Emergency Medical Retrieval Service

The Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS), is an airborne medical initiative operating in the West of Scotland. It provides patients in remote and rural areas with rapid access to the skills of a consultant in emergency or intensive care medicine as well as facilitating transfers to larger, better equipped city hospitals. The team respond to calls 24 hours a day by helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft[1].

Formation

The EMRS was formed in 2004 after a consultation between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the Scottish Government Health Department and the Scottish Ambulance Service[2]. The EMRS initially operated only in the Argyll and Clyde area. The success of the service saw its operating zone expanded throughout the West coast of Scotland from Stranraer in the South to Stornoway in the North[3].

Resources

The EMRS utilises aircraft from the Scottish Ambulance Service's Air Wing and the Royal Navy's Search & Rescue helicopters from HMS Gannet at Prestwick Airport, the team responds to seriously ill and injured patients that require early critical care interventions and quick transfer to a better equipped, urban hospital[4].

Background

Unlike air ambulance services in other parts of the UK, the EMRS is fully funded by the Scottish Parliament, with such funding secured until at least the end of 2010.

context

Many other countries with large populations in rural or inaccessible areas have developed similar schemes. For example, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia operates on very similar lines to the EMRS. New Zealand and Canada have also developed similar patient retrieval services in support of their rural health care practitioners.

During 2008, the team was occasionaly filmed in action as part of the popular Channel 5 documentary series Highland Emergency.

See also

* NHS Scotland
* NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
* Scottish Ambulance Service
* Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom
* Air ambulance
* Air Ambulances in the United Kingdom