IRELAND'S first air ambulance, charitably funded and planned to be fully operational by autumn 2009, is likely to be based at Omagh's Tyrone County Hospital, it has been revealed. Following aviation and location surveys, the Hospital Road site looks a likely base for the Alpha 5 Ireland Air Ambulance Group's first Emergency Medical Services (EMS) helicopter, and has been deemed a 'vital addition' to services in the West by local health campaigners. To be the 17th independent air ambulance service operating in the UK and Ireland, the helicopter will not be funded by the Department of Health, but will operate hand-in-hand with Northern Ireland's emergency services. It is hoped that, following a 999 call, the Air Ambulance can be tasked, airborne and on its way in under three minutes. Twenty-two helicopters are in service daily, attending some 17,500 call-outs - on average an air ambulance takes off in England, Scotland or Wales every 10 minutes, 365 days a year in the daylight hours. With the service originally scheduled for a May 2010 launch, the group now hope to take delivery of a helicopter in June of 2009 and, following trials with the new crew and emergency services, to be fully operational by autumn next year. Its location, although yet to be officially confirmed, is expected to be within the grounds of Omagh's existing hospital. Delighted Jerry Carr, operations director, is delighted to see the original 2010 launch date being brought forward: "We have been speaking to a few aircraft suppliers that specialise in EMS aircraft and, having received initial prices, have been able to negotiate them down, and change contract details which enabled the cost to be reduced." As a result, the initial £2.5m leasing cost has been reduced to about £1.2m. He continued: "We have been focusing on capital fundraising for the actual aircraft itself, as well as putting in place service sustainability plans. Now we need businesses to come forward in droves and help us with staffing. "We were taken aback by the response from the public - positive all the way down the line. We need people to keep contributing as we still have to work very hard on ensuring service sustainability. We are hopeful that businesses will come forward to sponsor essential staff - those involved in fundraising, administration, marketing and the like. If a business was to take on one of these people and simply add them to their payroll for a year, they would be making a massive, and much-needed, contribution." As well as a burgeoning - paid and voluntary - administrative team, the charity will employ pilots, a winch operator, trained doctors and paramedics to deliver the service 'on-the-ground', so to speak. Delighted to see Alpha 5's plans approach fruition, West Tyrone MLA, Dr Kieran Deeny said: "I am very, very much behind the air ambulance service - we need it in Northern Ireland. We need to move into the 21st century".

'Way of life'

Noting that such a service is 'a way of life across the water', the Carrickmore GP continued: "We're really behind and we need to catch up. The team is determined to get this up and going from charitably raised funds, and they seem to be on course, and, in fact, even ahead. I think that they are perhaps hoping that in the future the Department of Health will be embarrassed into funding this service which is, after all, so necessary." A strenuous advocate of anything that will better equip the rural West, the Assembly Health Committee member added: "Omagh is hard to beat location-wise. It is very central, and that is essential. "I think it also may help our case for securing a proper A&E and stabilisation facilities, ahead of transfer to specialist hospitals elsewhere in the province. "The Department [of Health] has been very dismissive of the plans - but I recently asked a BMA (British Medical Association) representative if they were in support of the HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) - or air ambulance - and they were clearly behind it. I have also spoken to consultants from some of the province's main hospitals who are behind it. They want people arriving in a stable condition, so that they have a chance. "Patients have been and still are being sent in an ambulance down the motorway, while we put our hands together and pray that they even make it there. This offers a much better chance of survival". 21st Century He concluded: "I hope this shakes up the Department's mindset and brings it into the 21st century - they are way behind if they think that this service has no place in health care. "The Department and Health Minister are looking away when they should be embracing this". Kevin Taylor, determined health campaigner, is pleased to see a long-fought battle to secure such services reaching fruition: "This is finally happening, and a year ahead of schedule. Money has been raised locally, and its looking like being ready to go from April of next year. "This is a message to the Department of Health and the Trust that we are not beaten yet - we are only starting - we will continue to fight for the health services we need and deserve." Speaking last year during a hugely successful province-wide fund-raising drive, a spokesperson for Alpha 5 said: "In treating medical emergencies, the 'golden hour' is an important concept. When a major trauma is suffered - in a road or rail accident or by wounding, or a fall from height or perhaps a heart attack or stroke - if the victim is treated and in hospital within an hour, then the chances of survival are greatly enhanced. "A full helicopter borne trauma service would give Northern Ireland a medical facility second to none and in the light of the closure of numerous A&E Departments it can be argued that the need has never been greater. "The air ambulance would be tasked from the existing Ambulance Control Centre at Knockbracken, where a decision would be made to launch following receipt of a 999 call in the usual way or a direct request from the Fire Brigade or police." . The organisers of Alpha 5 would be very keen to hear from anyone who feels they may be able to help in any way - ring 0870 2004050 or go to www.aa999.co.uk.

