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Article: Mountain rescue responds to NHS 999 call for help
- Article from:
- Scotland on Sunday
- Article date:
- May 25, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2003 Scotland on Sunday. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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MOUNTAIN rescuers will respond to 999 medical emergencies before
ambulance crews in an effort to save dozens of lives in rural
Scotland each year.
It can take ambulances 20 minutes or longer to reach patients in
some parts of the Highlands, but mountain rescue volunteers are
likely to get their sooner, sometimes making the difference between
life and death.
The rescuers, who are already trained in advanced first aid, will
now respond to a wide range of medical emergencies, particularly
heart attacks - not just in the hills but wherever they happen.
The plan is for the volunteers to stabilise patients and wait with
them for ambulance crews to arrive. Mountain rescuers are
spearheading the ...