spinal injuries are transported with greater comfort (than
by road), preventing possible further injury. |
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