Latest news with #GNAAS
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman dies in village crash, police say
A woman has died in a crash in a village, police have confirmed. Emergency services were called to Cookgate in Nunthorpe, near Middlesbrough, at about 12:37 BST following reports of a traffic collision. The road was closed for hours but reopened later in the evening. Cleveland Police said the woman's family had requested privacy while they grieved the loss of their loved one. In a statement, the force said: "Our thoughts remain with the woman's family and friends at this extremely difficult time." Teams from North East Ambulance Service and the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) attended along with police. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Related internet links
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Convinced I was dying' - Cumbrian brewery blast victim reunited with doctor
A MAN who sustained life-threatening injuries in a Workington brewery explosion last year has been reunited with the doctor who saved him. Leigh Taylor, a 44-year old from Seaton, was working on May 13, 2024, when he was engulfed by a fireball and badly burned in a blast. Recalling the incident, Mr Taylor said: "I remember being blown across the room and looking at it in disbelief. "My ears were ringing, and smoke was billowing, and then I just crawled out of the rubble. "I could see my hands were red raw, like slabs of meat with all the skin hanging off." North West Ambulance Service, Cumbria Police, and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene, in addition to teams from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and North West Air Ambulance Charity. Mr Taylor said: "I was convinced I was dying, and that's what I was expecting, to die, because the last thing I remember was them cutting the sleeve off my coat, and then I woke up five weeks later." He was put into a medically induced coma by the doctor and paramedic team from GNAAS and airlifted to Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle. Leigh Taylor in hospital a few weeks after the blast (Image: Supplied) The father-of-two underwent skin grafts after sustaining 40 per cent burns to his face, legs, and hands, and he also suffered a cardiac arrest while in a coma. Mr Taylor spent a total of nine weeks in hospital and was full of praise for the staff at the RVI who remarked that his recovery has been faster compared to other people of a similar age with similar injuries. He said: "The care at Newcastle's RVI was unbelievable, they were just fantastic. "My burns nurse always tells people at the hospital that I'm not your average burn survivor, which makes me quite proud." Mr Taylor still suffers from a lung inhalation injury, and despite doctors initially telling him it would be at least three months before he could resume climbing the fells, he defied those odds by reaching his first peak 37 days after leaving hospital. Leigh Taylor with the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) helicopter (Image: Supplied) He said: "The incident has given me a new perspective on life and it's changed me as a person. "It's kind of forced me on this journey of self-reflection and healing." Less than a year after the incident, Mr Taylor visited GNAAS' base in Langwathby to meet doctor Patrick Duncan, one of the medics who treated him on scene. He also brought his dog Taco, a Cocker Spaniel cross Kelpie, who was in the same building at the time of the explosion, but in a different room. He said: "She normally roamed around wherever I went, but that day for some reason I locked her in the office, so she wasn't by my side when it happened. "She's a lucky girl." During Mr Taylor's visit to GNAAS' base, he had the opportunity to discuss his incident with Dr Duncan and find out more information about what happened in the aftermath. Dr Duncan said: "I've attended many incidents since joining GNAAS, but Leigh's case was certainly a memorable one. "Considering it's been less than a year since the incident, Leigh looks really well compared to when we last saw him, and it was a pleasure to meet him again and find out how he's getting on." Mr Taylor added: "Patrick and the rest of the team at GNAAS were the first link in the chain that saved my life that day. "They stabilised me on scene and flew me quickly to the RVI in Newcastle which gave me the best possible chance of survival. "The job they do is really admirable and I have a lot of respect for them. "You never think you'll need GNAAS, but when you do, you'll be grateful that this service exists." According to GNAAS, it needs to raise £9.3m a year to remain operational. The charity recently launched an appeal to help them raise these funds. Find out more about the appeal on their website at
BBC News
28-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Manx Care agrees new air ambulance contract after funding concerns
A contract that provides people on the Isle of Man with emergency medical care and transfers to the UK by helicopter has been extended for a service, run by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), had been in doubt after Manx Care previously said it could not commit to the funding needed to maintain the healthcare provider has confirmed the parties had reached an agreement on a further 12-month contract, which is set to begin on 1 Care said it would now fund the service "based on a per mission costing" only, while GNAAS had committed "to strengthening fundraising activities on the island". The GNAAS has offered an emergency response that is additional to a fixed wing aircraft at the airport and coastguard services since March in March 2025, Manx Care said it could not continue to fund the £20,833 monthly retainer for the service on top of the £7,000 mobilisation fee per retainer was initially funded through the Healthcare Transformation Fund, but was transferred to Manx Care in April last healthcare body said the details of of the new call out fee "would not be disclosed on the grounds of commercial sensitivity". 'Vital partnership' From March 2022 to December 2024, the air ambulance service was called out on 60 occasions. A total of 29 patients were then transported off island, with 31 cases managed healthcare body's chief executive Teresa Cope said she was pleased they had been able to "find a solution to sustain this vital partnership to benefit the Manx community and deliver transparency of costs and value for money"."We look forward to working with them closely in conjunction with our fixed wing air ambulance service and HM Coastguard resource," she chief executive Joe Garcia said: "We are delighted at the continuation of this partnership to support the people of the Isle of Man." Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Future of northern air ambulance links with Isle of Man undecided
