Monday 11th April 2016 – 1.15pm – Murray MacGregor.
The skilful driving of a member of staff in a 4×4 ambulance ensured a woman who had fallen from a horse got to hospital in a timely manner.
The woman was unseated about 800 metres away from the nearest road, up a dirt track.
An emergency 999 call was received at about 3.15pm on Saturday afternoon to the location, which was in the middle of fields up a track between the villages of Brandon and Bretford in Warwickshire.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The initial ambulance crew that was dispatched quickly realised that their ambulance was not going to make it to the patient due to the wet mud on the track, so walked the half mile to the patient with their equipment.
“Given the nature of her neck and back injuries and the location, they requested an air ambulance be sent to provide advanced pain relief and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham was sent.
“The woman who was in her 40’s needed to be taken to hospital, but due to two other patients in critical conditions being airlifted into the nearby University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire, there would not have been anywhere to land the aircraft at the hospital. The crews decided that the best option was to use one of the Trust’s 4×4 ambulances.
“It was able to make its way to within about 100m of the scene before the driver became concerned that even it wouldn’t make it through the mud.
“Working together, the crews carried the woman, who had been immobilised, to the 4×4 ambulance which was able to get back to the roads and onto hospital.
“Once again, the decision to have a wide range of vehicles with different capabilities has proved its worth.”
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(library pictures)