10 November 2026

Pneumothorax on Campus

At 2am, Coast Medic’s on-call team responded to a life-threatening medical emergency on Penryn campus, part of Falmouth University..

Early care. When it mattered.

On 10 November 2026, our team attended a patient experiencing a spontaneous pneumothorax. We arrived well before the responding ambulance and began patient treatment, providing care until South Western Ambulance Service arrived.

The South Western Ambulance Service crew then conveyed the patient to the Emergency Department at Royal Cornwall Hospital for further care.

What is a spontaneous pneumothorax?

A pneumothorax occurs when air collects between the lung and the chest wall, causing the lung to partially or fully collapse. A spontaneous pneumothorax happens without an injury and can become life-threatening. Read more in this NHS patient information guide.

Supporting safer campuses.

This response highlights the value of access to on-call medical support throughout the night. Our teams provide early care and work alongside NHS ambulance services when patients need onward hospital treatment.

Incident reference: 20261110003