‘Prime concern is welfare of people staying in hotels’
Friday 20th January 2012, 2:29PM GMT.
Brecqhou's helicopter during the medivac of a casualty from Sark.
BRECQHOU’S desire to see its helicopter used for Sark medical transfers stems only from its responsibility for visitors staying in its hotels, its pilot has said.
Mark Harrisson, who is also Brecqhou’s island manager, yesterday hit back at Sark conseillers who claimed that criticism of medical transfers by the Flying Christine in the Sark Newsletter was politically motivated.
They said editor Kevin Delaney, pictured, who also runs Sark Estate Management, the investment company of the Barclay family, had made the comments because of Sir David and Sir Frederick’s desire to operate commercial services to the island.
But Mr Harrisson said that was untrue.
‘We are geographically the closest helicopter operator and a declared emergency asset, and, here is the crux of the matter, within our group of companies we have some 100 hotel beds on Sark,’ he said.
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It’s one thing having access to a helicopter, but for medical transfers it would need all of the appropriate medical equipment, as well as trained helicopter doctors/paramedics. Medical care would need to be provided en route, not just a case of it being a vehicle for transport.
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That’s all very well, but I know if I was stuck on Sark with a medical emergency and it was an option of helicopter or take my luck with the Sark doctor I know what I’d do!
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Mark, I can assure you that the Sark Doctor will ALWAYS put patient care and confidentiality first.
Wherever necessary he will always consider using a helicopter; be it from Brecqhou, RAF Culdrose or CrosMar in France.
Anyone who visits Sark can be assured of first class medical care and evacuation if necessary.
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Mr Harrisson is a professional commercial pilot. The helicopter is an excellent commercial aircraft that is available, if required, as a resouce for emergency medical evacuation for any Sark resident or visitor. The Sark Doctor is the only person qualified to decide on the safest and most effective mode of evacuation for his patients from Sark.
Mr Harrisson has been invited to discussions in Sark but he, or his paymasters, have declined the offer.
Mr Delaney would rather turn the issue into a political football and hang Mr Harrisson out to dry, together with his hotel guests.
This is cowardly and outrageous. If you were a vistor to Sark would you want to be used as ammunition for SEM and the Sark Newsletter?
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Having visited Sark in the past, can I say that I would not give a “hoot” about being used as “ammunition” by any individual or group of individuals in the context used by “Sark Dog”. Visitors arrive and leave. Some return and some do not. Hopefully they have an enjoyable stay. The continual snipeing between the parties is something the majority of people visiting would have no knowledge of or interest in. It’s rather like me spending a week in Southport and worrying or being concerned about the local politics, NOT. I’m there for a holiday. Nothing more.
As an outsider what I can tell you is this. Highlighting the weaknesses or otherwise of the Sark medical provision and evacuation will do nothing to attract visitors to your idylic island. This is particularly so in respect of senior citizens and families with young children. If you carry on with this public debate it will not be long before the international press become attracted to the story and you will find the island under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Keep your heads down and don’t draw adverse attention to yourselves. If simple candour is much appriciated on Sark, then I can’t put it any simpler than that!
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Dave, simple candour in response.
Don’t buy into the propaganda and fear factor. Sark has nothing to hide or to be ashamed of regarding the quality of it’s patient care or medicac procedures.
Indeed, rest assured that any Sarkee or visitor (of any age) can be in hospital quicker than in many areas of the UK.
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Oops. That kinda let the cat out of the bag.
All the rather grandiose “greater good” “goodness of our hearts” waffle and posturing from Delaeny is put in perspective by the simple truth that the motivation is commercial, so that SEM can assure guests that there is a medivac chopper available.
It’s interesting that blunt truth this emerges in much the same way that SEM’s French wine expert went on the record as describing Delaney’s contentious crop as a “Laboratory” vintage. Simple candour is much appreciated on Sark.
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Who are Brecqhou trying to kid?
