The early results of a new trial using plasma onboard the region’s Great North Air Ambulances has seen yet more “unexpected survivors”
The trial, which builds on the life-saving ‘Blood on Board’ technique, saw the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) carry defrosted fresh frozen plasma on board one of its aircraft for the first time, in May last year.
Believe it or not, this is something we’ve known about for some considerable time, but could not make public because of reporting restrictions imposed by the Big Lottery Fund. However, these were lifted on 11th August, the day that this article was released and also the day that the National Lottery made an announcement to the press about our grant. So, we can proudly report that we have been given £10,000.00 to buy a motorbike for our work with the Great North Air Ambulance Service.
The Great North Air Ambulance Service is starting a car based service on a Friday & Saturday nights to provide emergency cover at busy times when the helicopter doesn’t fly. The Blood on Board service will be extended to include the car allowing trauma specialists working with GNAAS save even more lives, by delivering emergency blood directly to the scene of life-threatening accidents.
To support the extension of the Blood on Board service, Northumbria Blood Bikes will be delivering an extra cool box on Thursday and Friday evenings.
OnTuesday 13th January Northumbria Blood Bikes went live supporting the Great North Air Ambulance with their "Blood on Board" project.
As of this week, the Air Ambulance service now has the capacity to deliver fresh blood supplies to the scene of life threatening accidents, and carry out roadside blood transfusions; GNAAS is one of only a few air ambulances in the world to perform this life-saving procedure. Northumbria Blood Bikes and our firends at Blood Bikes Cumbria are providing the blood transport to and from the airfields.
