Military Medics & LAS Mark Close Of Ground-Breaking Partnership Tackling COVID-19

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Staff from London Ambulance Service and medical specialists from the armed services joined together for the ‘Clap for Our Carers’ last Thursday evening (30th April).

They stood together for the applause on the steps of LAS’s HQ in Waterloo as a pioneering partnership between the Service and the military drew to a close.

In recent weeks, serving military medical specialists from all three armed services have supported LAS taking patients between intensive care units (ICUs) to hospitals with more capacity in the capital, including the new NHS Nightingale London Hospital at the ExCel.

Garrett Emmerson, Chief Executive of London Ambulance Service, said: “During this unprecedented global health emergency, which has placed London Ambulance Service and the wider NHS under extreme pressure, we have had excellent support from many quarters to scale up our response against COVID-19.’

LAS & Military Medics Clap For Carers

“I am incredibly grateful to serving members of our military who have gone above and beyond in recent weeks to help London Ambulance Service transfer critically ill patients to hospitals where they can get the care they need. Their support has been instrumental in saving lives across London.”

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Pynn, the team’s clinical lead, said: “We are proud to be able to support the NHS at this critical time.’

Our team are all regular serving medical professionals from across the armed forces. We are pleased to be able to assist the NHS who are doing such a fantastic job under the greatest of pressure.’

“Moving critically unwell patients is a challenging task. By rapidly mobilising these critical care teams we have eased the burden on some of the hospitals in London and delivering the right group patients to new facilities at NHS Nightingale.”

Capt. Tom Moore

This evening, London Ambulance Service also paid tribute to fundraiser Captain Tom Moore on the occasion of his 100th birthday and the achievement of raising more than £30m for National Health Service charities by walking laps of his garden.

Thanking Captain Moore for his support for the NHS, Mr Emmerson added: “His achievement is inspirational and on behalf of London Ambulance Service I would like to wish him many happy returns on his 100th birthday.”

During the pandemic, London Ambulance Service has entered a number of new partnerships with public and private sector organisations from the AA to London Fire Brigade to help support its operations at this exceptionally busy time.

The military personnel, who specialise in emergency medicine and anaesthetics, were monitoring patients as they made the journey between different hospitals.

Based out of a temporary ambulance station next to the ExCeL, the team assisted the Service for two weeks as part of the military’s wider support for civilian authorities as they battle against COVID-19.

London’s Air Ambulance Welcomes Four New Trustees

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London’s Air Ambulance, the charity that delivers a 24/7 advanced trauma team to critically injured people in London, has strengthened its Board with the appointment of four new Trustees. 

The new Trustees, Gemma Sherrington, Brigadier Tim Hodgetts, Dr Margot Gosney, and James Thomas together bring a wealth of experience across the charity, military, technology and medical research sectors.

Chairman of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, Mark Vickers said: “I am delighted to be welcoming our four new Trustees onto the Board.’

“They bring with them exceptional knowledge and expertise, enhancing even further the long-term stability of the Charity in these challenging times.’

“It is already apparent that they share, with a passion, our vision to end preventable deaths in London from critical injury, through our rapid response, specialist trauma teams.’

“On behalf of the whole service, I am honoured that we have been able to attract such high calibre talent into the Charity and we look forward to benefiting from their contributions on the Board.”

Gemma Sherrington

Gemma Sherrington, Director of Fundraising & Marketing, Save the Children

Gemma is a member of the Executive Board at Save the Children UK, leading fundraising and marketing teams responsible for engaging the Charity’s supporters who generously give their time, money and voice to support the UK’s most vulnerable children.

Gemma has over 15 years of fundraising and marketing experience, previously working for NSPCC, Cardinal Hume Centre and WaterAid.

James Thomas, Chief Technology Officer, Wellcome Trust

James is Chief Technology Officer for Wellcome, an independent health research foundation, where he is responsible for leadership of technology and digital services.

James is on the Industrial Advisory Board for the School of Computing and Communications at the Open University, and is also executive sponsor for the Data for Science and Health Priority area, a programme seeking to ensure everyone can benefit from health data innovation.

Prior to working at Wellcome, James had an extensive career in the private and public sectors including technology leadership roles in the NHS.

Brigadier Tim Hodgetts,
Head Army Medical Services & Senior Health Adviser to the Army,
Honorary Professor of Emergency.
Photo Credit: www.edwardmoss.co.uk

Brigadier Tim Hodgetts, Head Army Medical Services and Senior Health Adviser to the Army; Honorary Professor of Emergency

Tim is an emergency physician with over 35 years of military experience and has treated victims of conflict in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Specialising in military emergency medicine and pre-hospital care, Tim has published extensively and designed curricula for both military and civilian audiences in pre-hospital care, trauma and disaster medicine.

He is also a Commissioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and co-Founder of the registered charity citizenAID.

Dr Margot Gosney,
Director of Clinical Health Sciences,
University of Reading.
Elderly Care Consultant, Royal Berkshire NHS Trust

Dr Margot Gosney, Director of Clinical Health Sciences, University of Reading; Elderly Care Consultant, Royal Berkshire NHS Trust

Margot is a Geriatrician also trained in Medical Oncology. She was appointed Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool in 1992 and Professor of Elderly Care Medicine University of Reading and Honorary Consultant in Elderly Care Medicine at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust in 2003.

Margot has set up and run a a Comprehensive Care for Older People with Cancer service in Berkshire and has advised the Department of Health and Macmillan Cancer Care on the management of older people with cancer.

She also researches barriers to good nutrition and strategies to improve this with a particular focus on hospitalised individuals at most risk of the results of suboptimal nutrition.

Chief Executive of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, Jonathan Jenkins said: “Trustees play a vital role in the governance of charities; volunteering their time and sharing their expertise to support and shape our work.’

“I have no doubt that our four new Trustees will be a valuable addition to London’s Air Ambulance Charity and help us make an even greater impact over the new few years as we continue to push the boundaries to save more lives in London.”

London’s Air Ambulance has a world class reputation for delivering clinical innovation and pioneering treatment at the roadside and is known for using new technology and treatments to bring the most innovative care to the people of London.

In 2019, the charity’s 30th anniversary year, the helicopter and rapid response cars took an advanced trauma doctor and paramedic to 1,730 patients whose lives were on the line.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the service continues to operate 24/7 for every one of the 10 million people who live and work in London, while also supporting nationwide efforts to manage the impact of coronavirus.