The future of the Isle of Man's links with the Great North Air Ambulance Service has not yet been agreed, the health minister has comes after Manx Care announced it could not continue to fund the £20,833 monthly retainer for the service on top of the £7,000 mobilisation fee per Minister Claire Christian said the island's healthcare provider could not "sustain funding the retainer" for emergency care and transfers to the UK by Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) said without funding from Manx Care or donations from local residents it "may not be able to continue responding". GNAAS, which offers an emergency response that is additional to a fixed wing aircraft at the airport and coastguard services, said it "relies on donations to operate".In a statement it said providing "advanced care to those that need it most" remained its priority and it was currently in talks with Manx Care "as to how we can continue providing our critical care service". 'Retain or discontinue' Christian told Tynwald members Manx Care wrote to the service in February outlining its intention to cease the funding at the end of current financial said the original contract with the GNAAS had begun on a temporary six month basis in retainer was initially funded through the healthcare transformation fund, but was transferred to Manx Care in April last the service had been extended since it began, the latest window for another extension to 2027 closed while negotiations were taking place with the healthcare said Manx Care had asked for an "alternative costing model" at a meeting with the GNAAS in December 2023 as it could not "sustain funding the retainer going forward", but that had not yet been received.A further meeting between the two parties has been planned for 1 April to decide whether "to retain or discontinue" the service for the said the service would continue its operation on the island on a "good will" basis while negotiations continued. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Crash survivor meets GNAAS paramedic who helped him
A man who survived a crash that sadly killed his friend has reunited with the paramedic who helped him - 18 years after the event. Jed Rayner, from Hebburn, was just 17 when the car he was in collided head-on with a tractor. The crash, which happened on the A686 between Langwathby and Edenhall in Penrith, claimed the life of his friend James Johnston, who was also 17. Mr Rayner said: "It all happened very quick; we were travelling at the speed limit and as we came around a corner James eased off the gas and tapped his breaks. "Unknown to us, there was a large amount of hydraulic fluid on the road and unfortunately the wheels locked and we slid sideways into oncoming traffic, head on with a tractor." The North West Ambulance Service and the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) attended the incident, but Mr Johnston died at the scene. Mr Rayner said: "I remember a lady speaking to me and trying to keep me focused on her rather than the state of James as he was very badly injured. "I can remember what James looked like at the scene and I have to admit that it's something that has haunted me ever since." Mr Rayner had to be cut out of the car, and was in and out of consciousness when he was treated by medics at the roadside. He suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung, and had several cuts to his face, head, hands, and back. He said: "I was in a lot of pain, and it felt like my chest was burning and I couldn't catch my breath very well. "I remember being in the car then all of a sudden being on my back strapped up and being able to see out of the window of the helicopter - that is where I remember seeing a man with a bald head. "I asked what he was putting into me, which was painkillers, I believe, and then hearing this rumble, and seeing the blades starting to move, and then, within a few seconds, I couldn't see them and we were up in the air." Mr Rayner was airlifted to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and woke up to a nurse pulling out shards of glass from his hair and body. He spent several days in hospital recovering and had a chest tube inserted to help reinflate his lung. He said: "I was very sore all over and was not really with it. "My friends and family came to visit me constantly which was so nice and really showed me how much they cared about me. 'My recovery took a while - I had physical and mental therapy because of the flashbacks and because my body was not aligned up correctly from the trauma." Eighteen years have passed since the collision in Penrith, and at the age of 35, Mr Rayner has signed up to do the Great North Run for the first time, in support of GNAAS. He said: "I enjoy keeping active in many ways - my dad did it when he was younger, and one of my close friends has done it for many years now and never has a bad time; he loves the atmosphere. "The age I am now and how I feel is that I believe it's the right time and there isn't any other charity I would want to do it for. "I cannot wait to get my vest with GNAAS' logo on it and get running." After hearing about Mr Rayner's link to the charity, staff at GNAAS tracked down the paramedic, named Terry Sharpe, who helped him back in 2006, and invited Mr Rayner and his family to GNAAS' base in Langwathby to meet him. Mr Rayner said: "It is hard to explain in words how I felt meeting Terry after all these years. "I felt very overwhelmed and very emotional. "It was a very surreal moment in my life because I never thought I would ever have the honour to meet him. "Terry exceeded my expectations - never did I think he would be as nice as he was, and putting me at ease made all the difference." Mr Sharpe said: "I'd been at GNAAS a couple of years when I attended Jed's incident and I still remember the case very well. "It was lovely having the opportunity to meet Jed and his family all these years later and hear about the positive impact we've had on his life." Mr Rayner added: "Without GNAAS so many people would have lost their lives. "It certainly saved mine and I will be forever grateful for that - we should all support it because we just never know when we might need it for ourselves or one of our family members." GNAAS claim to need to raise £9.3m a year to remain operational, and have launched a prize draw raffle to raise funds. To find out more and buy tickets, please visit:
