Air Ambulance Scissor Lift

Summary

A request was made for details regarding scissor lifts used by the Isle of Man Air Ambulance, to which Manx Care responded by disclosing operational numbers, ownership, and servicing schedules while clarifying the equipment's specific usage.

Key Facts

• There are two scissor lifts in operation.
• One lift is located on the Isle of Man and the other in Liverpool.
• Both lifts are owned by Manx Care.
• The lifts are serviced once per year routinely, with additional maintenance if required.
• The equipment is used to transfer patients between the aircraft and an ambulance stretcher, not directly to and from the airport.

Data Disclosed

• 2025-05-20
• 2025-07-03
• 25 June 2025
• 4664910
• Two
• January 2025
• 31 January 2029
• 1.0
• 23/01/2025
• section 25
• Article 5
• Article 6
• Article 9
• 1998

Exemptions Cited

• Section 25(b)(i)&(ii) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (absolutely exempt personal information)
• Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018

Original Request

Please could Manx Care confirm the following for the scissor lifts which are in use with the air ambulance to get patients to and from the airport? How many scissor lifts are in operations Their location ? Isle of Man Who owns them? How often are they serviced? When was the last review / test of them under the lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations 1998?

Data Tables (7)

Full Response Text

Manx Care Noble’s Hospital, Strang Braddan, Isle of Man IM4 4R (01624) 650 000

Our ref: 4664910 25 June 2025

Dear

We write further to your request, received 20 May 2025, which states:

"Please could Manx Care confirm the following for the scissor lifts which are in use with the air ambulance to get patients to and from the airport?

How many scissor lifts are in operations

Their location? Isle of Man

Who owns them?

How often are they serviced?

When was the last review / test of them under the lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations 1998?"

Response

s25(b)(i)&(ii)
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because it is absolutely exempt under section 25 of the Act (absolutely exempt personal information). The reasons why that exemption applies are that:
• Manx Care is satisfied that the information amounts to personal data of which you are not the data subject; and
• Manx Care is satisfied that disclosure of the information would contravene one of the data protection principles as set out at Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation as it applies in the Isle of Man pursuant to the Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018, namely that the Manx Care can only disclose the information where it would be fair, lawful and meet one of the conditions for lawful processing in Article 6 or if you are dealing with sensitive personal data “and one of the conditions in Article 9 of the GDPR and Schedule 2 of the Implementing Regulations is met” and in this case, none of those conditions have been met. Names and email addresses have been redacted.

1. Please could Manx Care confirm the following for the scissor lifts which are in use with the air ambulance to get patients to and from the airport?

Patients are not transported to and from the airport on the lifting trolley, only between the aircraft and an ambulance stretcher.

1. How many scissor lifts are in operations

Two

1. Their location? Isle of Man

One in Liverpool and one on the Isle of Man

1. Who owns them?

They are both owned by Manx Care

1. How often are they serviced?

Each serviced once per year routinely, with additional maintenance if required.

1. When was the last review / test of them under the lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations 1998? "

LOLER compliant servicing is undertaken annually.

Please quote the reference number 4664910 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

SURGERY, THEATRES CRITICAL CARE AND ANAESTHESIA CARE GROUP

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR
Lifting trolley

Author(s) . Version Number 1.0 Valid from January 2025 Next review due 31 January 2029, or change of aircraft service provider

Intended audience Air Ambulance Transfer Practitioners and Doctors IAS Aircrew Ground handlers Personnel assisting with lifting trolley operations. Superseded documents None Referenced documents Manual handling coordinator letter IAS patient loading procedure Stakeholders consulted prior to ratification



Ratified by Surgery, Theatres, Critical Care and Anaesthesia Care Group Clinical Governance Meeting Date 23/01/2025 Previous reviews None Changes made during latest review

1. INTRODUCTION

Purpose

The IOM AA lifting trolley is a modified hospital lifting device for exclusive use with the Aerosled stretcher system. There are two lifting trollies currently in service; one at Ronaldsway airport and one at Liverpool airport. They are used in areas of high patient transfer numbers in order to increase the efficiency of aircraft loading and unloading.