Stand up for what you believe in you Sarkees, or this will be the thin end of a large wedge
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they want to offer this so they can push it a bit further to having a hellie pad to bring in people for there hotels . Someone correct if im wrong but is it not hrh only to fly over Sark or they going to campain to her and get there own way ermmmm i wonder ?
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They’ve been trying to get a helipad for ages, the only way they can think of convincing people is to get the “moral highground” with an issue like this.
What they fail to mention, and what any helicopter pilot will tell you, is that for any kind of emergency you don’t need a helipad at all. All you need is a well positioned field with lights in the corners. But they won’t tell you that, because guess what? They don’t give a hoot about real Sarkees and the welfare of the island.
Don’t trust them. And how ever much they offer you, for God’s sake don’t sell. The Perree’s have the right idea but people are afraid to support them. Speak out, Sarkees, nobody should be able to buy a community.
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Medic is quite right. When a friend who lived in a remote area of Scotland was taken to Hospital via air ambulance, whihc landed on a nearby golf course, he was treated on board by well trained crew, so that on admission his condition was already assessed. He lived another ten years after that.
David Wilkinson is being naive. SEM has already attracted press attention to disputes on the island by trying to press a list of ‘approved ‘candiates on voters in the first full election for Chief Pleas. The Guardian and a host of other nationals took this up, espcially when SEM sacked most of its workers after the election. The Express even had a photo of the Barclay brothers captioned ‘the brothers grim’! Hardly what Kevin Delaney had intended.
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As an outsider looking in it appears so manipulative what is occuring over on Brecqhou. The constant stream of digs and spin. The worst the fact it is said to be in change for democracy, yer right, more like our way or no way which is not freedom.
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I find the above piece very selective, misleading and conveniently written to promote speculation and untruthful conspiracy theories.
Before others care to comment further on this, for the interest of transparency and fairness, I suggest those that do comment further familiarise themselves on what was actually written by Captain Mark Harrison.
Nothing of what I have read above holds much truth. There are a few facts but those have been hand picked to leave the reader’s mind to wonder.
Here is a link so proper facts can be established before others choose to go off on tangents.
http://www.sarknewsletter.com/index.html
It’d make a refreshing read for something sensible and worthwhile to be written for a change. There will always be many that’re green with envy and for that reason alone decide they will dislike people they know nothing about.
In a world where people are being slated for being in a position to make a life saving difference towards others is very sad indeed.
It’s no wonder many form the attitude why should I bother?
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ROFL….Never thought I would see fact and Sark Newsletter used in the same sentence LOL. Lets face it, it is whatever vile propaganda that KD thinks he can use to stir up the masses.
I see that his bullying nature in referencing those readers who choose not to subscribe to his comic has now been removed.
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Unfortunately,Sark Resident, you have only provided one reference point to back up your point of view.
If the artical had been published in a C A A/R A F magazine of medical journal it may have held up as credible.
As far as I was aware. The SNL is written solely by KD (allegedly). So how can we be sure that he didn’t write this too?
No offence intended to Mark Harrison. But, you see the problem.
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Mr Delaney, as noone else would write “refreshing, Sensible & worthwhile” when descibing the slanderous balderdash you write each week. You don’t even have to read between the lines to realise the only reason you want to be able to land a Helicopter on Sark is to ferry guests to & from your Hotels (And god knows what else). We have never required a helipad in the past even when Royalty fly in, as we have the sports field by the Village Hall, which is perfectly suited for such occasions.I have total faith in the medical procedures currently setup and back the Doctor and medical team 100%
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I wish that you could all sit and sort this out. Nobody wants to see anyone suffer, but have they in the past, no so sort it out and stop this!
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Hi Deana, I don’t think anyone will suffer. The present arrangements seem to work fine at the moment.
I stand to be corrected of course, but Sark would appear to have an excellent doctor and medics.
Added to which, I have only ever heard one complaint about the Flying Christina. All be it loudly and in most issues.
As for the helicopter. if the doctor deemed it is needed. I can not see anyone going againt his word.
