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Sun Nov 18 15:42:28 GMT 2007

I work in the emergency department of a small hospital in figueras- Spain, 
which is about 20 km from the french border. My work also includes 
prehospital ambulance cover (Advanced life suport ambulance with 
Doctor/Nurse and technician). In our area we have one air ambulance 
(pilot-nurse-doctor) based at the larger hospital about 30 km away. Also 
there is a large hospital in perpignan (Fr) about 40 Km which has an 
air-ambulance aswell ( SAMU - SMUR).

Being a small hospital we have to transfer many criticaly ill pacients as we 
have no Intensive care/coronory care unit or trauma unit. These pacients are 
usually transfered to the larger hospital close by, but often if the pacient 
is french call directly with the french SAMU to evicauate the pacient. 
Medical ambulances are not oficially allowed to cross the border but the air 
ambulance often does.

Prehospital have only worked once with the french air ambulance: 17 car pile 
up on the motorway 100 m from the border crossing on the Spanish side ( 
which later turned out to be French territory): Was the first medic on the 
scene and later joined by 3 French air ambulances and 1 spanish ambulance. 
Of the 17 victims, 7 were T1 and T2, and transported to the two major 
hospitals in France and Spain, which includes 2 pacients by French air 
ambulance to the Spanish Hospital.

>From experience have had no problem evacuating french pacients to france by 
helicopter, though always have to call direct to the french SAMU and not via 
the Spanish emergency system ( they arn't so acceptable of us working with 
the french)

Communication can some times be a problem: french/spanish/english or 
Catalan, but untill now have had no problems.

Billing seems no problem as the pacients are usually french. In major 
incidences we can ask the french for help, billing will probably be sorted 
out at a higher political level.

Rescue sistems are similar in france and Spain with basic ambulances with 
technicians and andvances ambulances with Doctor-nurse.

Equipment very much standard, what i,ve seen we use the same monitors/ O2 
conecions etc.

Would be intersted to know if you know mora about medical licencing in these 
cases: in emergencies it is the duty of doctors to help: but legal insurance 
cover may think otherwise: luckly both countries don't have such a suing 
mentality as others.

Regards Richard

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mathias Kalkum" <listen at doc-kalkum.de>
To: "Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list" <trauma-list at trauma.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2007 6:52 PM
Subject: Cross-border helicopter rescue in EU

> Dear friends,
>
> as I am invited to talk about the topic of border crossing emergency
> helicopter flights for on scene rescue I would like to ask a few
> questions. I am only interested on services within the European Union.
> To the best of my knowledge, there are 9 or so helicopters services in
> Germany which claim they cross the border on a fairly regular scheme. I
> have sent them a couple of questions, yet I received little answers.
> There is very little data available. So if there is any of you who can
> add comments, hints, experiences you are more than welcome.
>
> What is your experience with
>
> # air regulation rules?
>
> # communication in foreign languages?
>
> # different rescue systems (paramedic / physician)?
>
> # billing?
>
> # medical equipment?
>
> # different radio dipatch standarts?
>
> # have you had to pass licensing to treat across the border?
>
> This is not on whether helicopters are of any use etc. - please refrain
> from jumping on that train :-)
>
> Kind regards!
>
> Mathias
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Cross-border helicopter rescue in EU