Coping in the cold

Essex and Herts Air Ambulances on alert during recent cold snap

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) has seen a vast increase in the number of emergency call outs to RTC’s, slips, trips and falls since the cold weather began. This has put immense pressure on all emergency services and has thus impacted on the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT).

Stuart Elms, EHAAT Clinical Manager, said: “We have been able to assist our partner, the East of England Ambulance Service by attending incidents in locations that a traditional land ambulance would not be able to reach because of the road conditions. The Air Ambulances have attended incidents which would not normally necessitate a full Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) but in these adverse conditions a simple broken ankle from falling on the ice can quickly develop into a hypothermic patient in need of more emergency resources and a longer stay in hospital.”

On board the aircraft the EHAAT HEMS Crews carry medical protective wrap which helps to prevent exposure to the elements and can be used with disposable heat pads that are applied to the patient’s chest. The Doctor or Paramedic can then monitor the patient’s temperature and try to keep them above 35° Centigrade. This can help to prevent the onset of Hypothermia.