General News
22 December, 2023
Helipad MOU signed
Gilgandra State Emergency Service (SES) and NSW Health have agreed to a management structure for the hospital helipad.
Gilgandra Multi-Purpose Services’ (MPS) nurse manager John Alchin said the new memorandum of understanding between NSW Health and NSW SES formalises a long collaboration between the local MPS and the Gilgandra SES.
“For many years the SES have supported the MPS team by activating the helipad when its use is required.
This involves ensuring the safety of the helipad, turning on the emergency lighting, assisting the retrieval team with equipment transport, road, traffic, and crowd control, even at times with care requirements within the emergency department (ED) when needed,” said Mr Alchin.
“Gilgandra is extremely lucky to have an emergency landing pad on the grounds of Gilgandra MPS. In almost all small rural facilities across Australia emergency and retrieval helicopters and the intensive care teams they deliver are required to land on ovals or any other suitable space within the community and require NSW Ambulance to collect the team and equipment and deliver them to the hospital to stabilise the patient and then transfer them back to the helicopter for transfer to a tertiary facility.”
Mr Alchin said the strategic location of the helipad in Gilgandra (at the rear of the hospital) allows for the team to be on the ground and stabilising a critically I’ll patient in minutes.
“It negates the need for NSW Ambulance staff involvement, leaving them free for any other emergencies that may occur in the community, and reduces the risks involved with multiple transfers of critically I’ll patients.”
The proximity to the hospital enables landing helicopters to meet ambulances with critically ill patients from other towns outside of Gilgandra shire, who then can be conveyed quickly to the Gilgandra hospital emergency department to be stabilised by the team prior to further chopper evacuation.
Mr Alchin said, “the support of the SES allows clinical nursing and medical staff within the hospital to remain concentrated on the resuscitation and care of the critically ill patient within ED knowing that the SES have the safety of the landing and taking off process under control”.
Gilgandra SES have been involved in the management of the helipad for some time however, earlier this year the process was halted. The new MOU addresses concerns related to confidentiality, insurance, and the ongoing involvement of the SES.
Mr Alchin said that he and Gilgandra SES unit commander Mr Riley “have been in discussions for some time to find a way to formalise the process and to reduce the concerns related to this unique collaboration”.
“It’s just not something that happens anywhere else so, with changes in managers and leaders within services sometime the uniqueness of this relationship and its importance to the community can be lost,” said Mr Alchin.
“By formalising this relationship, it seals it for the future and allows both parties to clearly understand their roles and responsibilities as well as allowing frequent and formal reassessment of the relationship.
“We are incredibly thankful to Mr Riley and his SES team for agreeing to create this MOU and we can’t wait to get back to collaborating on ensuring that anyone in our community that needs urgent transfer to a tertiary facility has this undertaken in the safest, most professional, and quickest way possible,” said Mr Alchin.
The MOU took effect on Monday, December 4.