OMAGH Academicals Rugby Cliub held its annual Bass Omagh Sevens competition on Saturday, as Dungannon made a welcome and winning return to the event, winning the Campbell Cup with a display of attractive rugby during the efficiently run and well supported tournament. Last year's winners, Queen's, were unable to mount a successful defence of the Campbell Cup, but they were rewarded with some silverware, when they triumphed in the Waterson Cup for group runners-up, while the PJ Ryan Cup was won by a team consisting of Tyrone-based Antipodeans and several Omagh players - the Jokers. "We had excellent weather conditions, some very fine sevens play and everything went smoothly," revealed a happy Mervyn Beattie, main tournament organiser. "We are grateful to our sponsors Bass once again, our referees including Oisin Quinn, William Halliday, Douglas Tweed, David Kennedy, Bill Jennings and two long-time sevens supporters and stalwarts, Terry McCartney and Shane Toolan. "The tournament was run like clockwork due to the undoubted efforts of Derick Rainey, John Colhoun, Roy Ward, groundsman Jimmy Anderson and others, too many to mention, while we always delighted to see all the teams, especially Stockport from England, Dublin sides Wanderers and Parkmore, and for the first time, the Titans from Limerick." The draw pitted several seeded teams apart and there were several intriguing matches in each group. Group D, which saw Queens, Wanderers, Omagh Academy making a very welcome return, Enniskillen and the Jokers together, was recognised as the inherent 'group of death'. Group C, though, proved to be the most exciting with several very close run encounters. Dungannon quickly established themselves as the class outfit of Group A winning their matches easily and with something to spare. Stockport were a tougher proposition than in recent years. Featuring Andy Loughlin, making his annual pilgrimage back to the Accies, the English side finished a reputable second, while the Titans, the Irish Rugby league side from Limerick entertained with their pre-match haka, albeit much less venomous and much more pastoral as they revelled in their gaiety. The Mexicans were rocked by the scoring of an early try and seemed to fall of the rails somewhat, thought he crowd favourites still managed to entertain with some frolics on and off the pitch. Group B saw senior side Ballymena claim top spot fairly comfortably, though they were pushed all the way by an exciting Malone side comprising their under-21 starlets. Ballynahinch B took third spot in a keenly contested group with Parkmore just missing out, while the Omagh-based Baa Baas rivalled and may even have surpassed the veteran Mexicans in terms of squad numbers this year in a very 'woolly' set-up. Ballynahinch A won group C, though there some fine tussles in this one, with Omagh Accies narrowly going down to the Ballymacarn men in a 38-31 thriller, while the next match saw Ballymungo heavyweights, featuring another ex-Omagh man, Alan Simpson, pulling away from the plucky Replacements at the last minute. Omagh and Ballymungo fought out an entertaining draw, while the Replacements just would not be put down by Ballynahinch, registering three fine tries before being defeated. A tough Group D saw two potential Campbell Cup candidates, Queens and Wanderers, slug it out, and although the two sides could not be separated during their group match, the Dublin 4 outfit topped the group by virtue of tries scored. Omagh Academy battled hard in all their matches, but came up short with the Jokers pipping Enniskillen for the final knockout place. PJ Ryan (Campese Cup) The Titans pipped a gallant Ballymungo heavyweights outfit. Though there were several portly gentlemen on both sides, these same players showed tremendous skill and ball-playing ability with fine runs, deft touches and moments of genius to entertain a large crowd. The Jokers were good enough to hold on to a five-point lead in the other semi-final, the second of two cracking matches. The final was tame in comparison with the larger Jokers squad proving much fresher and emerging victorious. Waterson Cup Omagh Accies had high hopes of a final appearance but were knocked out by Stockport, who saved their best performance of the day for this game, while Queens won the battle of the youngsters with a 26-12 win over Malone in a very pacy and tactical game played in great spirits with many very promising players on show from both sides. The students had too much pace and power for a tiring, and somewhat older Stockport outfit in the final scoring a couple of early tries, though the team from England never gave up and scored 21 points of their own but it was a match too far with the students, narrowly pipped in the group stages, claiming the silverware. Campbell Cup In a replica of the previous two tournaments, the semi-finals proved more exciting then the final. A conversion separated senior heavyweights Dungannon and Ballynahinch with the Tyrone men going through. In the other, Ballymena had too much for Wanderers coming home by 24 points to 15 in a non-stop encounter. Dungannon started the final the quicker and put some distance between themselves and the Braidmen, who stuck to their guns, but the Stevenson Park man, featuring many of their first team squad including ex-Accies Martin Boyd and Neville Magee, along with Mel Ferry, Andrew Gardiner and Dale Black, took everything their opponents could throw at them with the match finely poised before they broke the cover to score two second half tries to win by 28-12 and claim the Campbell Cup for the second time in three years. This brought the curtain down on another season at Thomas Mellon playing Fields giving the players and officials a well earned respite, before pre-season training in July.