Emergency
care baby's RAF flight
www.bbc.co.uk
27th October 2006
A baby being treated in Swansea who needed specialist neo-natal
care has been flown for treatment from south Wales to Glasgow
by the RAF. An RAF Hercules from Lyneham landed at Cardiff
airport carrying a medical team from Yorkhill
Hospital in Glasgow. The hospital is one of four in the
UK with a heart-and-lung incubator.
The four-engined aircraft, used to ferry troops and equipment
to forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, landed with a specialist
incubator. The mission was to move the baby from Singleton
Hospital in Swansea to the Glasgow children's unit and the
heart-and-lung bypass equipment.
Airport passengers saw the ambulance arrive and the baby
taken on board the Hercules. An onlooker at the airport said:
"I've never seen an RAF aeroplane land on a civilian
runway. It was quite a shock. Then an ambulance pulled up
and paramedics jumped in with what looked like a special incubator.
It caused quite a stir in the departure lounge. That baby
must be in serious trouble to merit this kind of attention."
An RAF spokesman said: "It was an unusual mission to
fly a medical team on this type of operation. We quite often
fly patients to hospitals but in this case it was decided
it was more suitable to bring the team from the children's
hospital in Glasgow to Cardiff airport."
The Hercules left RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire to fly to Glasgow
where the team and equipment were flown on the 90-minute journey
to Cardiff. Huw Williams of Swansea NHS Trust said: "There
are only four ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) machines
in the UK, three in England and one in Scotland. There isn't
one in Wales. This is not the first time Lyneham's overstretched
crews have been involved in mercy missions.
The lifesaving trip yesterday was a replica
of another mercy mission that ferried a very sick young
child again, from Wales to Glasgow. This occured on the 14th
January 2004. In a separate occasion 12
months ago this week, a 30 Squadron C130J Hercules crew
came to the rescue once again , to assist in getting a very
sick baby girl from Ireland to essential medical care in Leicestershire.
"The three English ECMO machines were not available
so a decision was taken to fly the baby to Scotland."
At the parents' request, no more details of the baby were
released.
The Hercules captain, Squadron Leader Paul Cole said “Although
having just returned from 4 months in Iraq, this is certainly
a task where we are only too pleased to pull out all the stops
and I am proud to have been part of this team effort. I wish
the baby and family well and it’s good to know we’ve
helped give the baby a life”
Air Load Master, Sergeant Tony Jones Said “Time was
critical when loading the medical equipment and passengers
on and off the aircraft and I am privilaged to be involved
in helping to save a childs life” |
