Air ambulance paramedics will be able to carry portable ultrasound machines to emergency call-outs – thanks to a £12,000 donation.

The Morrisons Foundation has given Thames Valley Air Ambulance the money to buy the pocket-sized kit, which link up to an iPad screen and allow medics to check internal injuries.

Mark Hodkinson, clinical shift manager at the air ambulance charity, said the new equipment would make a difference ‘when every second counts’.

“To many, ultrasound is synonymous with pregnancy scans, but it has lots of other uses. Ultrasound gives our paramedics and doctors real-time information on injuries in the chest or abdomen, including internal bleeding, lung injuries and heart activity, that otherwise wouldn’t be revealed until a patient reached hospital. This allows us to treat the patient right away,” he said.

Thames Valley Air Ambulance has been using the portable ultrasound machines since 2013. The charity said the Morrisons donation will give more patients the ‘best chance’ of survival.

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