A critically unwell sailor who fell down a ladder on a fishing vessel off the coast of Cornwall was forced to wait nearly two hours for an ambulance after the HM Coastguard helicopter which rescued him landed in Plymouth.
The man suffered serious injuries aboard the Netherlands registered super trawler Willem Van Der Zwan, which was 180 nautical miles off the Isles of Scilly at the time of the incident.
A HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft from Humberside Airport and the R924 Rescue Helicopter from Newquay Airport were deployed as part of the extensive rescue mission, which saw the man be airlifted to the mainland.
HM Coastguard helicopters have been prohibited from landing at the Derriford Hospital helipad since 2022, when Jean Langan was sadly killed as a result of downwash during an HM Coastguard helicopter landing.
Despite the fact that there is an abandoned airport right next door to the hospital, major trauma patients flown into Derriford Hospital on HM Coastguard helicopters face a road transfer from 42 Commando Royal Marines Barracks, RM Bickleigh, just under five miles away from Derriford Hospital.
Last night, it took almost two hours for the emergency ambulance to arrive once the helicopter landed. The helicopter costs nearly £10,000 an hour to operate and is a critical emergency resource for the South West.
The helicopter was taken offline for 1 hour and 41 minutes as a result of this delay, as it had to remain grounded with its onboard medic and unwell patient.
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust accepted the delay when contacted by Plymouth Plus. A spokesperson added:
"Very sadly there was a delay in transporting the patient to hospital."
The ambulance service currently faces significant pressure across the South West, especially in Plymouth, which it says is caused by hospital handover delays.
Its staff spent over 5,000 hours waiting in hospital car parks across the South West last week alone. A spokesperson added:
“We should be able to hand our patients over within the 15-minute national target.
"When this doesn’t happen, the patient’s care remains with the ambulance service, and it prevents our crews from being able to respond to new 999 calls within the community.”
Derriford Hospital, the region’s major trauma centre, is itself under growing pressure from rising admissions, staff shortages and a backlog of patients waiting for social care beds.
The NHS is working hard to resolve these issues, but with a lack of funding and limited resources, it faces a constant battle to ensure patient safety.
Do your part and only call 999 for life-threatening emergencies. Here's how you can make the right call.
- Self-care: Keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet for minor ailments.
- Pharmacy: Visit your local pharmacist for expert advice on minor illnesses.
- GP: Contact your doctor for non-urgent health concerns.
- NHS 111 Online: Get urgent medical advice and guidance on where to go next.
- Minor Injuries Units / Urgent Treatment Centres: For urgent but not life-threatening injuries, visit:
• Cumberland Centre
• Dartmoor Building at Derriford
• Tavistock Minor Injury Unit
• Kingsbridge Minor Injury Unit (South Hams) - 999 / Emergency Department: For life-threatening illness and injury only.
By using the right service, you can help ensure that emergency crews and hospital teams are available when lives truly depend on it.
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