Meet Trainee SPCC Waldo

On 24 June 2024, Waldo Zweep joined Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) as one of our two new Trainee Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care (SPCC).

Waldo says getting his role at GWAAC has been one of his biggest achievements to date. He was selected out of 142 applicants to attend an assessment day to put his medical knowledge, capabilities and teamworking skills to the test. Waldo said afterward, “It was so cool. That day got me really excited! The scenarios we were thrown into were unique.”

And out of the ten paramedics who attended the assessment day, only a few made it to the final interview. Waldo and colleague James Leavor were offered the roles.

Here is a glimpse into Waldo’s world before GWAAC and about the man behind the medic.

Waldo grew up in South Africa. He finished school and got a job fixing bicycles. It wasn’t long before he grasped an opportunity to work on a community response car. Waldo recalls, “I was eighteen at the time. It was a Golf GTI with lights and sirens!”

The man who ran the car service was called Brandon; he took Waldo under his wing and helped fund his university degree to be an Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP). The only thing he wanted in return was for Waldo to give back to their community.

“I worked in that area for two years as an ECP, then moved into critical care retrieval in a road ambulance. I then moved into Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). I remember Brandon saying to me once, ‘I just led you like a donkey with a carrot on the end of a stick.’ Brandon and his wife set me on my way. I feel very thankful to be here and I’m so thankful to them.”

Waldo moved to the UK in March 2023 with his girlfriend Cheridyn who is also a Paramedic. He worked with South East Coast Ambulance Service while he looked for a HEMS position.

Although he is used to flying to patients, Waldo says, “Flying isn’t my favourite thing. I’m terrified of heights! What will be a first for me is flying in the cold. The summer heat averages 30-35 degrees back home which is normal for me.”

Waldo’s first two weeks with GWAAC were spent “doing lots of admin!” He visited the South Western Ambulance Service Trust (SWASfT) HEMS desk in Exeter and went out on the road with an Operations Officer from SWASfT to get a feel for the region GWAAC serves.

We caught up with Waldo following his first shift with the crew a few weeks after joining. He said, “It was nice to get back to practising critical care and treating patients. We were called out five times on my first shift. I did my first intubation since coming to the UK with SPCC Callum. I had my first ROSC and post ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation), I helped transport a patient to hospital in the helicopter and I saw blood given to a patient for the first time.”

While reflecting on his new role at GWAAC, Waldo said, “There’s lots to learn. It’s very different to the system in South Africa. There’s a lot more Doctor involvement here and there are little differences in processes that ensure patient safety and prevent cognitive overload. Also, as ECPs, we don’t do anything with the aircraft in South Africa so the technical HEMS training is something new for me.”

Another difference between the two services is fewer call-outs in HEMS in South Africa. Waldo says, “This is partly due to the distances they need to travel. Airtime could be an hour and a half on average, sometimes three hours.” Also, there are no critical care cars in South Africa in HEMS; it is a mix of primary critical care and retrieval.

Waldo is still very close to his HEMS team in South Africa. He hopes to be able to exchange information between the two teams: “I’d like to build a bridge – there’s lots of learning to share both ways such as the differences in the types of incidents we go to and the use of Lyoplas and ultrasound in the UK.”

When asked what the best thing is about working for GWAAC, Waldo said, “It’s the people! It’s a very supportive culture. SPCC Callum is my named mentor and he checks in with me even when he doesn’t need to. People are genuinely asking because they really care. I feel humbled and happy to be here.”

And words of advice for other aspiring Trainee SPCCs? “If you don’t throw a line in the water you won’t catch a fish. I followed all the air ambulances on Twitter. I kept my eyes open for job vacancies. I didn’t know if I met the criteria. I just gave it a whirl.”  Waldo also said,  “The job becomes part of your life and becomes part of your personality. It’s important to grow and grasp opportunities that come your way.”

So what does Waldo do to relax outside of work? “I play video games and I love going to live gigs. I also love learning things, I’m good at bringing up useless facts.”

His three favourite things in life include Cheridyn (his girlfriend of ten years), cats and beer. Waldo says, “I miss my cat, Blue. He is staying with Cheridyn’s mum back home.”

Waldo’s most hated things include slow internet and I.T. and people that gatekeep: “It’s frustrating when people don’t share good information, like the best places to eat because they want to keep them for themselves. Saying that, one thing I won’t share is my food because it’s my food!! Ha ha.”

When asked if he could describe himself in a few words, Waldo said, “I’m loyal, open-minded, friendly, dependable and open-hearted.”

What’s next for Waldo? “I’ve just been accepted on modules towards the Advanced Clinical Practitioner Masters course at the University of the West of England! And I’m looking forward to feeling confident in my abilities with the crew.”

We wish Waldo well in his new role and look forward to following his journey at GWAAC.

Keep your eyes peeled for future ‘Where’s Waldo?’ blog posts and social media updates. (Sorry, Waldo, we couldn’t resist!)