10% of Air Ambulance call-outs to farm incidents
Farm incidents have accounted for 10% of all Air Ambulance call-outs across Northern Ireland in the service’s first year of operation, figures have shown.
The helicopter medical emergency service, which is celebrating its first anniversary, has answered 380 calls since last July.
Its very first call-out was to a farm in Castlewellan in Co Down, where an 11-year-old boy had suffered a serious head injury.
Now aged 12, Conor McMullan has visited the Air Ambulance’s base near Lisburn to meet the team who helped save his life.
His dad John said: “We are one year on from a day that could have had a very different outcome had it not been for a service that I, like many others at the time, had no knowledge of and to which I can now say with confidence played a critical role in saving the life of my eldest son Conor.”
Clinical Lead Dr Darren Monaghan said: “Trauma unfortunately is the number one killer of people under 40 years of age and, for every death, there are at least two survivors with serious permanent disability.
“During the first year, our HEMS team have been able to reach hundreds of patients - be it at the road side, farm yard or even the city centre, providing clinical interventions and life-saving medical treatment at the scene and in the air.
“We know that patients are alive today due to the care we provide in conjunction with the whole health service.”
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland has also hailed the invaluable work of all involved in what is a partnership between the Air Ambulance charity and the NI Ambulance Service.
The Ambulance Service provides 15 doctors and seven paramedics to fly onboard the Air Ambulance seven days a week.
It takes £5,500 per day to keep the vital service going, meaning £2m has to be raised every year.
HSENI Chief Executive Keith Morrison said: “The majority of serious injuries and deaths on our farms are caused by slurry, animals, falls or equipment.
“When serious incidents happen on farms, it is critical that the emergency services get to the scene quickly.
“The invaluable work of the Air Ambulance and our other emergency services saves lives and reduces the impact of the most serious injuries.”
Mr Morrison also took the opportunity, during Farm Safety Week, to appeal to farmers to always think about safety.
“The Air Ambulance is a vital emergency service, but please do whatever you can to avoid it having to land anywhere near your farm.”