Winter HEMS – the challenges the cold months bring to our crew
October 29, 2024
Write your Will for free this month, with GWAAC and Wards.
November 14, 2024
In October 2024, three members of our crew travelled to Kenya with the charity to pass on their knowledge and skills to First Responders in rural areas.
Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care (SPCCs) Callum Sutton and Matt Robinson volunteered to join Medical Director Dr Andy Lockyer on the trip.
About Dr Andy and Dharura
As well as being Great Western Air Ambulance Charity's (GWAAC) Medical Director, Dr Andy is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine (EM) at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI). His other roles at the BRI include Clinical Lead for major incident planning, public health, major trauma, education and global health. He is also the Global EM Program's lead consultant, for which he won their 2023 Unsung Hero award. And last, but not least, he is Trustee and Joint Lead for Global EM fellowships of the related international medical charity, Dharura.
Dharura was developed within the adult Emergency Department of the BRI (UHBW Trust) and supports a wide range of hospital and community projects. Dharura engages with the wider Global Health community to improve the provision of and effective access to emergency care globally.
About the trip
Dr Andy and SPCCs Callum and Matt spent three days camping in Biliqo, just a few hours from the Somali border where the extreme heat and limited access to emergency healthcare pose unique challenges to First Responders in the region. The team passed on their expertise in areas such as burns, choking, bites and stings, wound management, fractures and patient transfer. SPCCs Callum and Matt led the training successfully despite the challenges of the environment:
“They braved high 40-degree temperatures, remote camping and some long hard days, but the engagement with the local communities at Biliqo and Bulesa was amazing, and we hope to further embed the training.” – Dr Andy Lockyer, Medical Director, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity
The First Responders also learnt how to pass their new skills onto others. The team of volunteers from GWAAC and Dharura are hoping this will create a ripple effect helping even more people in need of emergency care across the remote landscape of this part of Kenya.
Proud of our dedicated crew
Not everyone has access to an air ambulance service like GWAAC. By sharing their specialist skills and knowledge in Kenya, Dr Andy and SPCCs Callum and Matt have helped improve the provision of effective emergency care for those who might not otherwise receive it.
We’re very proud to have a Critical Care Team made up of individuals dedicated to helping everyone receive emergency medical treatment when they need it most, not just in our region, but across the world.
It’s not the first time that our crew have volunteered to share their expertise in their own time and to influence care on a global scale. In 2023, SPCCs Callum and Matt along with SPCC Pete Reeve, made a return trip to Ukraine to share their skills with police and military personnel on the frontline.
