Ambulance UK April 2024

NEWSLINE
NEWSLINE
AMBULANCE UK – APRIL
Primarily funded by charitable
donations, the service is also
run in partnership with Barts
Health NHS Trust and the
London Ambulance Service
NHS Trust. Barts Health NHS
Trust provides the doctors, some
financial support and the helipad
facilities at The Royal London
Hospital. The London Ambulance
Service NHS Trust provides the
paramedics and the emergency
infrastructure to dispatch the
service 24 hours a day.
Milana’s story
On 17 January 2022, Milana – a
mother of two – accidentally fell
from a great height in London.
Her life took a turn that no one
could prepare for.
London’s Air Ambulance was
dispatched and arrived at her
side within minutes, the first on
scene. Our advanced trauma
team found Milana barely
alive. She was critically injured,
extremely pale, breathing very
quickly with only palpable central
pulses, cold and in a lot of pain.
She also had no recordable blood
pressure and her heart rate was
over twice the normal rate.
The crew sited intravenous
access to administer strong
painkillers. They suspected
Milana was severely bleeding
internally in her abdomen and
from a life-threatening pelvic
fracture. She had broken her
ribs on her left side, puncturing
her lung, and had broken her left
ankle to such an extent it was
stopping the blood supply to
her foot. The team also noticed
that Milana was not moving her
lower limbs at all. They suspected
she had unfortunately suffered a
spinal cord injury.
Once off the ground onto a
trolley bed, having had a pelvic
splint applied, Milana received a
blood transfusion – something
only London’s Air Ambulance’s
team can administer on scene
in London. The team also
administered a roadside general
anaesthetic to take over her
breathing and performed a
surgical procedure to the left
side of her chest to re-inflate
her punctured lung. Both these
procedures ensured Milana could
get maximum oxygen to her vital
organs, especially her brain.
The team then rang the nearest
major trauma centre and
declared a code red. A code
red is an early warning to the
receiving hospital team, to
prepare them for a patient who is
severely injured and has got lifethreatening
bleeding. On the way
to hospital the crew performed
an ultrasound scan of Milana’s
abdomen which confirmed their
suspicion of internal bleeding.
The team accompanied Milana to
hospital, where they handed her
over to an awaiting trauma team.
“When I woke up from my coma,
I thought I was in a nightmare.
Doctors were telling me what had
happened, but I didn’t believe
it was real,” said Milana. “I was
waiting for someone to pinch me
to wake me up properly so I could
return to my normal life.”
For the following 10 months,
Milana remained in hospital. Her
spinal cord injury had resulted
in paralysation from her waist
down. “For the first three months
I struggled to accept this new
reality. But when I realised it was
real, I said to myself I have to
work out how to do this.
“First I have to heal physically and
then find my way out of hospital
and back home. I have to return
home to my boys.”
Through 12 surgeries and months
of intensive rehabilitation, Milana
worked tirelessly on her recovery
with dedication and tenacity.
“I had to find a new way of living.
I had to learn how to do the
daily things you don’t even think
about in a wheelchair, like getting
dressed and getting onto a bed.
But I wanted to do it for my
children, I wanted to be at home
with them for Christmas. They
were my driving force.
“An inspiring woman said to me
that it is not the accident that
happens to you that defines
you, but how you respond to
the challenges.”
Surrounded by unconditional love
and fuelled by determination to
overcome the challenges ahead
of her, Milana progressed through
rehab and returned home to her
family, where she lives today.
“I vividly remember my first breath
of fresh air after removing my
respiratory breathing tube and
seeing my first sunrise since the
accident – so many shades of
pink, orange and blue. We can
get caught up in life sometimes,
but I was reminded never to take
anything for granted.
“Something really dreadful
happened that day, but at the
same time, a miracle happened
and from that point onwards so
many stars aligned to help me
survive. London’s Air Ambulance
being first on the spot and
then the NHS for the following
months. I am grateful for every
day, minute and second. Being
alive is a privilege and I am
so thankful to all the medical
teams that have given me the
opportunity to be here. The
courage and professionalism of
London’s Air Ambulance’s crew
was incredible.”
After a year of being back at
home, living her life with her
children and husband, Milana is
full of thanks for everyone who
has been a part of her journey.
“Two things made this impossible
journey possible for me. The
immense love I received from
my husband, my children, my
parents, brother, sister and
friends. And of course all the
doctors and nurses that attended
to me. London’s Air Ambulance:
the first to arrive and help me.
Those first minutes were the most
crucial. The charity made my
recovery possible.”