Scope

This SOP applies to all Manx Care staff involved in the loading of patients onto and off the Aircraft. It is also of note for external contractors involved in the process, however it is accepted that they may have their own policies and procedures.

Roles and Responsibilities

Air Ambulance service Lead – SOP creation, review and governance

Manx Care manual handling lead – Assessment of the manual handling techniques involved.

Operations Director of IAS Medical – Dissemination of SOP to IAS personnel.

Aircraft Captain – safety of the personnel on board the aircraft and the aircraft.

Air Transfer Practitioner (or Lead Air Transfer Practitioner in the case of multiple practitioner) – Ensure patient and personnel safety during process.

1. RELATED POLICY/STRATEGY/LEGISLATION/GUIDANCE
   This SOP has been developed with reference to the manual handling assessment carried out on the process.

2. POLICY/PROCEDURE/GUIDELINES

The lifting trolley should only be operated by personnel who are competent and confident with the equipment.

Personnel who are assisting with the stability and movement of the patient on the lifting trolley should follow the instruction from either the Air Transfer Practitioner, or the aircraft captain if the patient is being moved onto or off the aircraft.

When the lifting trolley is being moved with a patient, the patient should be as low to the ground as possible and securely strapped with the Aerosled restraints.

When the Aerosled is being moved onto or off the lifting trolley, a minimum of 2 wheel breaks are to be applied.

When the bridge is fitted to the stretcher, the centre of gravity of the Aerosled is raised significantly and can make the load unstable. The load should be always supported.

When not in use, the lifting trolley should be returned to its storage area, the On/Off switch turned to the charge position, and the charger cable plugged in.

1. APPENDICES

2. Letter dated 22/1//2024 – Confirmation of manual handling assessment.

3. IAS medical: Patient Loading Procedure. Annex 1.

Annex 2.

PATIENT LOADING PROCEDURE

The "No-Lift" loading feature of our equipment is attained by use of a load ramp and the sliding of the AeroSled on the top deck of the PLUS. This section will deal with recommendations on taking the patient from the ground ambulance into the aircraft.

Because of the different ways a patient is transferred from the hospital bed to the ambulance and then unloaded at the airport, we will start the process with the patient transferred onto the AeroSled. This has been done by the different programs we have worked with by sheeting the patient from the ground cot to the AeroSled at the airport, use of a scoop stretcher, using the Transporter by LifePort, or by having the AeroSled at the hospital and transferring them there.

Whatever method is used to transfer the patient onto the AeroSled, keep in mind that the Glide Plate on the LifeLock must be kept as clean as possible. Care should be taken not to place the AeroSled onto any surface where it might pick up contamination or loose impediments. Anything that is allowed onto the PLUS will cause at least cosmetic damage and eventually excessive wear, increasing friction and making the loading process more difficult.

Once at the airport and unloaded from the ambulance, the patient is secured to the ground stretcher by either restraints or the optional Clip Deck.

Next, the load ramp is removed from the cargo area (or wing locker, if applicable) and extended

There are two locking bars (one on either side of the ramp) that lock it into position for use. In the folded condition, these bars are retracted and held into position by an internal ball and spring plunger.

However, if the knobs that slide the bars in and out are bumped in the cargo area or when taken from the cargo area, the bars can become extended. It is important that these bars be retracted when the ramp is folded flat. We advise making it part of the procedure to visually check these bars before folding out the ramp. Once a visual inspection is made and it is confirmed that the bars are retracted, the ramp is folded out into the extended position. Extreme care should be taken, as the ramp is fairly stout (approximately 25 lbs.) and there are pinch points to be wary of. When extension of the ramp is accomplished, the knobs on the sides of the ramp are pushed forward to lock the ramp in the extended position.

