THE Ambulance Service of New South Wales has denied Orange’s new rescue helicopter service is in breach of its contract despite claims from Opposition health spokesperson Jillian Skinner the service has failed to meet at least two of its contractual obligations.

Ms Skinner yesterday said problems taking off from Orange Base Hospital were in breach of the service contract, which stated the helicopter must be able to “take-off from any base, airfield or vessel nominated by the MRU[medical retrieval unit”.

She said the delayed delivery time of the service was also a breach, with the contract stating the new helicopter should have been ready for operation by March 2009.

“On the face of it the contract was breached long before this current crisis, when the foreign operator failed to deliver the helicopters on time,”Ms Skinner said.

“The community was promised an improved helicopter service, instead the State Labor Government has delivered a massive dud of a service that can’t fly at night, doesn’t have a winch and can’t even take off from the region’s major hospital.”

A spokesperson for the ambulance service said the decision to divert some patients to the helicopter base on Bathurst Road was not a breach because it was an operational decision that was supported by the ambulance service.

“The aircraft can and has taken off from Orange Base Hospital,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the contract also allowed for delivery delays which were beyond the control of the contractor.

However, the ambulance service yesterday failed to respond to claims the helicopter would continue to struggle once the service transferred to the new Orange Base Hospital next year.

Sources within the health service told the Central Western Daily the helicopter would still have difficulty taking off with a maximum load from the new helipad on hot days with little wind, despite claims to the contrary by both the ambulance service and NSW Premier Kristina Kenneally.

The sources also claimed every other helicopter in the state could take off from the existing helipad and that another patient had to be transferred to the helicopter base on Bathurst Road last Friday.

“The current Orange Base Hospital helipad is the most confined helipad in the state,” the ambulance service spokesperson said.

“This creates limitations on helicopter operations.

“The Ambulance Service requires pilots to adopt a conservative approach which is prudent for any new helicopter type.”