Three senior officials normally involved with the TT organisation have been carrying out work for the community during the Covid-19 crisis.

Dr Gareth Davies and Dr Gruff Evans, two of the three chief medical officers for the TT and Manx Grand Prix, and deputy clerk of the course Lizzie Kinvig, have all been involved in the support network surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.

Gareth is the clinical director for Isle of Man Ambulance Service and a director of Manx Roadracing Medical Services (MRMS), along with Gruff.

The latter recently retired as a general practitioner at the Hailwood Practice in Governor’s Hill, and has been back helping doing three or four shifts each week on the 1119 Helpline.  

He, Gareth and Dr Sally Simmons - a GP in Alderney who has covered Mountain Course and Billown events since 2013 - have been joint directors of MRMS since Dr David Stevens stood down in 2016 after more than 40 years of providing and co-ordinating cover for local motorsport events.

Gareth has been involved in the medical service cover for the TT and Manx Grand Prix for 25 years, most of the time on Airmed.

He was a long-time consultant in emergency medicine at Royal London Hospital, but now splits his responsibilities between London’s Air Ambulance and the IoM Ambulance Service (when not in lockdown as at present).

Gruff is also a director of Manx Motor Cycle Club (organisers of the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT) along with Lizzie.

The latter has been part of the volunteer team working for the Ambulance Service.

’With the motorsport calendar currently suspended I had time and capacity and wanted to do something worthwhile during the crisis,’ she said.

’Supporting the Isle of Man Ambulance Service fitted the bill. I’m really enjoying it.

’I’m doing two or three days a week with the "Make Ready Team" checking the stock and once an ambulance has been deep cleaned we make sure it is ready to go back out on the road.

’If things are really busy we have to drive a clean vehicle from the ambulance station up to A&E to do a crew change.’

Lizzie said she has been aware of the dangers doing this in regards to the possible exposure to the virus, but added: ’I don’t actually feel in any danger. We only deal with the deep cleaned vehicles and I think there is more chance of me catching Covid going to the shop for a pint of milk.

’The rest of the team are either retired firemen or Civil Defence and they are all lovely people.’

Doctors and paramedics, many of whom work for the ambulance service, work hard on the TT, Classic TT and MGP set-up, so Lizzie said she is happy to do some voluntary work in return for the medical services that will be of benefit to the wider community.

’It is nice for me to be able to support all these people during the current situation. I have met so many individuals who are all very appreciative of our support.

’I have been well trained and provided with all the necessary PPE, and I’m keeping up with my radio skills so I’ll be ready for when our motorsport events can get underway again.

Dr Davies said: ’There is an amazing team of volunteers working for the Ambulance Service.

’It’s good to highlight the fantastic work that people are doing to support their community.’

Dr Evans, who retired from general practice quite literally immediately before the lockdown, fully intending to carry on with his motorsport commitments but immediately got involved with the 111 helpline at the outbreak of Covid-19 in the island.

Manx Roadracing Medical Services used some of the funds that would have been used to provide medication for this year’s major motorsport events to instead purchase 50 full-face diving masks (whilst also successfully appealing to local divers for additional pieces of equipment).

A diving company in Port Erin has also been extremely helpful and generous.

A local engineering company has made changes to the valves on the masks and these were used during the peak period of the outbreak locally as back-up for patients in Noble’s requiring additional oxygen when their lungs were not functioning satisfactorily.

Gruff said that the pressure on the 111 helpline is now not as intense as it was, so the volunteers are joining up with those working on contact tracing.

’It’s all helped make some savings and MRMS has also been able to put some money into local initiatives for the vulnerable during this difficult period,  such as the Laxey Lifeline.’

This group was formed to act as a central point to collate information and provide assistance to Garff residents in the current Covid-19 situation.

Gruff added that volunteers from the Hogg Motorsport Rescue Unit (incorporating the Rob Vine Fund) have also been fill-in and additional drivers during the recent crisis.

There’s no doubt that the expertise and collective experience of medics and organising team members from the TT, MGP and Classic TT set-up teams have played a vital supportive role to the hard-pressed local NHS workers over the past two months or more.