However. The nice thing about helecopters is, providing the area is big enough, they can land almost anywhere.
I have seen them land on foodball pitches, road junctions, in fields and even someones back garden.
In an emergency. You raise the call, tell it roughly where you are and the skillful pilot gets it down saftly.
In such an emergency. There must be an advantage to being able to pick a field or the like close to the casulty. Rather than having a designated Helipad behind a hotel that could be half an island away.
Also this is Sark we are on about. Not Jersey, Guernsey, London, Paris or Amsterdam.
People visit Sark and that is what they are expecting, Sark. It’s on the ticket when you buy it. it says Sark.
That is why I visit anyway. I’m not expecting Helicopter’s, cars, 50″ Plasma tv’s, 24/7 superfast broardband. a butler and room service or a ten lane bowling alley. There are other Channel Islands which cater for that. I visit Sark.
And as I have said before. It is up to the Sarkee’s to decide what sort of Sark they want.
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I bet some of you already read this and spluttered. Does this resonate?
“…A pensioner who used his blog to smear police, councillors and a clergyman in his neighbourhood has been given a ten-year anti-social behaviour order.
Christopher Perry, 65, accused local police of corruption and threatened to ‘bring down’ the Methodist minister, who he branded a ‘wheeler dealer’.”
So I guess that means Kevin would be due for 1000 year ASBO in a country where justice actually prevailed.
Read more:
http://bit.ly/AumMbu
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Everone needs a hobby.
But there again, there are a few sad and lonley people with far too much time on their hands.
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Correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that no such offence as “harrasment” exists on Sark.(as implied by “Larky”) Why have Sark not sought to bring in such a law? I think I know the answer………. Of course, if they did create such an offence it would be a two edged sword applicable to all who live on or visit the Island.
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Top Gear’s eminently sensible James May once proposed that the myriad of increasingly complex and contradictory motoring laws be scrapped and replaced by one: “Don’t be an arse”.
That could also work well on Sark. We could update Clameur de Haro accordingly:-
“Haro! Haro! Haro! A l’aide mon Prince! Ce personnage est un âne!”
“Notre Pere que es aux TopGear. Ton nom soit sanctifie. Ton regne vienne. Ta volonte soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel. Donne-nous aujourd’hui notre pain quotidien. Et nous pardonne nos offences, comme nous pardonnons a ceux qui nous ont offences. Et de nous induis point en tentation, mais delivere-nous du mal. Car a toi est le regne, la puissance et la gloire, aux siecles des ciecles.
La Grace de Notre Seigneur Jeremy Clarkson, la dilection de Dieu et la sanctification du Saint de Lotus Esprit soit avec nous tous eternellement.”
Amen.
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Now, here’s the funny thing. Everyone is discussing this as if the Brecqhou helicopter is there and available. “Captain” Mark Harrisson says that they have a duty of care to the SEM Hotel guests. Why did he not reveal that when the hotels are at their busiest ( the summer season ), the Barclays are off the island in Monaco AND the helicopter is in England having its annual refit. There is no helicopter available for most of the summer. Let’s have the full facts Mr sorry Captain Harrisson.
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Thanks Ex B. E. Very interesting.
But ‘full facts’ in the SNL, very funny.
I thought Monaco was their main residence anyway. hence the ‘Tax Exile’ status.
Yes. Your average bloke from Poland on a building site in London is Personally contributing more tax to the ailing U.K. economy that Brecqhou’s part time inhabitors.
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Hey Flame Boy L,
I certainly wasn’t suggesting that SNL should provide the full facts. I think everyone knows hell would freeze over first.
I don’t believe it necessary to go to Monaco to be a “Tax Exile”. You just have to be declared as non domiciled in the UK for tax purposes. As it happens, for Revenue purposes, Brecqhou is not part of Guernsey so no personal tax is due to the taxman here.
I don’t think that any tax is due in Sark(and therefore Brecqhou) – no doubt someone here will let us know.
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