Coastguard strikes NHS deal to 'save more lives'

The agreement is the first of its kind in England

A deal has been struck between the coastguard and the NHS to speed up transfers of critically-ill patients.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will see coastguard helicopters take patients between hospitals across west and south west England.

It aims to simplify existing processes and improve the speed and efficiency of transfers involving adult patients.

Maritime minister Baroness Charlotte Vere said it would improve "outcomes and could ultimately save lives".

The collaboration - signed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Retrieve Adult Critical Care Transfer Service - is the first of its kind in England.

Retrieve operates from bases covering the Peninsula (Launceston in Cornwall) and Severn (Bristol) regions and covers all hospitals in the South West Critical Care Network, which runs from Gloucestershire to Cornwall.

The "blueprint" agreement will now be considered in other parts of the country

The agreement was hosted by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) and has been hailed as a "blueprint" for future relationships between the MCA and other transfer services.

It has been specifically designed to ensure core search and rescue operations can be continued, while facilitating hospital transfers as effectively as possible.

It involves the red and white coastguard helicopters - a familiar sight on rescue operations.

They are sometimes also sent to support the NHS to fly seriously ill or injured patients, medical teams and equipment to cut journey times between hospitals for specialist care.

• Helicopter rescues man stuck on rocks

• Coastguard warns of 'silent killer' on boats

• Dog rescued after plunging off Isle of Man cliff

Under the agreement, Retrieve has gained "Trusted Partner" status, enabling the service to contact the coastguard directly for assistance.

It has been formally signed off by HM Coastguard Director Claire Hughes and Alison Lowndes, Divisional Director for Surgery at UHBW.

"We hope this blueprint agreement is the first of many between public bodies around the country," Ms Hughes said.

Ms Lowndes said: "This agreement establishes a strong governance platform on which services can work together and share knowledge to best meet the needs of our patients when literally, every minute matters."