Woman airlifted to hospital after car hit by bus

Ayse Bidmead was driving to work when the crash happened

A woman was airlifted to hospital after her car was hit by a bus. Ayse Bidmead was going about her morning like any other when she was involved in the shocking collision.

Just over two years ago the now 32-year-old was listening to Taylor Swift while driving to work when the crash happened. All Ayse remembers was waking up in an ambulance with severe pain in her back.

Little did she know she had been ejected from her car and was found in the middle of the road confused and in extreme pain. She had a wound to her head, multiple abrasions to her chest and stomach, and an open fracture to her right leg.

“I was simply getting up and heading to work like any normal day and listening to Taylor Swift,” she said. “The next thing I remember is being in severe pain with back injuries in the ambulance. At first it felt like a dream – but it was real.

“What I didn’t know at the time was that I had been involved in a serious road traffic collision with a bus and had been ejected from my car. A witness called the ambulance service and while I was unconscious the air ambulance team came to my rescue.”

Due to the severity of her injuries paramedics identified Ayse required pre-hospital critical care – something provided by the Wales Air Ambulance. Medics Ben Seabourne and Steffan Simpson were dispatched from Cardiff Heliport to the scene in Mold.

When they arrived the charity’s critical care team found that despite the treatment that had already been given to Ayse her heart rate remained high, her blood pressure was extremely low, and she was experiencing significant pain across her chest and stomach. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here.

The Wales Air Ambulance medics gave her strong pain relief and a blood transfusion at the scene due to fears there may have been internal bleeding. She was also given antibiotics due to her open wounds to prevent any infection.

After Ayse’s right leg was dressed and placed in a splint to keep it straight she was flown to the emergency department at Aintree Hospital in just 15 minutes. The doctors at the trauma unit then took over her care.

When she woke up in intensive care she was told she had multiple serious injuries including an unstable fracture in her neck, multiple spinal fractures, several rib fractures, and significant soft tissue injuries. She also had internal injuries including kidney, spleen, and abdominal trauma, a blunt cardiac injury, as well as large areas of bruising and muscle haematomas.

During her recovery Ayse developed blood clots in her lungs and spent a total of 13 weeks in hospital.

Reflecting on what she has been through Ayse said she was beyond grateful to everyone involved in her care.

She said: “My treatment involved intensive care support, surgery, a halo brace for my neck fracture, wound washouts, a tracheostomy, debridement surgery, and a skin graft to my right thigh. I felt overwhelmed by everything that had happened.

“It’s hard to truly understand what people do for you until you experience it yourself, how they save your life and care for you when you can’t care for yourself. I feel incredibly grateful to everyone involved. It’s difficult to put into words just how much their actions meant to me.”

As well as being there from the beginning Wales Air Ambulance continued to support Ayse once she was discharged from hospital. The charity offers an aftercare service through the introduction of its patient liaison nurses.

Thanks to this service the charity is now one of the first to arrive on scene but also the last to leave ensuring patients and their families are supported throughout their recovery. Ayse received support from patient liaison nurse Hayley Whitehead-Wright.

Ayse said: “The aftercare service was clear, supportive, and reassuring. Everything that had happened to me was explained to me fully and all my questions were answered. I was provided with information throughout including details about ongoing support available for both me and my family such as counselling services.

“The care and communication were consistent and supportive at every stage.”

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. For the patient this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery.

It is delivered via a unique third sector and public sector partnership. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly-skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work onboard the charity’s vehicles.

Reflecting on how lucky she is to be here Ayse said: “I am extremely thankful to the air ambulance team, and everyone involved, for helping to get me safely to hospital. I was also very well cared for by the hospital staff throughout my treatment.

“I want to say a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the Wales Air Ambulance team who came to my rescue when I was unconscious and unable to understand what was happening. Knowing that they were there and giving me the urgent care I needed means more than words can explain.

“The Wales Air Ambulance’s skill, compassion, and calmness gave me a second chance and I will always be deeply grateful to the service and to everyone who played a part in saving my life.” You can find out more about the work the Wales Air Ambulance Charity does here.

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.