TT 2022 was the busiest on record for Isle of Man Ambulance Service.
Across the fortnight, the team:
- Dealt with 761 calls to the 999 service (169 more calls than the number received during TT 2019)
- Responded to 710 incidents
- Experienced its busiest ever day on Tuesday 07 June, attending 60 individual incidents across the 24-hour period
- Dealt with 106 individuals who had suffered injuries caused by a fall
- Dealt with 33 road traffic accidents
- Used A99, the helicopter air ambulance based on-Island for the TT fortnight*, 30 times in eight days
- Transferred 36 patients to tertiary care centres in the UK for further, specialist treatment using the fixed-wing Air Ambulance service operated by Manx Care
In addition, Isle of Man Ambulance Service was quicker to respond to patients than ever before during a TT period. The team’s performance across four call categories is summarised as follows:
- Category 4 performance: 40 minutes, 12 seconds (target – 180 minutes)
- Category 3 performance: 22 minutes, 22 seconds (target – 120 minutes)
- Category 2 performance: 8 minutes, 12 seconds (target – 18 minutes)
- Category 1 performance: 8 minutes, 06 seconds (target – 7 minutes)
The Island-based team members were joined for the fortnight by seven additional colleagues, six from Wales and one from Guernsey, increasing Paramedic numbers to support the increase in demand for their services during the TT period. In addition, support was provided locally from St. John Ambulance and the Hogg Motor Sport Association.
Will Bellamy, Head of Isle of Man Ambulance Service, commented:
“I am exceptionally proud of the way that my team responded to the significant demand that they faced across the TT fortnight, in what was a record year for the requirement for our services. This really was a team effort, not just from our frontline Paramedics, but from the Ambulance support teams who made sure our vehicles were serviced and back out on the road quickly, to our local Ambulance partners, the Air Ambulance teams who worked to transfer those patients who were in need of specialist treatment at a UK hospital there quickly from Noble’s Hospital, and our colleagues in the other 999 services including the call handlers working in the Emergency Service Joint Control Room.
“Some of the demand can be accounted for by the increase in visitors to the Island to watch the TT races, but there was also a significant demand for Ambulance support from local residents too, many of whom were taken ill with a number of complex or life-threatening complaints which required urgent care. I hope they felt reassured that we were there for them when they needed us most, and that our comprehensive planning really paid off.”
Teresa Cope, CEO of Manx Care, added:
“On behalf of the Board of Manx Care, I would like to express my public thanks not only to our colleagues in Isle of Man Ambulance Service and our partners working across the Island’s other emergency services, but to every colleague within Manx Care who delivered exceptional levels of care and demonstrated absolute dedication to their profession during what was an incredibly busy period for us. Many of our colleagues had to deal with some very difficult and challenging situations which they managed with the utmost compassion and professionalism.”
* The helicopter air ambulance (A99) which is based on the Island for the TT fortnight for the exclusive use of Isle of Man Ambulance Service is provided by the Department for Enterprise as part of its TT arrangements, and is used to convey patients to Noble’s Hospital quickly, particularly during road closure periods.