Milana was already aware of
London’s Air Ambulance Charity
before her accident – she had
attended one of our events in
2019 and subsequently joined the
charity’s gala committee.
“I was taken aback by the charity
when I first heard about it. It’s an
inspirational service – you really
do save lives.”
She played an instrumental role in
organising the 2022 gala – which
went on to raise over £1 million on
the night – but hadn’t been able
to attend as was still in hospital
at the time. Instead, she followed
the evening through a video call
from her hospital bed!
“I am best placed to say that this
really can happen to anyone. I
wouldn’t wish it to happen to
anybody ever. But if it does, we
need to make sure London’s Air
Ambulance can be there to save
their life too.”
In February 2024, just two years
after her accident, Milana spoke
at our 2024 gala, bravely sharing
her journey with the guests.
“Speaking at the gala is part of
my journey, another milestone
for me,” she beamed. “This is an
opportunity to say thank you to
everyone who supported me.
“Something tragic happened to
me. But from that point onwards,
so much good happened and I
am so thankful to London’s Air
Ambulance Charity for that.
“There is no rewind button in life,
so we have to look forward and
that is what I’m doing. Together,
tonight, we can make sure that
London’s Air Ambulance Charity
is able to give another person
that chance.”
Royal Engineers from
Kinloss Barracks join
forces with HELP
Appeal helipad charity
for first time to bring
lifesaving helipad to
Isle of Gigha.
Once completed the HELP
Appeal and 39 Engineer
Regiment could construct
more helipads in Scotland to
speed up remote communities’
access to hospitals in medical
emergencies.
For the first time, the Corps of
Royal Engineers, and the HELP
(Helicopter Emergency Landing
Pads) Appeal, the only helipad
charity in the country, will be
working together to build a
much-needed emergency helipad
on the community owned Isle
of Gigha.
Gigha is located on the most
southerly Hebridean Islands,
three miles west of the Kintyre
peninsula and around a threehour
drive from Glasgow followed
by a 20-minute sailing on a
ferry. Whilst there is a regular
ferry service, Gigha is still a
remote and rural community,
and its inaccessibility can be
problematic particularly during a
medical emergency. By having
Rendering Controlled Drugs Irretrievable for Use
SaferDenature Controlled Drug denaturing kits will render unused, waste or expired medicines
irretrievable prior to disposal via pharmaceutical waste streams in line with current legislation * .
Simple, easy-to-use, instructions on every kit
Small 250ml kit for convenient use in the field
Suitable for use with tablets, capsules, liquids,
aerosols or patches
The water soluble sachet contains the
formula granules to guard against accidental
spillage and user contamination
Larger kit volumes available for expired
stock clearance
a permanent, purpose-built
helipad at Gigha Airfield, the
Scottish Air Ambulance and
larger coastguard helicopters can
land and take off at any time on
the island, transporting critically ill
patients to the most appropriate
major trauma centre or A&E
hospital on the mainland.
Jane Millar, from The Isle of Gigha
Heritage Trust, approached the
HELP Appeal for support. By a
happy co-incidence the charity
had also been contacted by 39
Engineer Regiment in Kinloss,
Scotland, asking if there was
a helipad project it could be
involved with to gain exercise
experience of building emergency
platforms. 39 Engr Regiment
are the MOD’s high readiness
air support Engineer force and
the regiment strive to improve
its understanding of helicopter
infrastructure so it can react
without delay to the needs of
defence across the world.
Purchase at NHS supply chain:
my.supplychain.nhs.uk/catalogue or www.alphalabs.co.uk/safer-denature
Phone: 023 8048 3000 • www.alphalabs.co.uk
In 2002, the Gigha islanders
managed to purchase the
island for £4 million under the
Community Right to Buy scheme.
They now own it through the
Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust,
which has teamed up with the
HELP Appeal and 39 Engineer
Regiment to coordinate the
project. Currently the island
operates on a “landing strip” of
grass, which is a highly unsuitable
surface for its volunteer
ambulance service when
escorting patients to a helicopter.
It can become waterlogged and
muddy delaying their transfer to
lifesaving treatment at a hospital
on the mainland.
Robert Bertram, the HELP
Appeal’s Chief Executive has
agreed to fund the cost of the
project - £150,000 - and 39
Engineer Regiment in conjunction
with local contractors, will
build the helipad. It will be
operational by April 2024. Once
*The misuse of Drugs
Regulations 2001
AMBULANCE UK – APRIL
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For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
01 Safer Denature - Ambulance UK - Jan 2024.indd 1 10/01/2024 14:27:14
For further recruitment vacancies visit: www.ambulanceukonline.com
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