An RAF helicopter which has been based in Moray to help the coronavirus response has completed its first medical evacuation.
Three Puma copters are on standby at the Kinloss Army Barracks to collect coronavirus patients from the islands and other remote locations where there are no intensive care facilities.
Early yesterday morning teams were tasked with their first call-out, requiring them to pick up someone with “severe” Covid-19 symptoms on the Isle of Arran at 1am.
On landing, the three-strong crew met the ambulance service’s emergency medical retrieval team and both groups helped transport the patient to University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock.
Last night the Scotland Office said the casualty was receiving “the enhanced care required to support their recovery”.
Squadron leader Johnny Longland, Detachment Commander, said: “Just over three hours after the crew received the call, the patient had travelled 162 nautical miles and was in the intensive care unit.
“The training that we conducted with the emergency medical teams across Scotland ensured that, when the time came, we were all ready for a quick and smooth transfer of a patient.
“We’re extremely proud to be able to help the NHS in Scotland and it’s rewarding to see the team pull together so quickly and effectively when they were needed.
“Our thoughts are with the patient and their family and we wish them a swift and full recovery.”