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> These EU guidelines are designed to encourage local cross border
> co-operation (analagous to the cooperation between adjacent
> ambulance services in the UK).
>
> I think that any worry about liability is pretty theoretical as exact
> responsability would be pretty difficult to establish.
>
> Tim.
>
> Timothy J Coats MD FRCS FFAEM
> Senior Lecturer in Accident and Emergency / Pre-Hospital Care
> Royal London Hospital, UK.
My concern is more specific. We cover a Highland area which sits next to
Strathclyde region. A mountaineer who falls on the other side of popular
mountains astride the regional boundry, which is 15 mins (14 miles) drive
from our rescue centre, has to wait an additional 1 hour and 45 mins while
rescuers drive from Glasgow which is 85 miles further away. The police co
ordinate the call out and find it acceptable despite our views.
I was told that under EU law this would be regarded as failing to comply
with the new legislation. I really wanted to know if this was the case.
The Scottish ambulance service(SAS) has a much more humanitarian view of
the boundry, and can use there assets crossing borders as they wish. They
(SAS) are a national body and the police regional. It seems an anachronism
and not in the best interest of the injured to not allow the nearest to
attend first.
David Gunn
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