A six-month trial of the Isle of Man’s enhanced emergency air bridge is now underway.

The new Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) aims to take patients who are seriously ill or who have suffered a major trauma from the Isle of Man directly to the north west of England for emergency medical treatment.

This ‘flexible and reactive’ transfer of patients to trauma or other specialist centres will ensure that those who need off-island treatment will receive it ‘in the shortest time possible’.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), which operates the HEMS service, has now completed its registration as a charity in the island, undertaken simulation and trial flights, and entered into a formal agreement with Manx Care.

Manx Care has said the staff operating the helicopter won’t be based in the island and it hasn’t employed any additional staff.

The GNAAS team, who will operate the helicopter, are experienced in delivery of pre-hospital trauma care, providing emergency treatment including things such as blood transfusions at the scene of traumatic incidents.

The partnership with GNAAS is ‘a step towards delivering on a key recommendation of Sir Jonathan Michael’s landmark review’ into the provision of health and social care services, which is the creation of an enhanced emergency air bridge.

Manx Care confirmed last September that ‘the trial was commencing and has used the time since to sort out logistics, simulation with GNAA, operational procedures and aviation regulations’.