There is a "T" track mounted directly to the PLUS. Attaching the load ramp to the PLUS is detailed in the following paragraph.

Loading Ramp Attachment The ramp is engaged by use of an over centre cam action. On the front bottom of the ramp is a machined piece that hooks over the "T" track. With one person inside the aircraft and another outside, the ramp is handed to the inside attendant.

This is done to ease the lift of the outside person and also to prevent damage to the aircraft floor, door seals, etc.

The ramp is then brought to a position where the machined part is resting on the "T" track (step 1). The inside attendant holds the ramp in that position while the person outside raises the ramp to an angle of approximately 30 degrees until they can visually see the load ramp attachment (step 2).

Once in this location, the person outside gives the load ramp a gentle pull and watches as the machined part drops down over the "T" track. The ramp is then lowered to a horizontal position and should be locked into place (step 3). The ramp is now able to be lowered to the threshold (if configuration allows).

It is very important that the machined piece be fully engaged on the "T" track.

If only partially engaged, the prying action of the long moment arm of the ramp could damage the track.

To make sure that it is fully engaged, the outside person pulls the ramp from side to side before lowering it onto the threshold of the aircraft. If it is not engaged at this point, the excess movement will be apparent. Once determined that the ramp is indeed locked in place, lower the ramp to the threshold of the aircraft (if applicable).

Positioning the load ramp in the entryway of the aircraft varies with the aeroplane itself and whether you are transporting patients or isolettes.

In aircraft with the door aft of the wing, the ramp usually works best more toward the forward edge of the door opening than being centred or aft. With the door forward of the wing, the position is usually toward the aft opening. Use this only as a guide to get started, and if unfamiliar with the equipment, go through some dry runs with just the AeroSled to find the optimum position.

The load ramp can easily be re-positioned when first attached but is hard to adjust with the weight of the patient on it.

You are now ready to load the patient. Position the ground stretcher with the AeroSled securely attached to it at the most convenient location for loading.

Whatever position you use, it must allow for at least one attendant on either side of the AeroSled and easy access for both to the door of the aircraft. Next, release the AeroSled from the ground stretcher. If a Clip Deck is used, one attendant steadies the ground stretcher while the other releases the AeroSled by pulling the handle/ cable (thus retracting the lock pins) and sliding it forward. If no Clip Deck is used, simply release the restraints. The next step works best with two attendants outside and one inside the aircraft.

With the stretcher and AeroSled in the proper position, the two attendants outside lift the AeroSled just enough to get the forward glide plate onto the load ramp. Make sure it is lifted high enough and far enough to attain that point. If too low, the LifeLock runs into the load ramp. If not far enough, it requires another lift to get the glide plate onto the ramp. During this procedure it is not necessary to lift the entire patient and AeroSled, only that portion which enters the aircraft first.

Leave the LifeLock on the trailing end of the AeroSled on the ground stretcher or Clip Deck, thus lifting only half of the weight of the patient at any one time. Once the glide plate is on the ramp, the attendants shift their grip to the trailing end of the AeroSled.

Make sure to maintain constant pressure on the AeroSled if it is in the lowered position, as the patient can slide off until the AeroSled is fully on the load ramp and the ramp is brought to a horizontal position. Once the AeroSled is within the grasp of the inside attendant they will grasp the frame and assist the outside attendants, both to help get the patient the rest of the way onto the ramp and to stabilize the AeroSled.

With the outside attendants pushing and the attendant inside guiding and assisting, slide the AeroSled forward until the trailing LifeLock is onto the load ramp. Again, you may wish to apply a visual reference to know when you have reached this position. Remember to hold the AeroSled in a position so that the LifeLock is high enough to clear the end of the ramp. Remember to maintain a hold on the AeroSled until the ramp is in the fully "up" position.

IMPORTANT NOTE: At this point, the rest of the process involves n

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