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- 29 May 2007
Helicopter Rescue Services
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Page: 327
Mr MORRIS IEMMA: During question time the Leader of the Opposition asked me a question in relation to ambulance services for New South Wales. The first part of the question related to specific incidents. I have sought advice and I would like to inform the House by way of supplementation to the answer I provided earlier. In relation to the matter concerning the first day of operation, I am advised that a fault caused a warning light to come on. The fault was with the operation of the warning light. I am advised this was fixed and following an engineering inspection the helicopter returned to service later that day.
I am further advised that last Thursday an electrical failure resulted in a return to base. The chief executive of the Ambulance Service has advised there was no official report of smoke or oil. I am further advised that the repair was immediately rectified and the helicopter was back in the air that very day. I am further advised that a second helicopter was immediately dispatched and the transfer successfully completed. I am also advised that under the new arrangements new helicopters are interchangeable, so a full service was maintained. I can further advise that two weeks after the Air Ambulance emergency helicopters took to the skies more than 50 missions have been flown
Mr Barry O'Farrell: Catastrophic electronic failure.
Mr MORRIS IEMMA: This is information from Air Ambulance New South Wales. I am further advised that new aircraft are based at Bankstown, Wollongong and Orange. The missions included 30 responses to incidents such as a patient trapped with arm, head and leg injuries after a car accident on the Princes Highway, a high-speed head-on collision between two motor vehicles on Springwood Road Yarramundi, and a person falling from a motorbike at Long Point near Orange. One incident involved the urgent transfer of a critically ill patient weighing more than 150 kilograms from a regional centre to Sydney.
I am advised by the Ambulance Service that this mission would not have been possible in the old helicopters and helped give the patient the best chance of a positive outcome. I am further advised that the helicopters return to base from time to time for repair. That was the case before; it will be the case in the future, and is part of the new procedures. My colleague, the member for Monaro, informs me that CHC Helicopter Corporation is the company that runs Snowy Hydro South Care. He advises that that organisation is thrilled with the service that is provided.
Question time concluded.
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