Friday, July 6, 2007

** Maine paramedic killed in ambulance accident

** Essex air ambulance adds doctor to crew

UNITED STATES NEWS

** Wilton, Maine practitioners are mourning the loss of one of their own after paramedic Allan Parsons, 46, died yesterday morning in a collision with a pickup truck. The Sun Journal (July 5) said Med-Care ambulance worker Parsons, who was with a patient in the rear of the unit, died at the scene. The driver of the ambulance, meanwhile, required extrication. Police are releasing few details on how the accident occurred, saying only that it took place at the junction of Route 4 and Potato Road. The ambulance was journeying from Rumford to Lewiston’s Central Maine Medical Center. The rig was lit up at the time.

UNITED KINGDOM NEWS

** Essex’s air ambulance service has decided to add doctors to the inflight medical crew. That is the word from the Herts-Essex News (July 5) which said physicians will complement the existing pilot and two paramedics staffing its aircraft. Medical director Dr. Gareth Davies said the change will see the service advance to providing gold standard prehospital care. Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust operations manager Cliff Gale was more cautious. While acknowledging the move is viewed as a step forward, he said the donations reliant organization would now have to work harder to bring dollars in. Current monthly operations costs are about 105,000 pounds per month.