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Jet pack paramedics - 7th October 2020

This James Bond style jet suit could be the future for paramedics. They want to use it in remote locations in the UK.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) has been working with the company Gravity Industries to test the jet suit. The tests were performed in northern England’s hilly Lake District, where paramedics often require helicopters to reach patients. When a helicopter is not available, it can often take paramedics an hour to make contact with a patient.

Andy Mawson is a paramedic and the director of GNAAS.

Mawson: "You know, for our paramedics to get on the scene within a matter of minutes, and recognise that can mean the difference between life and death."

In the test, Richard Browning from Gravity Industries, who developed the suit, flew from the bottom of the valley to the top in 90 seconds. On foot, the same journey would take 25 minutes.

Andy Mawson is optimistic about the future of the suit.

Mawson: "So, there is, you know, there's no real reason why in the fullness of time, that we won't see GNAAS paramedics using that technology, saving lives and easing suffering."