A Helicopter Emergency Medical Service for Northern Ireland.

flying time from the base to any particular location – all of Northern Ireland can be covered in just over 30 minutes. Beside the map, sits an air desk paramedic who listens to NIAS radio traffic and can pre-emptively activate the helicopter if calls such as major RTC, falls from a height or declared major incident are overheard. Otherwise, the team respond to requests from emergency services on the ground. The helicopter operates from approximately 7 AM to 7 PM reflecting variation in daylight hours and difficulty landing a helicopter in unprepared and unlit sites. The pilot requires considerable expertise to choose suitable landing sites as close as possible to the scene (figure 1).