LANCASHIRE Ambulance Service is gearing up to receive a new arrival - an air ambulance helicopter which will zoom into the county next month.

The Flying Doctors-style ambulance will be stationed at Blackpool Airport and controlled by staff at Ambulance Headquarters, Broughton, for the whole of the North West region.

It is one of three new air ambulance helicopters to be introduced this year as part of a nationwide network of helicopter air ambulances.

The life-saving initiative has been organised by the National Association of Air Ambulance Services (NAAAS) and has the backing of the AA motoring organisation, which has pledged £14million to the scheme over three years.

Lancashire's air ambulance will be manned by two paramedics who will each receive specialist training from the Civil Aviation Authority before tackling emergency-in-the-sky operations.

It is hoped that by 2002 the whole of the country will be covered by a dedicated air ambulance service, which will provide full-time emergency medical help and support to existing emergency services.

Chief executive of Lancashire Ambulance David Hill said: "The air ambulance will serve the whole of the North West region from Cheshire to Cumbria, providing a potentially life-saving service to a population of more than seven million people plus millions of holidaymakers. The advantages an air ambulance can bring in quickly getting paramedic help to seriously injured patients and taking them to specialist hospital care in the shortest time is critical to chances of a full recovery.

"We are very proud to have been selected to receive one of the first two helicopters to be provided under the AA sponsorship arrangements.

"It will operate out of Blackpool Airport and its use will be managed by the Control Room team at Ambulance Headquarters in Broughton, on behalf of all the Ambulance Services in the North West."

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