Alderney ambulance staff find Dorniers difficult for medevacs
AURIGNY and Alderney's ambulance service are caught in a tangle over medevacs and the transition to Dorniers.
St John Alderney Ambulance Service crews say they are finding it difficult to load passengers into and out of the Dornier fleet, owing to factors such as the height and structure of the door and limited space inside.
Aurigny said that owing to liability issues, its staff are not able to help out with the loading and off-loading of patients.
A licensed engineer needs to sign off the removal of seats to configure a Dornier for carrying a stretcher each time a medivac is carried out, adding to the issues around the aircraft's use for medical flights.
A contract for medevacs has never been been formalised between Health & Social Care and Aurigny.
There are now three Dorniers and one Trislander operating the Alderney routes and the remaining Trislander will be taken out of service in May.
St John Alderney Ambulance Service chairman Les Stewart said a total of five people were required to load a stretcher onto a Dornier – three on the outside and two inside.
