New ambulance chopper

PEOPLE in Shetland will have the chance to inspect the Scottish Air Ambulance’s new helicopter and speak to paramedics when the chopper tours local communities on Sunday.

Two new Airbus H145s will replace the current EC135 helicopters later this month.

Larger and faster, the new helicopters will also enhance the quality of clinical care with more room for teams to deliver complex treatment.

The new H145s will be the first air ambulances in Scotland to operate with night vision equipment, which will allow greater access to remote and rural communities.

The new helicopters are based in Glasgow and Inverness and operate alongside the two King Air 200c aircraft based in Glasgow and Aberdeen.

The Scottish Government has provided an additional £1.9 million this year, and £200,000 for the next two years, to allow the Scottish Ambulance Service to fund the procurement of the larger helicopters.

SAS chairman David Garbutt said: “Our air ambulance service provides a vital lifeline to the people of Scotland, particularly those in remote and rural communities.

“The new helicopters, along with the refurbished planes, ensure that the air wing continues to one of the most advanced in the world providing the best possible in flight environment for the specialist clinicians to deliver consistently high standards of life saving patient care.”

The new helicopter is expected to be in Fair Isle at 9.30am, in Foula at 10.40am, Papa Stour 11.35am, Yell 12.35pm, Unst 1.30pm, Fetlar 2.25pm, Out Skerries 3.20pm and the Tingwall airstrip at 4.20pm.