Newspaper Article – Rescue gift lightens load

Rescue gift lightens load

Cancer patient’s family donates $5000 for lifting gear

By Pippa Brown
[email protected]

The rescue service workload will become a little bit lighter for Palmerston North Hospital thanks to a gift from an Auckland couple.

The family of the late Elizabeth Ann Grimshaw, Dan and Marcia Grimshaw from Auckland, donated $5000 to the Hawke’s Bay Air Ambulance Service Trust.

Mrs Grimshaw travelled from Napier to Palmerston North regularly for treatment during a recent battle with cancer.

It was suggested the money go toward a hydraulic prolifter for the Palmerston North area to add to others previously donated and passed on to the Chatham Islands, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Wairoa and Napier areas.

The Hawke’s Bay Air Ambulance Service operate three aircraft out of a new purpose-built facility at Hawke’s Bay Airport in Napier and work alongside Skyline Aviation and the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board.

They are one of the busiest and most experienced fixed-wing air ambulance services in New Zealand. In the last year they transferred more than 2200 patients from Hawke’s Bay and all over the country, “well over 80 per cent of the patients travel nationally”, said trust vice-chairman Tony Bryan.

“We are always looking to replace our old equipment and donations are gratefully accepted to keep our service first class.”

The lifters make life a lot easier as previously patients would have been lifted several times in and out by staff. With the aid of a lifter, the patient is handled once, put onto a stretcher, wheeled to the aircraft and the lifter, operated by hydraulics, does all the work.

Unfortunately people are getting heavier too. “We’ve had 2-3 people weighing between 120 and 130kg,” Mr Bryan said.

Clinical nurse manager transport patient service Stephanie Boston said the heaviest patient ever lifted was 250kg. “Having lifters available is vital to us and the safety of patients, staff and aircrew – we are one of the air ambulances in the country who can safely lift anyone over 200kg,” she said.

To donate to the service contact the Hawke’s Bay Air Ambulance Service Trust, PO Box 3303, Napier 4142.

Photo caption – THE TEAM: Annabel Toogood tried out the hydraulic lift as, from left, Skyline Aviation pilot Brylee Goldsworthy, flight nurse Margaret Gudgeon, DHB clinical nurse manager Stephanie Boston, Skyline Aviation general manager Mike Toogood and Air Ambulance Trust vice-chairman Tony Bryan look on.
PHOTO/GLENN TAYLOR HBT14409-01