Flying doctor service to be expanded

Scotland's flying doctor service is to be extended to cover all remote areas of the country.

• One of the helicopters which will be used to provide the extended service

The Scottish Government today confirmed that the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) is being rolled out to cover all remote and rural parts of the country with immediate effect.

The service was initially based in the Western Isles and west coast areas when it was launched in 2008.

It will now be increased to two Glasgow-based teams, with the number of doctors rising from eight to 15.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Getting the best possible medical help to a critically-ill patient, or someone who has been seriously injured, as rapidly as possible can significantly improve their chances of making a full recovery.

"But critical illness or injury can strike anywhere and patients are often some distance from the essential medical treatment they need.

"That's where the EMRS comes in - experienced accident and emergency or intensive care consultants fly to patients in remote and rural communities.

"This early intervention can make the difference between life and death and that is why we have decided to establish Scotland's flying doctors as a national service, delivering first-class healthcare to all rural parts of the country."

The service will cost 2 million a year to run and be staffed by air paramedics and consultants who are specialists in emergency medicine.

They will have access to two helicopters and two planes used by the air ambulance and fly across Scotland to treat critically-ill patients.

Highland and Orkney and Shetland are the key areas which will now come under its scope.

The team has undertaken 565 retrievals and given advice to a further 469 patients over the past two years.