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SERIOUSLY ill patients will be flown between hospitals at night when the County Air Ambulance Service extends its operational hours.

The service, which covers the Midlands and Welsh Borders from RAF Cosford, will extend its 14-hour-a-day operational period to 16 hours a day from Thursday, May 1 by introducing a shift system comprising two teams of pilots, paramedics and doctors.

This will mean the service's helicopter could be airborne 14 hours a day instead of the current 12.

The helicopter's base will be fitted with landing lights required for night flying and the service aims to have landing pad lighting near each of its major receiving hospitals.

Ian Clayton, Air Ambulance operations manager, said: "This will result in the public receiving a much-improved medical service, available to respond to serious incidents between 6am and 10pm.

"Part of our work will also focus on the rapid transfer of patients between specialist hospitals in the region, with some critically ill casualties being airlifted during the hours of darkness."

At a cost of £24 a minute, the service airlifts more than 3,500 patients annually and the number of missions is expected to increase in 2008.

Receiving no government or National Lottery funding, the service relies solely on voluntary donations to raise the £5.6 million it needs to remain operational.

7:32am Monday 28th April 2008

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