A hillwalker recently injured in a fall on Ben Vorlich in the Scottish Highlands prompted the landmark 3,000th rapid emergency response from Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance.

One of its two charity-funded EC135 helicopters was scrambled from its central base at Perth airport when emergency services received a call to a man injured on the hillside high above Lochearnhead. SCAA landed on the hillside, 200 metres below the patient, and paramedics worked with two mountain rescue team members to stretcher the injured man to the helicopter. SCAA then airlifted the patient, who had been hillwalking with his wife, to advanced care at the Major Trauma Centre at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.

Firmly established as a key element of Scotland's nationwide emergency response network, SCAA's two air ambulance helicopters and two rapid response vehicles, based at Perth and Aberdeen airports, play a key role in emergency pre-hospital care in cases of serious or critical illness and injury.

SCAA chief executive David Craig described it as a tremendous achievement for the charity: “Over the years we have helped to save and improve the lives of thousands of people in extreme situations who require urgent emergency care,” he says. “The fact that SCAA has been called on 3,000 times shows the value of the service, which is funded entirely by public donation and we can't thank all the people, businesses and communities enough whose support fuels our life-saving flights. With the continued support of the people of Scotland, we will be there to complete the next thousand calls for help, and beyond. With 3,000 call outs behind us, SCAA is committed to saving and improving even more lives in every part of Scotland.”

SCAA's 3,000th response comes as SCAA marks its eighth anniversary this week.

SCAA chairman John Bullough adds: “Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, our Helimed crews have never missed a beat; maintaining our emergency helicopter air ambulance service across Scotland’s mainland and island communities. In fact we’ve enhanced our service with the launch of a new aircraft, Helimed 79 in Aberdeen last year, which has already had a huge impact on pre-hospital care in the Grampian, Highland and the Island regions. In our busiest year ever, our aircrew have endured challenging working conditions, with additional procedures and cumbersome protective and safety equipment as they go about an already difficult and stressful job. But they’re not complaining; this is what the Scottish public ask of them, to save and improve lives, wherever the need arises, and they fulfil their role with courage and pride.

“Our exemplary performance during this national crisis has been a tribute to how far SCAA has come in just eight years and I, for one, are immensely proud of what the SCAA team has achieved. But our operational teams are acutely aware that we are only able to provide this critical service, thanks to the continued donations which the public has maintained throughout these difficult times.”